Best Equestrian Camping near Howell, UT

Howell, Utah offers limited options for horse-friendly camping with no dedicated equestrian campgrounds featuring horse corrals in the immediate vicinity. Franklin Basin Dispersed Camping, located approximately 50 miles northeast of Howell, permits equestrian use but lacks formal horse facilities such as corrals, stalls, or dedicated tie-out areas. The dispersed sites accommodate both tent and RV camping with enough space for horse trailers, though specific trailer parking areas are not designated. Camping is free, but a permit is required, and campers must manage their horses according to Forest Service regulations.

Trail access for horseback riding is available via several forest service roads connecting to the larger Franklin Basin trail system. Water for horses must be packed in or filtered from nearby natural sources, as no drinking water is provided at the campsites. The heavily forested areas provide natural shade and protection for horses during summer months. Riders can access multiple connecting trails that extend throughout the Cache National Forest. During high-use seasons, especially summer weekends, arriving early is recommended to secure suitable space for horse trailers and adequate room for temporary containment solutions like portable corrals or highlines that visitors must bring themselves.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Howell, Utah (9)

    1. Cottonwood Campground — Willard Bay State Park

    13 Reviews
    Willard, UT
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 734-9494

    $60 - $150 / night

    "This park is a great stopover on your way through Utah or weekend visit. The lake is clean and still very natural. The swans circling the water are something to see."

    "This campground is right next to the I-15, and a set of train tracks that seem to see daily use."

    2. Hyrum State Park Campground

    9 Reviews
    Hyrum, UT
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 245-6866

    $35 - $350 / night

    "The only thing that was annoying is that they lock the front gate at 10PM so if you are out after that time, you have to park your car on the street and walk to your campsite."

    "Close to town and lots of day use area. Campsites pretty close together but lots of grass and trees. Clean bathrooms and pretty neighborhood for walking"

    3. North Fork County Park

    17 Reviews
    North Ogden, UT
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 399-8491

    $30 - $40 / night

    "Before we had kids, we would bike and hike along the different trails. There’s a short waterfall hike, but also a long hike that will take you up to Ben Lomond Peak & cut across to Willard Peak."

    "Arrived around 2pm on a Friday and stayed at Cutler Flats. Didn't look at the other campgrounds so can't speak to them in particular. Drove up and down the loop and most were available at that time."

    4. Dock Flat Campground

    5 Reviews
    Mantua, UT
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 999-2103

    5. Oneida County Fairgrounds

    1 Review
    Malad City, ID
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 766-4706

    "Near city limits where there is places to buy groceries, gas, or go out to a restaurant. They have about 20 spots with electrical outlets."

    6. Franklin Basin Dispersed Camping

    9 Reviews
    Garden City, UT
    46 miles
    +1 (435) 232-2674

    "Amazing location especially because it’s close to bear lake! I heard it’s better in August, but if you camp way further down the mosquitos are absolutely miserable."

    "Absolutely beautiful location off highway 89. A popular place especially for ohv-ers."

    7. Malad Summit Guard Station

    3 Reviews
    Downey, ID
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 236-7500

    $60 / night

    "It is close to the reservoir of you need to cool off and there is also the creek which runs right next to it! It has picnic tables and a bbq grill and sleeping space inside for a few people"

    8. Middle Fork Conservation Area

    4 Reviews
    Eden, UT
    49 miles
    Website

    "My family and I were driving through and needed a place to stay for the night. We camped the first night that lot camping was allowed (9/10) so it was quiet and peaceful."

    9. Lakeside Beach

    1 Review
    Hooper, UT
    44 miles
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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Howell, UT

1 Photos of 9 Howell Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Howell, UT

64 Reviews of 9 Howell Campgrounds


  • Meredith S.
    Aug. 13, 2020

    Cottonwood Campground — Willard Bay State Park

    Amazing sunsets

    This park is a great stopover on your way through Utah or weekend visit. The lake is clean and still very natural. The swans circling the water are something to see. Lots of shade rustic but serviceable showed. A bit pricy at 30 a night but right off the highway and no real traffic noise.

  • S
    Jul. 31, 2017

    Hyrum State Park Campground

    Overall great spot!!

    We booked this campsite later into the season so we were lucky to get a spot. We have a pop up and although we didn't get a spot with electricity, it ended up being a great stay! The campground is also a day use area for boats so there is beach access which is great. Facilities are nice and well maintained. The only thing that was annoying is that they lock the front gate at 10PM so if you are out after that time, you have to park your car on the street and walk to your campsite. It's a residential area and a lot of the street parking is restricted since it's close to the boat ramp. You'd think they would at least have a code you could use after hours! Seems strange it would close that early when it's so close to Logan, a college town. Our site, number 7 had lots of shade, close to the restrooms but was close to the road and away from the lake.

  • M
    Aug. 7, 2021

    North Fork County Park

    Something for everyone

    This campground has been a friends and family favorite for many years.

    My husband and I recently took our toddler and infant here and had a blast. They found joy in simply throwing pebbles in the creek and making mud. Before we had kids, we would bike and hike along the different trails. There’s a short waterfall hike, but also a long hike that will take you up to Ben Lomond Peak & cut across to Willard Peak. Go when there’s no smoke and you’ll have breathtaking views (I’d say May & June are your best bet).

    Back to camping: there’s a tiny-creek front, meadow, shaded and unshaded, and a specific area for if you bring horses. You choose what you want.

    You can reserve a spot (we did this and were very grateful since we had to keep leaving and coming back). We had service this last time too in July 2021 for the first time (T-Mobile). Hubby was able to work remotely just fine.

  • M
    Sep. 17, 2021

    Cottonwood Campground — Willard Bay State Park

    I-15 traffic noise

    Nice facilities, paved pull-thru and back in spots. I checked in around 8 pm and found no one at the entrance booths but there are provisions to leave a cash payment in an envelope and drop into a slot. The traffic noise from I-15 is quite present. It's very distracting and probably the loudest I've experienced. On the bright side, it is easy to access being right off the exit.

  • Jen B.
    May. 16, 2022

    North Fork County Park

    Beautiful getaway

    This park is beautiful. Arrived around 2pm on a Friday and stayed at Cutler Flats. Didn't look at the other campgrounds so can't speak to them in particular. Drove up and down the loop and most were available at that time. All but one site was taken by night time. Stayed in site 12 which was a great spot. It's next to the bathroom, but didn't notice any smell. Felt pretty private, lots of trees and brush between sites. This spot in particular had a large open space with beautiful views of the mountains. Great spot if you need solar. Sun was on us more than other spots that were tucked into the trees. Lots of beautiful hiking trails where we only passed one other party. Would love to come back.

  • S
    Jul. 29, 2017

    North Fork County Park

    Secluded and gorgeous...with amenities!

    I've never seen so many shooting stars before. The sites were plenty big, each had a fire pit and picnic table and were close to legit toilets. It was beautiful. Worth the drive to get a little further off the beaten path.

  • Rod D.
    Jun. 7, 2024

    Cottonwood Campground — Willard Bay State Park

    Convenient and easy overnight stop but expensive and buggy

    We did not have reservations and with two long back to back travel days heading home, we needed an easy place to land close to the interstate.  $60 for one night electric and water which we did not need for our teardrop, but all sites were the same price which included park fees.  

    Very nice staff and host found us a spot with which even had a limited view of the lake.  Site was brand new with pull through that would easily accommodate a larger rig.  Had a nice pavilion type cover over the picnic table, fire ring, and restrooms and showers were new in the section we were staying in.   

    As sun went down the mosquitos started to swarm and chased us inside.  Haven't experienced that level of bugginess outside of several of the swamps we camped at in the southeast.  Middle of the night a skunk visited our campsite and hung around for quite a while.  Traffic noise from I-15 was excessive.   

    Don't let the pictures fool you.  Views were ok in most directions but what I did not show was the large commercial storage yard used by the park service which was directly next door to our campsite.  Fee's should have been much lower given the location but we did not have reservations and were fortunate to get a site.  

    If camping in a traditional RV this is an ok option, and it is cheaper than some of the commercial campgrounds nearby.  Would stay here again if we needed an easy overnight stopover as the location is terrific.

  • Rara  B.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 29, 2021

    Cottonwood Campground — Willard Bay State Park

    Spacious Sites... lots of bugs!

    Stayed for Memorial Day weekend in the cottonwood campground. With citronella candles, bug sprays and bug deterrent bracelets, the mosquitoes and other bugs were relentless. That’s the only bad thing I have to say about camping here. This campground is right next to the I-15, and a set of train tracks that seem to see daily use. We didn’t lose any sleep from noise, though, with our AC running at night, and during the day, the freeway was like white noise. I loved that the sites were spacious, the grounds were clean and there were some great amenities. There’s a nature trail through the grounds, a nice playground, and a 5 min walk to the beach. We got about a dozen channels with our little antenna and our T-Mobile service was 3 bars of 5G.
    Recommendations from a Utahn: Maddox Fine Food (Dinner) Call’s Drive In (Delicious Burgers) Smith & Edwards (Attraction / Grocer / Shopping—Must See)

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 1, 2018

    Malad Summit Guard Station

    Gorgeous cabin with plenty of amenities

    This cabin needs to be reserved first and foremost. The # can be found in the pictures. It is close to the reservoir of you need to cool off and there is also the creek which runs right next to it! It has picnic tables and a bbq grill and sleeping space inside for a few people


Guide to Howell

Near Howell, Utah, dispersed camping options extend across the Wasatch-Cache National Forest at elevations ranging from 4,500 to 9,000 feet. Summer temperatures typically range from 75-90°F during the day and 45-65°F at night. The region encompasses both desert and alpine terrain with juniper forests transitioning to aspen and pine at higher elevations.

What to do

Hiking to waterfalls: North Fork County Park offers access to scenic waterfall trails. "There's a hidden waterfall you can hike too, and a river runs through the park. It's a must!" notes Debbie P. about North Fork County Park.

Fishing in local reservoirs: Hyrum State Park provides lake access for anglers. "It's right on a small lake with a boat ramp and a small beach," reports Brenda L. about Hyrum State Park Campground.

Trail riding with horses: While specific horse facilities are limited, Franklin Basin allows riding on forest service roads. "Perfect location for anyone looking for places to hike or ride. There are many different places to visit throughout the area such as the 'Plane Crash' site, Beaver Creek, old logging trails, and more," explains Auston T. about Franklin Basin Dispersed Camping.

What campers like

Natural water features: Several campgrounds offer water access for recreation. "The creek was really nice. We camped out of the back of my truck. There is a road that runs on the north side of the ground that can be loud from passing traffic, otherwise quiet," reports Nathan D. about Hyrum State Park.

Spacious camping areas: Many dispersed sites provide ample room for groups. "Enough trees to keep your site private, able to fit a 30' trailer in over 75% of their spots, and holy cow the number of spots they have, this place is the size of 4 good sized camp grounds combined," says Jared about North Fork County Park.

Established fire rings: Most dispersed sites come with fire pits. "There are about 50 campsites on a first come first served basis. The road gets narrower as you drive up the canyon and the campsites are spread out along the way over about 5+ miles. I wouldn't recommend going too far in with a big trailer," advises Jake S. about equestrian-accessible areas.

What you should know

Seasonal accessibility: Many campgrounds have limited seasons. "Gate doesn't open until Memorial Day weekend. Keep that in mind when planning a visit here. TONS of places to camp further up if you are in a tent. Trailers should stick to the lower sections as it gets a bit difficult to navigate past the second campground," warns Nicholas A. about Dock Flat Campground.

Road conditions: Access roads to horse-friendly areas can be challenging. "This road is rough and very bumpy. Didn't feel comfortable 'taking over' a campsite with things already parked there," cautions Kaden M. about Franklin Basin.

Limited facilities: Most dispersed camping lacks amenities. "No Services whatsoever except I have T-Mobile and I have great reception with the JeXstream mobile hotspot extender. No Creeks or water but a beautiful place if you bring everything you need," explains Steve M. about Dock Flat Campground.

Tips for camping with families

Look for developed campgrounds: State parks offer more amenities for family comfort. "This is a great campground, the host is really nice, it's clean, has great bathrooms and a great view of the lake!" recommends Rachel G. about Hyrum State Park.

Find sites with natural shade: Summer temperatures can reach 90°F. "Grassy and shady on most sites. Two bathhouses and a dump on site. Picnic tables and fire rings at each site," notes Brenda L. about Oneida County Fairgrounds.

Consider wildlife encounters: Local wildlife can affect camp experience. "At around 2 am a group of raccoons scared the crap out of us when they started fighting outside our tent," shares Jess T. about overnight stays near Howell.

Tips from RVers

Choose appropriate sites for larger rigs: Not all horse-friendly camping areas accommodate large trailers. "We wanted to try this out with our 28' bumper pull. Luckily it was not a busy weekend, we had to move sites to one that would accommodate. Hard to maneuver in the campground as well as getting up the narrow road," explains David T. about Malad Summit Guard Station.

Check campground rules: Some areas have strict arrival policies. "Be aware that they DO NOT allow early arrival and will turn you away before 3pm even if the site is empty," warns Erin A. about camping regulations in the region.

Prepare for highway noise: Some campgrounds are near major roads. "It is totally fenced and gated. The gates close at 10pm and open at 6am. Very peaceful and enjoyable!" reports Brenda L. about Oneida County Fairgrounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Howell, UT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Howell, UT is Cottonwood Campground — Willard Bay State Park with a 3.5-star rating from 13 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Howell, UT?

TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Howell, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.