Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Bennington Lake. If you're an equestrian lover who prefers nature-based adventure, yet still wants comfort, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Finding a place to camp in Washington with your horse is easier than ever. These scenic and easy-to-reach Washington campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Some campsites and all cabins are open year-round. Note that park roads are often snow-covered or icy in winter. Book reservations up to 6 months in advance at oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com. Reservations are required Oct. 1 - June 1 for the duplex totem cabin and six rustic cabins.
16 full hookup sites Five sites open year-round (water available only at restroom/shower building in winter) 1 electrical site with water (closed in winter) 32 tent sites with water nearby (closed in winter) Hot showers and flush toilets Horse camp with seven sites (closed in winter) Six rustic log cabins open year round (four pet-friendly) Duplex cabin (Totem) Group tent camp (closed in winter) Universal Access: Tent site A19 is accessible to campers with disabilities.
$12 - $36 / night
Godman Guard Station, built in the 1930s, sits just outside the impressive Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. The complex is adjacent to a historic Civilian Conservation Corps campground. Horseback riding and hiking trails into the wilderness are easily accessed from the cabin. Horses are permitted in the area, however, due to sanitary reasons, horses are not allowed near the guard station. Horses may be tied to the barns hitching rails located about 200 yards up the hill. The barn cannot be used by renters, just the hitching rails and feed bunks. Winter access is by snowmobile, snowshoes or cross country skis. A groomed snowmobile trail passes right by the cabin.
Guests will delight in viewing scenery along Skyline Drive Road and the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. During the summer months, horseback riding or hiking in the wilderness are popular pastimes. Many trails descend into the rugged river canyons and offer fishing opportunities. Check with the appropriate state Department of Fish and Wildlife for regulations. The Godman Trailhead can be accessed from the cabin. In winter, campers enjoy snowmobiling on groomed trails, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Godman Guard Station is perched above the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness at an elevation of 5,600 feet. From a barn about 100 yards up the hill from the cabin, expansive views of the wilderness can be seen. The wilderness includes nearly 180,000 acres of rugged basaltic ridges, steep canyons, rushing rivers and their tributaries and abundant wildlife. Rocky Mountain Elk, bighorn sheep, white-tailed and mule deer, black bears, cougars, coyotes and pine martens inhabit the region.
The cabin is 28 miles or a one-hour drive from Dayton. Groceries and fuel are available. The Tucannon Last Resort Store is also about an hour's drive away.
For Reservation Changes & Cancellation Fees, please see Rules & Reservation Policies.
$60 - $75 / night
Located along the Tucannon River and bordering the Wooten State Wildlife area, the Tucannon Campground has several ponds nearby, managed by the Washington Department of Wildlife. These ponds are stocked with trout, offering excellent fishing opportunities for the entire family. This campground is heavily used from the opening weekend of fishing season, in early spring, through the fall hunting seasons. Tucannon is open for camping year around and is easily accessed by paved roads directly leading to the campground. Please call the Pomeroy Ranger District for current conditions. A fee of $8.00 per night with a $5.00 extra vehicle fee is charged from March 1 through October 31st each year. From November 1st through February there is no fee charged. Please Leave-No-Trace.
Panjab Campground offers opportunities for hunting, hiking, swimming and bicycling. Just beyond the campground is the trailhead for Rattlesnake Trail #3129 that accesses Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. This campground is located along Tucannon Springs River; which is a favorite area for mushrooming, hiking, and just relaxing listening to nature. . No camping with stock at Panjab Campground. Stock facilities are available 3 miles up Forest Service Road 4713 at Panjab Trailhead. Please Leave-No-Trace.
$8 / night
Dispersed camping is a popular camping method for many visitors to the Forest. Choosing to camp along a stream or adjacent to a meadow where there are no picnic tables, toilets or firerings allows campers to enjoy a more primitive experience.
It is recommend that dispersed campers keep to traditional campsites off of established 'two-track' vehicles routes which have been used in the past. Most of these routes are less than 300 feet from a designated open road.
There are some areas on the Forest that are closed to dispersed camping. These include administrative site, special use permit area, or sensitive areas for archeology or wildlife.
Please remove all temporary structures before you leave such as meat poles, toilets, furniture, and ditches around your tents. To find out more about minimum impact camping please visit our outdoor ethics section. Some general rules of use and restrictions also apply to visitor using dispersed camping sites. These include regulations like forest-wide camping stay limits; use of camp fires, firearms, and fireworks; and controlling pets.
Guide
Very nicely maintained campground with full hookups. Clean showers. Level spots.
The only drawback is the close vicinity to Hwy. 84 which made it quite noisy.
Guide
Sites are far apart but some lack privacy. I saw Lots of elk and turkeys(?) and a rattlesnake. Outside of the lack of privacy there are some people who it appears that they live there(I a have no issues with that) my issue is the drive up and down the road multiple multiple time a day at high rates of speed leaving dust flying. When I was out walking I walked past one of their campsites on accident I didn’t get close and they started firing a gun in the air. I slept in my car that night and left the next morning. Also trash is an issue as well as people using the bathroom right on the ground and leaving used baby wipes everywhere. So watch out for human waste if you use a tent.
GuideMany options for private pull-offs once you drive past established NF campgrounds—likely tough to do without high clearance and/or 4WD when wet. Only “traffic” was the occasional ATV/OHV. Tons of great hiking around.
ScoutWe just needed a quick tent soot on a monday night on the way to moab. better than expected. bit muddy. some shells. but lots of space. drove in to about 45.35967, -118.30846
ScoutStayed one night on my way to Seattle. I drove up the road some and found it pretty passable in my van, although most of the sites were too muddy and I was worried about getting stuck. Camped in the first spots behind the Spring Creek Info sign and had good phone service (verizon) and a uneventful night. But area had a ton of broken glass, nails and shotgun shells and a decent amount of litter. Don't know how rowdy it gets in the warmer months but it might be wise to skip this place or camp further up the road at the campground then, especially if you're a solo female.
LegendI've driven by for years and recently had the opportunity to stop in between a couple of long travel days. Site was level and surrounded by beautiful trees. We had a nice walk through the campground. It was not crowded, being a weekday in October.
I was amazed at the freeway noise. Very loud. Didn't really have trouble sleeping, but certainly not quitly peaceful, unfortunately.
Great heritage site!
TravelerThere are 100s of spots to camp
ScoutThis place is better but the freeway is so close it’s deafening! Insanely loud!
GuideEasy and vacant find for a last minute change to our route. Primitive dispersed campsites with rock fire rings right off the highway. Down side is it's a little too noisy for my taste. Would have driven further down into the woods if I had more time to set up as we got here late. All in all its an easy find just off the highway.
Scout
Very nice campground for the area. Come here all the time. First come first serve, there is a nice little river that runs near the campground as well.
Scout
I didn’t know we had a good campground near us. The cabin is pretty cheap and was able to fit my entire family including uncles and aunts and grandparents etc.
RangerWe spend a night there in July on our way to Boulder Colorado. The campground is quite nice and bathrooms were clean and providing all needed functionality. Large and tall trees provided a very welcome shade during the heatwave we were going through. The only issue was that, we were tent camping and being close to the highway it was quite noisy.
GuideBeautiful setting in old growth timber. Freeway is literally adjacent, so entire campground is road noise. Some spots are directly looking over the freeway (A06) so try to get ones further west. The bathrooms are clean and there are a few short hiking trails. Maybe good for an overnight or if you plan to go elsewhere during the day. But not a place to spend much time.
ScoutThis is a beautiful area and clean campground. There is too much road noise to enjoy the outdoors.
GuideWhen we arrived after dark the 200 ft path to our cabin was cleared and we could easily drag our items stacked on a tarp to our cabin. The cabin does share a wall with another party but it was funny to hear the children laugh and play. It was below zero but the electric heater kept us toasty warm. The bathroom and shower is about 300 ft away if you walk through two feet of snow. We brought a collapsible toilet to have on the covered porch. Drove up to the bathroom when needed. The park ranger spent all day moving snow and keeping the roads through the campground excellent. The bathrooms and showers are always clean. The day we left the park ranger came and moved another foot of snow so we could easily pack out. We brought our instant pot and warmed are already prepared foods. If you don't want things to freeze you got to keep them in your cooler. We brought lots of cozy blankets and could hotspot the computer to watch movies. Make sure you follow trip check for closures of i-84 if camping during snow.
TravelerOregon always has beautiful state parks. This one is no different. It is close to Hwy 84, so there is road noise. The campsites don't seem to be as on top of each other as some places.
ScoutThis is a really nice and maintained campground but the traffic noise from the interstate was awful. It was sometimes hard to carrying on a conversation because of the noise. I probably will not stay here again.
LegendI just needed a stop on my way to Wallowa Lake. This was on the way. Heard the big trucks going by all night. A safe and decent place to spend the night, I wouldn't want to do more than that.
Guide
Tucannon is a place I’ve been coming to since I was a kid. Absolutely love the area. Quiet and away from others.
GuideFree during the off season but don't get stuck with a dead car battery. Can get really cold and no phone service and very few people pass by.
GuideWe stayed at a cabin toward the end of the park. The cabins are great and super comfortable and the bathrooms are clean. Saw park staff cleaning and taking out the trash frequently. It is about 10 feet from the highway so loud all day/night. Interesting history but the springs themselves have mostly been paved over by 84. Hiking trails a bit confusing and mostly gas line right of ways. Would recommend if you need a comfortable place to stay on a road trip but not exactly a "camping" getaway.
TravelerWe have stayed here many times. 10 years ago was one of our favorites. Our families came from all over Oregon and Washington, even California. We came from Missouri. What an amazing family reunion. The park rangers were so nice. They had informed classes about animals in the forest. The Jr rangers program for the children was wonderful and hands on.
GuideWe stayed here in a tent site (no hookups) on our way back to Portland from Nevada. As an overnight cut-off campground, it’s lovely: Nice-sized sites set in beautiful Oregon forest (we’d been out of state for a couple weeks and REALLY appreciated the trees); clean bathrooms and showers; long “tent” sites that allowed us to back in our 18ft trailer without uncoupling for the night.
However, it’s right on the interstate. While you kind of tune it out after a while, the road noise is constant and definitely interferes with any sense of “wilderness”.
GuideSo much history in this area. A nice little camp with full hookups, cabins and tent spots. LITERALLY right next to the freeway. Camp host was not friendly and the noise never stopped. Keep on going down the road and look for something else if you’re looking for a true outdoors experience.
GuideThis campground is great. We’ve stayed twice - once in a tent and once in a cabin and had a wonderful experience both times. We must have lucked out, because the nights we stayed traffic noise didn’t seem bad at all. Bathrooms are nice and clean. The surroundings are so pretty and walking through the campground is so peaceful!
TravelerWe stopped for a night on our way to Joseph. It seemed like a good stopping point near the highway. The campground is very well kept with nice touches such as a lit pathway through the woods to the washrooms. It is a shame that the campsites are directly by the highway. A half-mile into the forest would have made all the difference! The noise was very loud and traffic did not slow down at night. Eventually we got used to it and it faded into the background as white noise. Convenient but not idyllic.
GuideNice campground, with cabins that you can rent. Lots of nature to explore! Nice big bathroom area at campground. Lots of space for picnics at the day use area
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Bennington Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Bennington Lake is Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area with a 3.5-star rating from 25 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Bennington Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Bennington Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
