Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp, located just outside the Nisqually entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, serves as a central hub for riders seeking trail access in the Ashford area. The campground features multiple sites designated specifically for horses and riders, with vault toilets and fire rings at each site. A Discover Pass is required for camping, which makes this effectively a free campground for those who already possess the pass. The level terrain around the campsites provides adequate space for horse trailers, though several sites are reserved exclusively for equestrian use. A dedicated ADA-accessible trail offers riders an easy path for warming up horses before tackling more challenging routes.
Trail riders can access multiple forest paths directly from the campground without having to haul their horses elsewhere. Despite its proximity to a shooting range which creates occasional noise, most equestrians report the campground remains peaceful enough for horses. Sites are well-spaced and shaded, making summer camping comfortable though potentially challenging for solar-dependent campers. Rocky soil at some sites can make staking tents difficult, but the absence of wind typically prevents this from being problematic. The campground enforces a 7-day limit within any 30-day period, allowing for extended stays without permanent occupation. No water sources are available on site, so riders must bring water for both themselves and their horses.
"Lake access. Trail access. Pristine wilderness. Horse trails. Hunting. Fishing. Scenery. I would rather not tell you about it and keep it to myself."
"There was a woodsy area behind the site where kids could play. The bathrooms are fancy out houses no place to wash hands. Lots of bugs in the evening."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $48 / night
"Horse camp but sites 21-30 are for non equestrian campers."
"Lots of horses here which is enjoyable. An ADA trail is level for walking the dog.
Shooting range is close by, doesn’t bother me but it’s pretty noisy."
from $30 / night
"23 May 2020 - you can drive to the "Y" intersection for the camp grounds and horse camp, but the snow was so deep that walking is the only option."
"Cowlitz Trail is here. Horse camping and trail in separate area. There are two sites before the main area that are more secluded but require a 4WD vehicle to get to."
"This place is the best because the only way to get to the camping spots at Packwood Lake is to hike in or the use of ATV’s."
"Very cool spot with new generation trees growing out of old generation stumps, close to river for water, very popular spot so found a lot of trash but loved the sites and hiking trails nearby"
"Lovely area such beautiful surroundings."
"Amazing camp site with a good amount of lakeside camps. Staying in site 41 to 44 guarantees amazing sunrise and sunset views. The lake water is crystal clear. Excellent location if you enjoy hiking."
"nice tall shade trees and beautiful access to the lake. trails are around and a large beach to relax on. sites are large and trees are close enough to hang a hammock. note: road to get here is entirely"
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $25 - $45 / night
"We scored a walk-in tent site ($22.) on Monday in the middle of August without a reservation."
"We came here for the 4th of July to get away from the fireworks in the city (our dog is terrified of them!). We had an amazing experience!"
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $25 - $915 / night
"Large sites, some with access to the River. Highway noise was pretty loud in some of the upper sites. Bathrooms (pit toilets) were very clean and the camp host was lovely! Nice recreation area nearby."
"Had a great time next to the river."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $27 - $54 / night
RangerVery nice! Horse camp but sites 21-30 are for non equestrian campers. Sites are wooded between and large with table, firepits/grill combo, and level wooded spaces. 2 clean, well stocked pit toilets are available. Water faucets available at several locations. WA discover pass but free otherwise. It is patrolled regularly.
TravelerThe campground itself is wide and quaint with decent privacy, a creek, and also has equestrian site options. Pit bathrooms are decently clean. Neighboring ranch land's cows will walk right through your campsite unbothered though, so be aware.
RangerThis went from a four star stay to one star in the blink of an eye. There is a shooting range directly behind this campground, and the horse trails lead right past it. On August 8th 2026 around 2PM, someone’s horse was shot while they were riding less than a half a mile away from camp and when they called 911, animal control came but police would NOT come even to investigate. This was reckless use of a firearm, animal endangerment, and honestly should be a felony. There is no way to accidentally be shooting at the trails from the shooting range, you have to DECIDE to do that. Police are absolutely useless, and now I know especially in this area the cops don’t give a damn about anyone’s safety.
You can hear shooting nearby all day and all night despite the posted hours at the range. Although it’s a free stay with a discover pass, I will NOT EVER stay here again and would not recommend this place to anyone with horses.
TravelerPerfectly fine, especially considering the low low price of $0. Sites no closer together (honestly, more spacious than) the average KoA I’ve paid $60-$90 to pop up a tent in.
I chose a spot closer to the road than the lake, but if I’d arrived before 7:45 other spots would have been available, I’d imagine.
RangerHowever you camp, tent or RV, there is a site for you here. Taidnapam is the second Tacoma Power park where I have camped. There are two sides to this campground--the older side which are sites 1-52 are a mix of full hook-ups and partial hook-ups. The newer, larger loop is almost all full hook-ups with a few exceptions that are partial. There are tent spots in-between the two sides. They also have 2 group sites--one with 22 spots of full and partial hook-ups and one primitive group site. We stayed in site 9 with full hook-ups on the older loop. This loop is one big circle with a dividing road so it's kind of like two loops. The rest rooms and playground was in the middle of the first loop. My site had a short trail right to the restrooms/playground area. The playground was pretty awesome! On the far end of the second loop, there is a trail that takes you to the day-use area where there is a second fantastic playground. There was also a sprinkler system there, but we didn't know how to make it work. This area is right next to the river/east end of Riffe Lake. There are no swimming areas however because the lake has lowered over the years. We did ask if there were any swimming areas nearby or a way to get down to the water and they did have a list in the office. We checked out a few of the closer places, but since I have a 4 years old, I did not feel that any of the places were safe enough for her to get down to the water and I did not want to drive miles to get to the next park. One of the fun things about this park are the gnomes up in the trees! I didn't find out until the night before we left, but I guess you can do like a scavenger hunt type of thing to find all the gnomes.
GuideEveryone is all close together. But it’s free. They have bathroom porta potty.
ScoutThis is a really pretty site. The camping and beach access is great. We saw bald eagles and very low flying cargo planes. There is some kind of RC flying area on the north side of the site.
There is road noise, but that is going to depend on where you camp. There are sites right next to the road and sites a few hundred yards away. There are"homeless" camps here. They didn't bother us, but you can tell that not everyone here is a recreational camper.
It is large enough that we got our class A with trailer in and out. There is a bit of a loop, but this can be blocked so check first. The road is very rough, you have to go slow.
There is a dump and non-potable water station at the park a few miles up the road. It is$5 for non-campers today.
GuideBeautiful well maintained sites with tables and fire rings. Washington Pass required. Plenty of room for RVs at many of the sites - it was mostly empty when we came.
ScoutThe first time going was amazing! It was fall, and with the crowds gone, it was heaven on earth. The next time was the weekend and a summer getaway, with EVERYONE else, so it was noisy, crazy noisy. Now we only go during the week to avoid all the noise! Great, clean restrooms, and friendly staff. The lake and river offer plenty to do and see. We visit every year or two for the peace and quiet.
Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp serves as a central access point for equestrian trail riding near Mount Rainier National Park. The campground sits at approximately 1,800 feet elevation in the Ashford area, with the shooting range located less than half a mile away creating periodic noise during daylight hours. Multiple connecting forest trails provide immediate riding access without needing to transport horses between locations after arrival.
Trail ride from camp: Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp offers direct access to forest trails, eliminating the need to haul horses to separate trailheads. According to one visitor, "There is also a nice picnic shelter with closable sides for in climate weather and lovely trails. It's also near Mount Rainier."
Fish in nearby waterways: Bumping Lake Campground provides excellent fishing opportunities with boat rentals available. "The lake is within a short walk from the camp sites. The sites are also somewhat secluded which is nice for me since it provides some privacy. They also let you scrounge around for your own firewood from fallen trees and branches," notes one camper.
Explore mountain lakes: Walupt Lake Campground offers pristine waters surrounded by forest. A visitor reports, "Lake is pristine, calm and gorgeous. Easy to kayak. Easy trail access to hikes. Cold in the morning (Aug) but warms up quickly."
Shaded, private sites: The tall trees at Sahara Creek create well-spaced, shady camping areas. "Very shady and quiet, not crowded at all. Primitive camping, no water, no restrooms just vault toilets, no trash pickup either so you need to pack everything out," explains one camper.
Easy park access: The campground's location just minutes from Mount Rainier National Park's Nisqually entrance makes it ideal for park exploration. A visitor noted, "This was a great spot right by the park for us to crash for the night. We pulled in on a Tuesday night and there were lots of spots open."
Waterfront camping: Hause Creek Campground offers sites along the river. "We found a site right by the river. Some shaded sites are available too. Camp host was very friendly and helpful," shares a satisfied camper.
Discover Pass required: Camping at Sahara Creek requires a Washington State Discover Pass, functioning effectively as a free campground for pass holders. One camper clarifies, "This is a free camp ground if you have a Wa 'Discover Pass.' It is a shady campground not great for solar."
Limited reservations: Most equestrian sites operate on a first-come basis. "Sites 9-12 are reservable, walk in and right against the river," notes a visitor to nearby Hause Creek Campground.
No drinking water: Bring sufficient water for both people and horses as no water sources exist at the campground. "There is no running water at this time so bring your own," advises a camper.
Pack out trash: Follow strict pack-in, pack-out practices. "There is NO trash here, pack it in, pack out. Keep it clean. Lots of horses here which is enjoyable. An ADA trail is level for walking the dog," explains one visitor.
Accessible trails: The ADA-compliant trail near Sahara Creek provides easy riding for beginners and children. "Gorgeous site with large sites. However many are reserved for horse campers only. There is also a nice picnic shelter with closable sides for in climate weather and lovely trails," notes a visitor.
Playground options: Taidnapam Park offers recreational facilities for children. "We love this campground to go to with kids - the walk-in tent sites are great and the water is so shallow now for quite a ways out so the kids can play in the water and the sand/mud along the edge of the lake."
Level sites: Most camping areas feature flat terrain suitable for family tents. "The site was mostly sandy and the tent area was very flat. There was a woodsy area behind the site where kids could play," reports a camper at Bumping Lake.
Limited RV access: The majority of Sahara Creek sites accommodate horse trailers rather than recreational vehicles. One visitor warns, "Most of the sites are horse camping only, but there are a handful that allow other types EXCEPT FOR RV, to my understanding there is NO RV CAMPING HERE."
Alternative nearby options: South Fork Snoqualmie River Dispersed Site accommodates smaller RVs despite rough access roads. "A lot of the spots are on the smaller side, so we had a bit of trouble finding one that could fit our motorhome, but it was worth it. The place is beautiful. Super dark at night, and besides the sound from the interstate and cars driving up and down, it's quite."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Mount Rainier National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Mount Rainier National Park is Bumping Lake Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Mount Rainier National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 30 equestrian camping locations near Mount Rainier National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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