1 campground with availability next weekend
Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp offers free camping with a Washington Discover Pass, featuring sites specifically designated for equestrians. Located near Ashford, the campground provides vault toilets, picnic tables, and easy access to ORV trails suitable for horseback riding. The campground has a dedicated area with multiple horse stalls in a common area, allowing riders to keep their animals secure overnight. Camping is limited to a 7-day stay within any 30-day period. The large sites accommodate multiple vehicles and horse trailers, with ample space for setting up camp while keeping horses nearby. The shooting range nearby creates some noise during the day, but most equestrians find this doesn't bother their horses after initial adjustment.
Trail access from Sahara Creek connects riders to the surrounding forest service roads and pathways through the wooded landscape. The ADA-accessible trail provides a level route for walking horses or taking shorter rides directly from the campground. Most sites are situated in deep shade, which keeps horses cool during summer months but limits solar charging capabilities for those using solar power systems. Horse owners should bring their own water supplies as there is no drinking water available on site. The campground operates on a pack-in, pack-out basis with no trash service, requiring proper manure management. Located approximately 15 minutes from the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, the campground serves as an excellent base for exploring both the immediate trails and the broader region's equestrian opportunities.
"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
"Lovely area such beautiful surroundings."
"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"
"The campground is next to a classy laundromat, and I say classy because it’s probably one of the nicest laundromats in the area that even has a dumpsite for RVs."
"The campground is in 500+ acre Tolt-McDonald Park, far enough away from any busy road so that there is no traffic noise, just the sound of the Tolt River rapids."
"This is a very nice, typical Washington state park with plenty of trees, greenery, hiking, pathways and even a lake."
"This is a beautiful park located on Deep Lake just outside of Olympia. The park itself is huge offering lots of options for campers. "
Available next weekend
from $12 - $137 / night
"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
from $65 - $71 / 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
"It was a 5-minute walk downhill to reach the lake, which had a very long and nice boat ramp deep enough to accommodate just about any boat."
"We were lucky to nearly have the entire camp site to ourselves. Quiet and serene place to stay. Set up was easy and quick. Highly recommend."
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.
GuideQuiet, but we were here mid week in late August….
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.
Equestrian camping near South Prairie, Washington offers several options within an hour's drive. The surrounding area features dense forests with elevations ranging from 500 to 3,000 feet, creating varied terrain for trail riding. Summer temperatures typically stay between 60-80°F, ideal for horseback activities from May through October when most horse-friendly campgrounds remain accessible.
Trail exploration: Access numerous wooded trails from Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp, where an "ADA trail is level for walking the dog" according to Fern's review. This accessibility feature provides options for walking horses when you don't want a full ride.
Lake access riding: Visit Bumping Lake Campground where "lake access, trail access, pristine wilderness, horse trails" are available according to Steve C. The lake extends five miles, offering extensive shoreline riding opportunities.
Practice shooting: Bring firearms to test at the nearby range. "Shooting range is close by, doesn't bother me but it's pretty noisy," notes Fern about Sahara Creek. Most horses adjust quickly to the sound, making this a good opportunity to acclimate animals to noise.
Secluded camping areas: Find privacy at Soda Springs where "sites are pretty spread out offering a good amount of privacy, all are along the Bumping River" according to Mary C. This creates natural separation between horse groups.
Freedom from hookups: Enjoy basic facilities that focus on equestrian needs. "If you have a Discover Pass already you are good to go. Love of area for Horses, trailers and regular camping. Vault toilets," notes Charyl B. about Sahara Creek.
Cell service availability: Stay connected at South Fork Snoqualmie River Dispersed Site where "I travel and work remotely so I'm always looking for free places that have cell reception and this place hits the jackpot...I have Verizon and have 2-3 bars of service," according to Austin R. This allows checking weather forecasts for riding conditions.
Water planning: Bring sufficient water for horses. Even campgrounds with water access may have seasonal limitations, as Jon H. notes at South Fork Snoqualmie: "Seeing as there is water nearby, there are plenty of mosquitoes. Bring some bug spray!"
Pass requirements: Obtain proper permits before arrival. "YOU NEED A WA DISCOVER PASS TO CAMP HERE!!! But it is free with the pass. And there's a gas station 5 minutes down the road in Ashford where you can buy one," advises Callie S. about Sahara Creek.
Limited solar power: Plan alternative charging methods at heavily forested sites. "I depend 100% on solar. There is deep shade in all camp spots, I chose a fairly sunny spot, but it wasn't enough to charge my batteries," warns Fern about Taidnapam Park.
Site selection strategy: Choose larger sites when bringing multiple family members and horses. "We stayed in an RV. While some sites are better than others, there really aren't any bad sites here...All the sites are nicely spaced apart and we didn't feel cramped at all," notes Chris B. at Taidnapam Park.
Weekday timing: Avoid weekend crowds by scheduling mid-week trips. "We pulled in on a Tuesday night and there were lots of spots open. Great sites with a table and a fire pit," shares Brittany S. about Sahara Creek.
Activity planning: Prepare for non-riding activities. "The lake, wetlands, and forest are lovely," mentions Kathleen D. about Taidnapam Park, noting the "walk the surrounding trails" options that provide alternative recreation.
Clearance considerations: Verify road conditions for horse trailers. "Access road is right off the highway and unpaved, has a TON of holes so I wouldn't recommend driving down it without good ground clearance," warns Parker C. about Millersylvania State Park Campground.
Space requirements: Check specific campground layouts for trailer maneuvering. "It took a long time to get set up because of the ridiculously small amount of space I had to maneuver my 33ft RV," cautions Savannah H. about trailer positioning at some sites.
Dump station availability: Confirm waste disposal options for longer stays. Many equestrian campgrounds have limited facilities, requiring planning for waste management both for personal and animal needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near South Prairie, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near South Prairie, WA is Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near South Prairie, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 equestrian camping locations near South Prairie, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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