Riley Horse Campground accommodates equestrians with dedicated sites for horse and rider camping in Oregon's Mount Hood area. The campground offers primitive facilities with vault toilets and drinking water available during the May to September operating season. Campsites accommodate both tents and small RVs, with ample space for horse trailers. While no specific horse corrals are mentioned in the campground data, the name and designation as a horse campground indicate facilities for equestrians. The reservation system allows riders to secure spots in advance, which is essential during peak summer months when trail riding conditions are optimal. Trails throughout the area remain uncrowded even during summer weekends, allowing for peaceful riding experiences.
Access to forest service trails directly from the campground provides excellent riding opportunities through Mount Hood National Forest. Riders can explore extensive networks of bridle paths that connect to longer regional trail systems. The campground's location offers convenient access to trailheads while maintaining a secluded forest setting. Water for horses is available at the campground, though riders should confirm current water conditions when making reservations. Campground rules permit campfires in designated fire rings, and pets are allowed, making it possible for trail riders to bring their dogs along with their horses. Picnic tables are not standard at all sites, so equestrians should come prepared with their own camp furniture. The relatively short season (May 22 to September 13) means planning ahead is essential for riders hoping to experience the area's trail system.
$25 / night
"Close proximity to Multonomah Falls. Pros - bathrooms with electric outlets, free showers, deer come close and are fun to watch, quiet & fairly private stay."
"There is distance between you and other guests but if you want to meet your neighbors you can. They have ADA sites, a lake, play grounds and a welcome center."
"Driving up there the way we drive (from Vancouver) you go up through ranching/farming territory and it’s nice and green and pretty, so it’s nice getting there."
"Hiking around the lake is a great way to start and/or end you day while staying at Battle Ground Lake SP. Horses are welcome. There are cabins available also. Several sites overlook the lake."
$8 - $126 / night
"It has wonderful hiking trails. There is swimming available in the warmer months in the Clackamas River. Horse trails for equestrians and fishing!"
"A short hike will take you right to the river and there’s plenty of nice trail to explore. If stepping around occasional horse poop isn’t your thing, maybe skip the hike though."
$40 / night
"Clean and generally friendly, the Jantzen Beach RV Park is right inside of Portland (at the northern end, close to Vancouver, Washington)."
"Jantzen Beach RV Park feels like a real-world stop straight out of a Subway Surfers World Tour—a lively, convenient, and colorful place where travelers pause, recharge, and enjoy the surroundings before"
"Not only is the campground itself a woodland wonderland with winding paths through tall old growth forest areas, but the surrounding area of the park itself is impressive with exciting things to do around"
"We didn’t have any issues at the site, but noticed that spots RV4 and RV5 were relatively distanced from each other, while spots RV1-RV3 were pretty close to each other."
$25 - $45 / night
"Across the road is a horse camp that the PCT goes through. There is a spur from the PCT directly into the campground for easy access. There is a beautiful view of Mt."
"Some camp sots are better situated then others, so do research before making reservation."
$32 - $57 / night
"The upper area encircles a large open are perfect for games and running around. There is a nice disk golf course and a lot of large paths for waking and biking."
"And a loop with corals for horses. Miles of horse trails, bike trails, hiking trails."
$26 / night
"It is not too far from the Portland area, I would recommend getting last minute supplies before getting off the highway."
"Secluded, open prime real estate: horse facilities abound here, but it works for everyone."
"There are 8 walk in sites and one drive up site, all first come first serve discovery pass required. Some sites are larger than others, but in ours we were able to fit two 6ptents and one 2p tent."
"Discover pass required Merrill Lake, just outside of Cougar, WA feels very remote, despite its relatively close proximity to the Portland/Vancouver area."
ScoutGreat place to camp. It has wonderful hiking trails. There is swimming available in the warmer months in the Clackamas River. Horse trails for equestrians and fishing!
LegendGreat campground when nearby Timothy Lake campgrounds are full. The spot I had was large and not too close to other spots. The campground was full, so there was the early morning sounds of children playing. I was in spot 8 which looked onto Clackamas Lake. Which side note is not a "lake" but more of a marshy pond with reeds and grass around the edge. Still I was able to situate my tent to look onto the lake. This spot is in the horse section so there were corrals in each spot. Looked like a horse had camped in the spot a few days earlier cause there were large piles of fresh horse poop I had to keep my dog away from. The table/tent area was about 75 feet from my car so I had to make many trips to get all my stuff into the site. If you are extra adventurous and in shape you can walk from the campground, around Timothy Lake and back, be warned this is just over 18 miles. The trail around Timothy Lake is not strenuous, and offers amazing views of Mt Hood, and there is water about half way through, but again be ready for a long hike.
LegendHares Canyon Horse Camp is one of three campgrounds in Stub Stewart State Park and unlike other horse camps which often allow the overflow of tenters and rv'ers without horses, this horse camp is equestrian only.
The Campground is set up in one loop and offers both single and double sites, ADA facilities, showers, toilets, and trash. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and a corral. There is a double corral on the double sites.
You must clean up after your own horse. Manure bin as well as shovels/brooms are provided onsite.
In mid May, the sites were very wide open.
GuideI don’t have a horse but I still stayed here! We were in the area, struggling to find a place to camp. After 7 pm, the campground let us set up camp in an empty equestrian campsite. Unique experience!
TravelerClackamas Lake is a great campsite. Fairly easy to find and navigate. Great for when you don't want to deal with the more crowded campgrounds.
While the camping sites are fairly close together, the site is usually lightly occupied. While we where there we only had one neighbor but the rest of the loop was empty.
For horse riders they have some equestrian only campsites.
There was plenty of trails in which to hike or ride, and a dock to go see the lake. You can also go swimming if your into Oregon lake or pond swimming.
Clackamas Lake itself is fairly small and in many ways feels more like a large and deep marsh then a lake.
Phone and internet reception (AT&T) is spotty at best.
LegendThis is hands down one of my favorite campgrounds, because the spots are large, far apart from the other sites, and very quiet. It is not too far from the Portland area, I would recommend getting last minute supplies before getting off the highway. The campground is a horse campground, but I reserved on the Monday before arrival and it was still very empty so no fear about taking a spot from equestrians. The spot I had (Spot 4) was huge, plenty of room for a larger party, felt like a quarter of an acre. There were no neighbors on one side of the spot and only the water spigot on the other. All the spots in the campground had plenty of space between spots. There was lots of dead, dried out wood laying all around the site that after a couple hours of collecting I had plenty to keep a fire all weekend, and still left a pile of wood when I left. The campground is close to many trails in the area, mainly Romano Falls Trail. There are views of Mt. Hood, peeking out through the trees here and there.
Additional Stay, Different Year
-A few more trees have been knocked down due to winter storms, but this is still a great campground.
TravelerSite was nice and private, staff was very friendly, and the grounds were pretty clean! A short hike will take you right to the river and there’s plenty of nice trail to explore. If stepping around occasional horse poop isn’t your thing, maybe skip the hike though. Plenty of horses and dogs around.
LegendSmaller, but we were able to switch sites away from an area with two families/lots of little kids (so the area is easy for people who don't camp a lot). Beautiful river, lots of horses and fisherpeople, great trails, tall trees, lots of shade, close to Portland. Plus you can reserve sites ahead of time.
GuideWe love it! For a lot of reasons. Part of the reason is it’s close, so that’s part good. Driving up there the way we drive (from Vancouver) you go up through ranching/farming territory and it’s nice and green and pretty, so it’s nice getting there. You do have a lot of options, in that the first time we went up there was with our hiking club, and we went up there for a hike around the calderas so it’s easy to do a day trip in a car. Part of our discovery was while we were there is that the food place is really good and very nice. The kids playground was great for the grandkids.
As far as the camping, while it’s open, for the most part you do have a limited amount of privacy in the campground. The campsite we picked was a mix of things: just far enough away from the restrooms where we don’t get all the traffic there, but close enough so it’s not too far either. We were within easy walking distance to two restrooms/showers.
One thing that always looked intriguing is they do have the cabins, so maybe one of these times we’ll rent one. Another thing that some people might like is that they do have horses and some of the trails around the lake you can have horses on, plus a separate area/campground where you can have your horses, which are fun to see.
It’s a small lake but big lake, meaning they do not allow motors on the lake, even electric motors, so it’s all floats, kayakers, etc. A lot of people grab the big inter-tubes and go with that. And of course fishing up there is generally pretty good, especially when they stock it. The trails around the lake are kind of fun also because you have a high trail (very forested) and you also have a certain amount of low trails right on the water where you could have your own spots to fish and swim.
Like most campgrounds, it has its peak season and its off-season, but you can go there year-round if you choose to. The beach area isn’t big, but that’s okay. Wherever you’re heading (from the campsites down to the water, to the playground, to the food shack) you always have different trails and options for how to get from one place to another if you want to explore. If there’s anything you forgot (groceries, fishing gear etc.) you can be in the small town of Battle Ground within 5 miles.
Equestrian camping near Washougal, Washington places riders within the temperate rainforest ecosystem of the western Cascade foothills. The region receives approximately 60-70 inches of annual rainfall, creating lush, green riding conditions from spring through fall. Trails in this area range from 1,000 to 3,000 feet in elevation, with some horse-accessible routes offering river crossings that can be challenging during spring runoff.
Trail riding to waterfalls: Access multiple waterfall viewing trails from Panther Creek Campground, where riders can connect to longer routes. "There are several places to access the creek and play in the cold, shallow water. The stones in the stream are a rainbow of metamorphic rock," notes Lawrence F., who recommends the waterfall trails just a few miles up the road from camp.
Disc golf between rides: Take a break from the saddle at Milo McIver State Park Campground where two competition-quality disc golf courses await. "Milo McIver may be best known for its twin 18 hole disc golf courses, or single 27 hole layout when tournaments aren't in progress," shares Steve C., making it ideal for riders needing a day off from the trails.
Volcanic lake exploration: Plan a side trip to Battle Ground Lake State Park Campground for fishing between trail rides. "It's like a mini crater lake. I mean mini like pond size," explains Ashley Y. The volcanic lake offers excellent trout, bass and bluegill fishing according to Brian B., who calls it "One of the best State parks for camping."
Secluded equestrian sites: Horse campers appreciate the privacy at Riley Horse Campground where "spots are large, far apart from the other sites, and very quiet." Ashley B. notes the generous spacing feels "like a quarter of an acre" with "plenty of room for a larger party." The campground's horse pens are "huge" according to Gretch H., who used them creatively "to help hang our hammocks."
Old-growth forest riding: Campers value the mature forests surrounding Merrill Lake Campground, described as "a great little campground, on the lake shore amidst a grove of Old Growth Cedar." Dan M. notes the "short and beautiful nature trail through the Cedars," ideal for shorter rides when horses need rest.
Multi-use trail access: Riders enjoy direct trail connections at Panther Creek, where "across the road is a horse camp that the PCT goes through. There is a spur from the PCT directly into the campground for easy access," explains Lawrence F. The nearby PCT provides "a beautiful view of Mt. Hood just a couple of miles up the trail."
Water access varies: At Merrill Lake, there's "no running water" according to Dan M., requiring riders to bring water for themselves and horses. In contrast, Battle Ground Lake offers easier horse watering opportunities with "a swim area roped off, and a small sand area" according to Wendy C.
Campsite selection matters: Beacon Rock State Park campsites "vary greatly, and every time I've gone it's first-come, first-served, so it helps to come early to grab a spot," warns Corinna B. The "back side" sites are typically larger and more suitable for horse trailers.
Seasonal constraints: Despite Beacon Rock State Park Campground being open year-round, Corinna B. advises that "even on Memorial Day weekend there were several still available at 5pm on Sunday," making off-peak camping more viable for riders needing flexible scheduling.
Cart-accessible tent camping: When horses need a break, families can try Dairy Creek West — L.L. Stub Stewart Memorial State Park where "the tent only hike in camp isn't a long haul from the parking area at the welcome center – it's about ¼ mile and the trail into the campground is mostly gravel." Stephanie Z. highlights that "there are carts available for hike in campers to use at the campground trailhead."
Multiple recreation options: Families appreciate the diverse activities at L.L. Stub Stewart, where "aside from the sites, the park has many hiking trails of varying length, access to the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, several disc golf courses, cabins, a horse camp, a day use picnic/event area and a hike-in camp area," notes Shane B.
Playgrounds and beaches: For family days off from riding, Battle Ground Lake provides "a swim area roped off, and a small sand area for the kids to play" according to Wendy C., while the park "has a camp store open for snacks and they have flushable bathrooms" as Tiffany M. points out.
Full hookup options: For equestrian camping with RV comforts, Battle Ground Lake offers "about 5 sites with power and water" according to Chris J., who found "a nice level one" even in January. Wendy C. notes the campground "has lots of tent sites, and some cabins" making it versatile for mixed camping groups.
River proximity cautions: At Beacon Rock's Woodward section, Joe C. warns that you'll be "close to a busy train track and you can hear some highway noise," though the RV hookup area still "felt spacious and secluded" with "clean facilities."
Off-season availability: Winter riders find January camping viable at Battle Ground Lake, where Chris J. reports "about 5 sites with power and water" with only "5 other sites in the whole campground occupied" during New Year's camping, allowing for "short walk to the lake to fish."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Washougal, WA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Washougal, WA is Oxbow Regional Park with a 4.4-star rating from 31 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Washougal, WA?
TheDyrt.com has all 25 equestrian camping locations near Washougal, WA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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