Best Equestrian Camping in Washington

Exploring the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest means choosing between beaches and deserts, forests and volcanos, lakes and prairies. Camping in Washington is a chance to greet nature up close and sleep in some of the most beautiful land in North America. The biggest challenge? Deciding where to start.

The Cascade Mountains run down the center of Washington like a spine. A handful of highways cross the crest in parallel lines, all running from the evergreens of the west side to the wide open grasslands of the east. Camping in Washington is available along every route, like the state parks that dot I-90 and North Cascades National Park that hugs Highway 20.

Take Highway 2 over Stevens Pass to find old-growth trees around each spot at Money Creek Campground, plus a view of a classic metal train trestle. Fill each day with hikes through the Cascade forest, perhaps on a stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail where it passes the Stevens Pass Mountain Resort ski area. Head east of Stevens Pass to verdant Lake Wenatchee State Park for wooded campsites near the shores of a placid mountain lake and a stable inside the park offering trail rides through the summer. BYO kayak or rent one here.

Sometimes camping in Washington means getting off the beaten track to explore the quiet corners of the state. Take a forest road in Olympic National Park to find a green haven of mossy logs and curious chipmunks, or head north around Mount Baker, the Cascades’ northernmost volcano, for boat-in campsites around Baker Lake. In winter, the snowy expanse of Artist Point near Mount Baker' offers killer views of rugged glaciers for intrepid snow campers and backcountry skiers.

There are spectacular overnights to be had in the Pacific Northwest’s national and state parks, not to mention the remote U.S. Forest Service lands that blanket this corner of the country. Stock up on s’mores and firewood (when and where rules allow) and pitch a tent under the stars and go camping in Washington for the trip of a lifetime.

Best Equestrian Sites in Washington (102)

    1. Salt Creek Recreation Area

    51 Reviews
    Joyce, WA
    Website
    +1 (360) 928-3441

    $45 / night

    "Every camp site is well maintained, the bathrooms are very clean and you have beautiful views all around you."

    "Like a number of Washington State Parks, the plug-in sites are in a large field, with very few trees around and kind of look like a lot of other standard RV parks with three or so levels of close parking"

    2. Lake Wenatchee State Park Campground

    46 Reviews
    Leavenworth, WA
    Website
    +1 (509) 763-3101

    "The campground is divided into two parts by a crisp clear and cold Wenatchee River, flowing out of Lake Wenatchee, locat d in the central Cascade Mountains of Washington."

    "_We love camping in this area of Washington. There are so many campsites and each one is just far away from the nearest town which is so nice to know that you won't be bothered by the busy road."

    3. Seaquest State Park Campground

    46 Reviews
    Silverlake, WA
    Website
    +1 (360) 274-8633

    "I love Seaquest for their beautiful campsites and the proximity to a wonderful forest to bathe in."

    "I gave this park a high rating primarily because of its location."

    4. Battle Ground Lake State Park Campground

    40 Reviews
    Heisson, WA
    Website

    "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."

    "The lake is small but awesome. Bald eagles flying overhead. Close to Battleground Washington."

    5. Millersylvania State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    Tenino, WA
    Website
    +1 (888) 226-7688

    $12 - $45 / night

    "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.  "

    6. Bowl and Pitcher Campground — Riverside State Park

    30 Reviews
    Spokane, WA
    Website
    +1 (509) 465-5064

    "Riverside State Park has a magnificent equestrian campground on the west side of the river.  The main campground has electrical hookups, horse corrals & pit toilets. "

    "Multiple water spigots close by. Lots of walking trails nearby and a cool suspension bridge over the river. Other than the lack of solitude, absolutely no complaints."

    7. Liberty Lake Regional Park

    27 Reviews
    Liberty Lake, WA
    Website
    +1 (509) 477-4730

    $25 / night

    "We spent 3 weeks at Liberty Lake Regional Park while visiting our son and grandkids in Spokane. The road in is a little narrow, but once in, it’s a great little campground."

    "This is our 3rd visit to Liberty Lake Regional Park. It’s a small campground on Liberty Lake just east of Spokane WA. It’s a little hard to get to, and not suitable for large Class A motorhomes!"

    8. Dungeness Recreation Area

    22 Reviews
    Carlsborg, WA
    Website
    +1 (360) 683-5847

    "Just go for a walk out the spit to get a unique perspective of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This is a USFWS refuge and campground,so if your into seabirds, this is the place to go."

    "Campground was located a short walk away from bluffs overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and British Columbia. Beautiful sunset views!"

    9. Tolt MacDonald Park, WA

    22 Reviews
    Carnation, WA
    Website
    +1 (206) 205-5434

    "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."

    10. Panther Creek Campground

    20 Reviews
    Carson, WA
    Website
    +1 (541) 338-7869

    $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."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews in Washington

779 Reviews of 102 Washington Campgrounds


  • Gary M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 30, 2019

    Bowl and Pitcher Campground — Riverside State Park

    Equestrian Camping

    Riverside State Park has a magnificent equestrian campground on the west side of the river.  The main campground has electrical hookups, horse corrals & pit toilets.  With permission, overflow camping is available by the arena facility and readily accommodates "high lines" for your horses.  Many miles of trails intersect at this point, or close by.  There are many hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking and even ORV activities in this huge park.  We visit frequently, but spring and fall are probably the most scenic times.

  • Elise M.
    Aug. 11, 2020

    Harry Osborne State Forest - TEMPORARILY CLOSED 2023

    Quiet and Lots of Space

    Great place to bring your LQ (any size rig) and camp with your horses. There are a few non-equestrians, but we need to keep this a place for equestrians because we are losing more and more campsites.  Trails are well maintained and extensive.

    No water or electric at the camp, but you can drive down to a creek and pump or collect water for your horses. You will be boondocking.

    High-line poles are available to high-tie your horses. We set up a portable corral and were fine. Picnic tables and fire rings are also available.

    No manure pile or wheel barrow. There is a vault toilet and I got cell service on my phone.

  • Gary M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Riverside State Park Equestrian Campground — Riverside State Park

    Equestrian camping at it's best

    This area accesses many miles of hiking/biking/horseback trails along the scenic Spokane River, but the campground itself is reserved for equestrians. There is also an arena, round pen, and trail training course a quarter mile up the road from the campground.  For large groups and/or overflow, permission may be granted for camping in adjacent areas suitable for high lining horses.  Even though this area is only 20 minutes from our home, we frequently camp there just for fun!

  • Zach A.
    Aug. 26, 2018

    Sadie Creek Campground

    Great for ORV or a quick night stay

    Sadie Creek Campground west of Joyce on Highway 112 is perfect for a certain group of people, and not so amazing for another group of people.

    If you enjoy Off-Roading or motorized anything this is the spot for you! With six spaces and plenty of parking for your trailer or RV, Sadie Creek has everything you could ask for. Also an extensive system of trails both on the northern and southern end of the highway will give days of riding through heavily wooded (and probably difficult) terrain. Also a great place for equestrians although if your horse spooks easily perhaps not.

    If you are a tent camper or enjoy solitude as apposed to the social aspects to the great outdoors I would heavily advise against this campground. It's ok for a quick night's stay if a spot is open but the sites are practically right next to each other and expect to share the space with others that may not be so quiet. I would suggest Lyre River campground 6 miles to the east if that's what you're after.

    Although there's no hook-ups there is a pit toilet on site. With a yearly Discovery Pass ($30) the campground is free. You have Murdock Beach down the road which gives great views of the Salish Sea. Closest town would be Joyce 10 miles to the east, with a great general store and through street to Lake Crescent. Multi-use trails run out from the north or south of the campground so great jump-off point for hiking or trail running in the Olympic National Forest.

  • Brian C.
    Aug. 27, 2018

    Beacon Rock State Park Campground

    Nice campground near incredible rock

    Beacon Rock is an incredible, tall hill in the Columbia River Gorge and a Washington State Park. The climb up the rock is through a well-built trail. It can get narrow at spots and not for those who fear heights. The view at the top, however, is amazing. Easy day-use area and there is also a popular campsite nearby with hiking trails.

    Camp sites are kind of small, with most in forested areas. A few are slightly more exposed and some are split-level, in that you park up top and walk a few steps down to your camp site. Bathrooms and water on-site. It is close to Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington and very popular and busy.

  • p
    May. 12, 2023

    Teanaway Campground

    Beautiful Campground in Forest

    Beautiful campground with several dispersed spots, most with picnic table and fire pit. There are walk in (50 to 100 feet walk) sites as well as horse camping sites. Pit toilets are clean, don’t smell, and have TP. Road in campground is in good condition with pretty new gravel. Large frisbee golf course borders campground to east. River runs along southern edge. Verizon 1-bar LTE on east side. WeBoost made it a very usable 3 bars. Starlink works too - most sites have good openings to sky.

  • Stephanie V.
    May. 12, 2021

    Seaquest State Park Campground

    Regular campsites and yurts - YES; RV spots - NO!!!

    I love Seaquest for their beautiful campsites and the proximity to a wonderful forest to bathe in. But don't go for the RV sites, which are laid out in a parking lot setting with no real distance from neighbors and not surrounded by trees. Unless that's your jam. It was definitely not ours, tent camping alongside some friends with a trailer who liked nothing more than to hang out at said trailer, and walk through the campground to look at other.. trailers. I don't think they even stepped foot in the 7+ miles of forest trails which is a few steps away. If you can step away from the hookups and get a real campsite off the RV pad, it is a stunning experience. Each site is surrounded by trees, creating privacy and serenity.  Another great option is the yurts. We stayed in Yurt 2 (the only pet friendly yurt) and loved it. 

    For those with RV's, trailers, campers - look into the regular sites because I think some of them even have hookups and can accommodate most sizes. Just steer clear of RV sites T1-T16.

  • Ashley B.
    Oct. 28, 2020

    Keenes Horse Campground

    Horse Camp near Takhlakh Lake

    This horse campground is near Takhlakh Lake.  Its a small campground with about 6 sites and is first come first serve.  All the other campgrounds in the area were full, but this one was pretty empty especially since it was visible from the road.  I stayed twice over the summer and both times there were sites with horses in them.  It is right next to the road, but there was a large pot hole in the road so people had to slow down or risk damage to their cars.  The road all the way to the campground was very bad with holes, washouts, downed trees, huge dips, I recommend paying close attention when you are driving cause stuff will sneak up on you out of no where and low clearance cars could do damage.  The campground was next to the creek and had multiple horse trails leaving from the campground.   There were also a ton of wildflowers each time I went, since they are so high in elevation the wildflowers are still around into August.

    The drive to Takhlakh Lake is only about 8 miles and takes about 20-30 minutes.  Very easy day trip to enjoy the lake but then you can leave the crowds at the lake behind.

  • Fern
    Aug. 12, 2022

    Sahara Creek DNR Horse Camp

    Nice campground

    Not sure why it says $30, this place is free WITH your Discover Pass, 7 day limit in a 30 day period.

    Vault toilets are pretty clean.

    There is NO trash here, pack it in, pack it out. Keep it clean. 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. Can hear some highway noise, but again, hasn’t bothered me

    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. Just a heads up.

    Will return if visiting rainier again :)


Guide to Washington

Horse camping in Washington offers a unique opportunity to explore the state's stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds equipped for horse camping, adventurers can find the perfect spot to saddle up and hit the trails.

Equestrian campgrounds include ample facilities for horses

  • At Salt Creek Recreation Area, campers can enjoy features like reservable sites and sanitary dump stations, making it convenient for those traveling with horses.
  • Battle Ground Lake State Park Campground provides electric hookups and drinking water, ensuring that both campers and their horses have the necessary amenities.
  • Tolt MacDonald Park, WA offers spacious sites with picnic tables and access to nearby trails, perfect for equestrian adventures.

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

Tips for equestrian camping in Washington

  • When visiting Seaquest State Park Campground, consider booking in advance, as it can be popular among horse campers during peak seasons.
  • Always check for nearby trails and riding opportunities, such as those available at Lake Wenatchee State Park Campground, which offers access to stunning landscapes.
  • Be prepared for varying weather conditions and ensure you have the necessary supplies for both yourself and your horse when camping at locations like Dungeness Recreation Area.