For thousands of years, horses have played a crucial role in how people have traveled, enjoyed themselves, and worked in the great outdoors. These four-legged companions have physically taken us into unfamiliar landscapes and the places we call home, from the steppes of Mongolia to the Great Plains of the American West.
From the Rocky Mountain Range in the northeast to Montana, the constant beat of stagecoach teams, wild Mustangs, and dependable pack horses resounded throughout the early United States. Horse-friendly features in some areas, like Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Illinois, maybe a bigger surprise.
Naturally, determining your destination should be your first step. Choose a destination where the scenery and weather are favorable, as with any trip. While camping, you want to have fun, but you also want to keep your horses at ease. If you’ve never gone horse camping before, you might consider going on a few little trips to see how it goes and bringing a friend who has. How does your horse respond to a brand-new environment? You will become more accustomed to traveling and staying in unfamiliar areas as you prepare.
These equestrian campgrounds typically feature corrals, tie-outs, and lean-to shelters for feed and tack to the horse. Some even offer arenas and booths.
Camping with horses is a beautiful opportunity to discover new paths, take in the environment, and hang out with other horses. Around the nation, numerous Horse Camps welcome campers who bring their horses and provide everything you need for an excellent and relaxing getaway.
Unique & Attractive Campgrounds For Horse Trail Riding And Camping
Glacier National Park Summit Trail
In Summit, Montana, there is a great equestrian trail called Glacier National Park Summit Trail. It is a well-liked trail that is great for equestrian riding, hiking, and walking. This walk offers beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife, and wildflowers throughout the year. Weekdays are ideal for taking a peaceful horse trail ride because weekends can be busier and more congested.
Mueller State Park, Colorado
More than 40 miles of picturesque horse trails can be found in Mueller State Park, which has more than 5,000 acres of aspen and conifer forests and is ideal for equestrian riding, mountain biking, hiking, and camping.
Wildlife that can be seen includes black bears, elk, coyotes, bobcats, hawks, and other animals. There are 132 available campsites, including two equestrian sites that may hold an RV or a tent. There are also corrals and internal stalls inside the barn.
Each campsite is limited to two horses, and campers must provide their feed, water bucket, and cleaning supplies for their animals. Additionally provided are a trash station, restrooms, and coin-operated showers.
Keyhole State Park, Wyoming
West of Sundance, close to the edge of the Black Hills, is where you’ll find Keyhole State Park. The Homestead Campground contains three rows of horse corrals with water. Additionally, you are allowed to picket your animals in the area next to the corrals. A horse trail leading through the beautiful wooded park is behind the corrals. Bring your fishing gear and bird-watching binoculars, or just come here to unwind on the banks of Keyhole Reservoir.
Hill Country State Natural Area, Texas
This state-run natural area, which can be found in the Texas Hill Country, has steep valleys and beautiful plateaus that can be explored. Six rustic horse campgrounds with two overnight horse pens are available at the campground, and guests have access to a 40-mile network of horse trails. Additionally, a huge group equestrian campsite named Chapas Camp has a stable for horses and space for 40 people and 20 trailers.
Indian Creek Campground In Colorado
British author and explorer Isabella Bird set out on a 300-mile solo horse trail ride through Colorado’s breathtaking countryside in 1873. As readers from all over the world clamored for descriptions of the still-unknown American west, her account of the journey, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, immediately became a bestseller.
Riding the 14-mile Indian Creek Trail through groves of Ponderosa pines, Gambel oaks, Douglas firs, as well as Colorado’s renowned aspens and spruce, you can see how the views have held up nearly 150 years later. The same-named horse campground offers group campsites in addition to hitching rails, horse corrals, and potable water.
Kentucky Horse Park Campground
More than just a campground, Kentucky Horse Park is a complete equine theme park and equestrian facility created to honor the bond between people and horses. Even though this is the only campground on the list where horses are prohibited, it nonetheless made our list because there are so many horse-related activities. The park is a working horse farm offering year-round equestrian competitions, horse trail rides, and kid’s horse camps. Enjoy the park throughout the day and spend the night in the 260-site contemporary campsite.
Brown County State Park, Indiana
Rugged hills, ridges, and ravines cover over 16,000 acres of Brown County State Park. The park’s peaks, slopes, and deep gullies were formed by meltwater from glaciers from the most recent ice age.
With 20 miles of tree-lined roads and picturesque vistas, Brown County State Park is Indiana’s most significant park, known as the “Little Smokies” due to its resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains. It also has a sizable equestrian campground with 91 primary sites, horse tie-ups, and 118 modern electrical sites. You can ride your horse or take part in a guided horse trail ride on the park’s 70 miles of bridle trails.
Willis Knob Horse Trail via Whetstone Horse Camp
Whetstone Horse Camp is located in the center of the Andrew Pickens Ranger District, not far from the intersection of the borders of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. There is a lot to discover here in the prime southern Appalachian wilderness where the Chattahoochee and Nantahala Forests converge. Although the region’s closeness to the Appalachian Trail attracts hikers, there are also several fantastic horse trails to enjoy.
There are several significant equestrian paths nearby. One is the nine-mile loop known as the Woods Ferry Horse Trail, which travels through forests of red clay and pine hardwoods before fading into the mountainous Piedmont region. The other is the extensive 31.5-mile Buncombe Horse Trail network, which offers riders a lot of variation as you wind through meadows of wildflowers, forests, and ancient plantation homes, as well as secret little family graves designed in the South.
The Willis Knob Horse Trail and the Rocky Gap Trail run along the border of the Blue Ridge Mountains and into the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River corridor, showcasing a different aspect of the South Carolina countryside. These trails, which are 12.5 and 15 miles long, start and end at Whetstone Horse Camp. Willis Knob Horse Camp, which is close by, is also a fantastic choice.
Are You Prepared For A Trip Outside? Make A Horse Camping Vacation Plan!
As we previously indicated, these are the top 8 locations for trail rides with your horse. This park, which has numerous campgrounds, cabins, and yurts, as well as beaches, hiking trails, fishing lakes, and equestrian paths, will appeal to those who enjoy having lots of alternatives, both for trails and camping styles.
With its companion, Top Horse Trails takes you to favorite camping locations using amicable routes tailored to your horse’s needs and preferred modes of transportation.