Equestrian Adventures

More than 70 different state parks offer several hundred miles of trails that are open to horses. Overnight horse camping facilities are available at seventeen state parks across the state at locations ranging from windswept beaches and shady redwoods to the colorful desert.

California’s largest state park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, offers prolific wildflower viewing in the spring—perfect to enjoy on horseback. Located about two hours north of San Diego, the park has more than 600,000 acres of land crossed by 500 miles of dirt trails and roads for visitors. Horse campers can spend their nights at one of ten horse-camping sites in the Vern Whitaker Horse Camp.

In Northern California, horseback riders can experience Mount Tamalpais State Park near San Francisco or venture even further north to majestic Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Both offer gorgeous views of Northern California, from the cool groves of redwoods in Humboldt to the sweeping views of San Francisco Bay and Marin from Mount Tamalpais. Horse campers are welcome at both parks, and riders can enjoy miles of trails.

Mount Tamalpais State Park offers horse campers the Frank Valley group tent-only primitive site with room for 9 to 25 people, 12 horses, and 10 vehicles. Cuneo Creek Horse Camp at Humboldt Redwoods State Park has four family sites for up to 8 people and 4 horses, while two Cuneo group equestrian camps accommodate up to 65 people with 30 vehicles.

Not up for a camping trip? Hightail it in to one of the many state parks that offer riding trails. Try Folsom Lake State Recreation Area or Auburn State Recreation Area in Gold Country or Morro Strand State Beach in San Luis Obispo County. California State Parks are for everyone—horses included!

For more information about which parks are open to your equine friends, visit http://www.parks.ca.gov/ParkIndex. Horse campgrounds can be searched at http://www.reservecalifornia.com/unifSearch.do?topTabIndex=Search