No horsing around here!

It just needs a little TLC. And that is exactly what Horse Springs Campground is getting from the Urban Conservation Corps of the Southern California Mountains Foundation and San Bernardino National Forest staff.

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The partners have collaborated to improve the recreation site and its amenities. Off highway vehicle enthusiasts and campers will appreciate the upgrades. Hikers, well, it’s a long way from established foot trails, even the Pacific Crest Trail. The secluded, but historically popular site is located at the northern boundary of the forest, adjacent to the High Desert and not far from Lucerne Valley, Calif.

The campground has been closed or limited for the past couple of years, while improvements have been ongoing. Funding for the work came from the Great American Outdoors Act.

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Drew Farr, Restoration Botanist with the forest, stated that work started in late 2021 with repairs of vehicle barriers and wheel stops that delineate the campground loop and parking areas. The UCC replaced barriers and installed new barriers to complement new OHV trails the forest had constructed near the campground. Corpsmembers also replaced missing fire rings and trimmed brush along the roads to improve safety. In addition, two new information kiosks and campsite markers were installed by corpsmembers, OHV volunteers and forest personnel from the Mountain Top Ranger District, including ecological restoration staff.

A lot has been accomplished and the UCC continues to work out there, touching up and repairing barriers that were damaged in recent months. Additional work is planned, according to Farr.

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“We are still working on wrapping up the project with new interpretive panels, some resource protection fencing and road brushing,” Farr said. “The resource protection fence is two-thirds complete. We will finish that with volunteers after the holidays.”

Farr thanked the UCC and forest ecological restoration staff, who have been working on the coordination, purchasing, planning and implementation of the project.

The campground is first come, first serve and open year-round. There are 11 single-family campsites, some with lots of shade and others with little to no shade. There are picnic tables, fire rings, but no water. Restrooms are vault toilets. The camping fee is $10 per night for one site, which is limited to eight people and two vehicles. Select the following link for more information about Horse Springs Campground.

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