Wild Mare Campground
Tucked among shore pine, Douglas fir and huckleberry, Wild Mare is part of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The 12-site campground is located along the central Oregon coast, 22 miles south of the town of Reedsport, and 2 miles north of Coos Bay. The campground is equipped with drinking water, vault toilets, a picnic area, trash bins and recycling receptacles. Horses are welcome in the 12 corrals provided. Head to Horsfall Campground for the use of showers.
The area south of Horsfall Road is designated for hiking and horseback riding only, while off-road vehicle enthusiasts can roam free on the dunes north of the campground. Horse campers come here to explore the Wild Mare Horse Trail which begins at the Wild Mare Day Use under a canopy of alder and spruce, and then emerges into an open dune area that crosses down to the beach.
Horse campgrounds have been designed to accommodate people who need to corral their horses.
Active Alerts
Reservations
Make Reservations HereAll campsites in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area require a digital reservation and payment.
General Information
History of the Wild Mare
In the mid-twentieth century, the Nels Peterson family of Coos County, Oregon raised livestock, providing animals for rodeos. They leased property for grazing, including the dunes along ocean beaches.
In 1954, they took a group of horses to the dunes. One horse was a year-old filly. A year later, when the Petersons weren’t able to use that area any longer, they rounded up the horses to transport them to another place. As the animals were being herded into a corral, the filly, then two years old, jumped over the eight-foot fence and ran into the dunes.
The Petersons tried many times to catch her, even using relay teams to run her down, but she always escaped. After an announcement that anyone could have the horse if they could catch her, other people tried. But her brown coloring was good camouflage and her splayed hoofs enabled her to run through woods, water, wet sand, and steep-sided dunes.
Known as the Wild Mare, she survived without human help and lived wild and free for thirty-two years. A local legend, she has been celebrated in prose, poetry, song, and in the naming of the Siuslaw National Forest campground at Horsfall Beach, north of Coos Bay.
Source: Caldera, Melody J., Editor, South Slough Adventures: Life on a Southern Oregon Estuary, Coos Bay, Oregon: South Coast Printing, Inc., 1995; U. S. Forest Service, Reedsport, Oregon
Campground Open May 1 to Sept 30
A valid Recreation Pass is required for day-use parking.
Campsite fee:
$22 per night
All campsites require a reservation via recreation.gov.
Interagency Senior and Access passes provide a 50% discount. The discount applies only to the campsite that is physically occupied by the pass holder.
Within developed recreation sites, dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet, or otherwise under physical restrictive control. 36 CFR 261.16(j)
Address: 855 Highway 101 Reedsport, OR 97467
Phone: (541) 271-6000
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Closed on federal holidays)
Office Email: r6_siuslaw_wwweb_front_desk@usda.gov
Getting There
Latitude / Longitude
Latitude: 43.451164
Longitude: -124.266144
Directions
From North Bend, Oregon proceed north 1.5 miles to Transpacific Lane. Turn left and proceed 1 mile, bearing right across railroad tracks. Travel 100 feet turning right on Horsfall Beach Road. Proceed 2 miles down Horsfall Road to Wild Mare Campground. Campground is located on south side of road.
Facility and Amenity Information
Restrooms
Vault toilet(s)Water
Potable water is available at this site.
Picnic Tables
Picnic tables are available at this site.
Horse/Pack Animal Information
Horse/Pack animals are allowed at this site.
Horse corrals are provided in all campsites. Please do not use the corrals if you do not have stock animals.
