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Horse Riding and Camping

There are plenty of places for horseback riders and campers to explore in Mt. Hood National Forest. Please review the following guidelines for equestrians to help protect the Forest's resources and make everyone's visit more enjoyable.

  • Weed-free feed is required in all Oregon & Washington National Forests and Grasslands. Learn more about weed-free forage in the State of Oregon.
  • Equestrians should do their best to control their horse, avoid cross-country riding, and avoid tying stock to trees for prolonged periods.

Horseback Riding

Recommended best practices for equestrians and their stock:

  • Stay on the trails. Ride single-file in the middle of the path, and don’t detour around puddles, snowbanks, or other obstacles if you can go through them. Instead, stay on the trail to avoid creating wider or parallel trails. Don’t take shortcuts or cut across the switchbacks; this can trample and tear out plants and create additional trails that could be more prone to erosion.
  • Minimize your impact. Try your best to avoid fragile or sensitive areas, like wet meadows or marshy ground, to help protect the natural resources. Instead, keep your stock on dry, firm ground when possible. Always pack out what you packed in.
  • Be courteous. Please be respectful of other trail users - like bikers and hikers - just as they should be respectful toward you. Offer the right of way to other riders, bikers, or hikers when possible. If it’s too difficult to move your horse off a narrow trail, politely ask them to step off on the downhill side. Try to spread horse manure versus leaving a large pile in the middle of a shared trail.

Horse Camping

Also called equestrian campgrounds, horse camps and stock sites are designed and intended specifically for anyone camping with a horse or other stock animal. There is a limited number of horse camps available for equestrians to use on Willamette National Forest. 

Search for Horse Riding and Camping Opportunities

Showing: 71 - 80 of 219 results

Goodman Creek Trail #3461.1
Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Biking
This trail is low elevation and follows the Goodman Creek drainage. There are two foot-log crossings of side streams. Next, you cross Goodman Creek on a large log bridge and finally you cross another…

Gordan Peak Trail #3387
Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Hunting, Fishing and Shooting
Your hike starts on a ridgeline with periodic views of Mount Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack, before gradually descending through mature and old-growth forests.The trail follows a gentle smooth…

Grasshopper Mountain Trail #3569
Hiking Biking Horse Riding and Camping
Beginning at Box Canyon Trailhead, Grasshopper Mountain Trail #3569 travels west about 11 miles through the Chucksney Mountain Roadless Recreation Area, offering excellent opportunities for solitude…

Hand Lake Trail #3513
Hiking Horse Riding and Camping
Beginning at Hand Lake Trailhead, Hand Lake Trail #3513 immediately enters the Mt. Washington Wilderness and heads northwest through an alpine mixed-conifer forest. The trail exits the Mt. Washington…

Happy Lake Trail #3653
Hiking Horse Riding and Camping
The trail descends gently into a basin, which contains Happy Lake and an extensive boggy meadow adjacent to the lake.Happy Lake offers an excellent opportunity for a true wilderness experience as it…

Hardesty Trail #3469
Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Biking Picnicking
Constructed in 1910, this trail is one of the oldest routes on the District. A fire lookout was in place from 1920 to 1968 when it was removed. The only remains of the lookout are concrete…

Last updated March 21st, 2025

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