Horse Riding and Camping

There are nearly 100 miles of trail managed for equestrian use on the Green Mountain National Forest and there are nearly 20 miles of equestrian trails on the Finger Lakes National Forest. Backbone Horse Camp, located on the Finger Lakes National Forest, is managed specifically for horse use.

In general, equestrian use is allowed on any Forest Service roads open to vehicular traffic. Equestrian users are asked to utilize trails between June 1 – October 31 during dry conditions. Riding trails when they are wet may damage the trail. Please be a responsible rider and avoid riding trails after a heavy rain or during wet ground conditions. Follow Tread Lightly Tips:

Travel responsibly on designated roads, trails and areas.
Respect the rights of others, including private property owners and all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed.
Educate yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies, planning, taking horseback riding skills classes, and knowing how to properly manage your horse.
Avoid sensitive areas such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes.
Do your part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species, and restoring degraded areas

See more on Responsible Horseback Riding and treading lightly.