Horse Camp Primitive Campground
HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND
Part of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Overview
This campground is located in the southeast corner of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 15 miles west of Redding, California, and three and a half hours north of Sacramento. This is the only campground in the park that can accommodate camping with horses, but horseback riders must share the campground with visitors who may not have horses.The cool, clear waters of Whiskeytown Lake provide endless water activities. The picturesque mountain setting and extensive forested backcountry offer ample opportunities for horseback riding, hiking and biking.
Facilities
Horse Camp can accommodate any vehicle or combination of vehicles, including trailers, RVs and RVs pulling other vehicles. Overflow parking is available. Each campsite is equipped with two picnic tables, two large bear-resistant storage lockers, a metal fire pit with a swing-arm barbecue grill and a lamp pole. The two campsites share a vault toilet. A hand pump provides potable water when available. There is no electricity at the site.There are no corrals, hitching posts or troughs at the site. Horses must be high-lined or tethered to trailer.
Natural Features
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is located where the Klamath Mountains, Cascade and Coast Mountain Ranges, and the Sacramento Valley meet, creating a wide variety of wildlife and landscapes. Foothill pines lightly shade Horse Camp.Recreation
During the summer heat, swimming, kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and water skiing are popular on the 3,200 acre lake. Year round, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, gold panning, fishing and picnicking attract visitors. Hunting is allowed in the appropriate season.Nearby Attractions
Brandy Creek Beach is located five and a half miles from the campground and features sandy beaches, a large swimming area, picnicking and barbecuing facilities. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, there are showers, a store with food and supplies and rentals of paddle boards and kayaks.Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (530) 246-1225.Important Notices
Download your proof of payment for your campsite from recreation.gov onto your phone or other device. You must be able to show this to a park ranger if requested.
Entrance Pass Required - Whiskeytown is a National Park Service site and requires a vehicle entrance fee. You can purchase an entrance pass at the visitor center, or online by using your smart phone, tablet, or computer by going to the website. www.Recreation.Gov.
If you already have a valid Interagency Annual, Senior, Access, Military, or Whiskeytown Annual pass, please display this pass in a hangtag or place it on the dashboard of your vehicle. Annual passes from Crater Lake National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lava Beds National Monument are also valid here at Whiskeytown.
- Check-in time is 1:00 p.m. and check-out time is 12 p.m. (noon).
Maximum occupancy is 10 people and 3 vehicles.
Horse Camp may accommodate any vehicle or combination of vehicles, including trailers, RVs, and RVs pulling other vehicles.
Quiet hours are between 10 pm and 6 am.
- Black bears frequent the area: all food, beverage containers, toiletries, cooking and eating utensils must be stored inside a bear-resistant locker or out of sight in your vehicle unless they are in immediate use.
Protect our natural resources. Gather only dead and down wood for firewood. Do not put nails in trees or damage or remove vegetation. Campfires must be attended at all times and completely extinguished (using water and dirt) when going to bed or leaving the campsite.
Pets must be kept on a leash or in a crate at all times. Pets may not be left unattended. Dispose of pet waste in trash cans.
Please be advised that because the Carr Fire of 2018 burned extensively through the park, post-fire hazards such as falling trees and branches remain. Stay alert while camping in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
You may stay a total of 14 days from May 15 through September 15 or a total of 30 days for the entire calendar year.
- Click here for more information about Whiskeytown National Recreation Area www.nps.gov/whis
There is a 3 tent maximum per site for this campground.
Camping is limited to an aggregate of 14 days between April 1 and October 31 (inclusive) and no more than 30 days per person per calendar year. No period of stay of 30 days may be succeeded by any period of stay with less than a 7-day break.
The 14 day between April 1 and October 31 is necessary to provide more equitable access to campsites. The maximum 30 window between November 1 and March 30 is necessary to prevent individuals from residing within Whiskeytown
Notifications and Alerts
Fire restrictions are currently in effect that prohibit charcoal fires, wood-burning camp stoves and campfires, and charcoal grills. Only gas or propane stoves are permitted.
Available Activities
- Horseback Riding - Horseback Riding
- Hiking - Hiking
- Camping - Camping
- Gold Panning - Gold Panning
- Hunting - Hunting
- Mountain Biking - Mountain Biking
Directions
From Interstate 5 in Redding, CA, drive 10 miles west on Highway 299. Turn left on Kennedy Memorial Drive at the visitor center and follow it for 1.6 miles until you reach a fork in the road at the dam. Turn left on Paige Bar Road and drive for two miles until you reach another fork in the road at the NEED Camp. Turn left onto the gravel road and proceed .5 miles to Horse Camp.
Contact Information
Phone: 530-242-3412
PO Box 188Whiskeytown , CA 96095
Rental Options
Available Campsites
- Site 001, Loop HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 002, Loop HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND, Type Standard Nonelectric
