OutReserve

Horse Camp Primitive Campground

Horse Camp site #2
Horse Camp site with tent
Horse Camp site #1

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly

About Horse Camp Primitive Campground

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.

Number of accommodations: 2

Nearby Activities & Attractions

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Swimming

Water Activities

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Open year round

This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.

365 Days

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

2 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 001, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 002, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND
No Hookups
Price not available

Reviews (32)

What Guests Are Saying

Horse Camp Primitive Campground is praised for its peaceful, clean, and private atmosphere, making it ideal for stargazing and enjoying nature. Many visitors appreciated the beautiful scenery and responsive rangers. However, some concerns were raised about the lack of level parking spots and occasional issues with site reservations.

Review Summary

4.1
32 reviews
5
53.1%
17
4
25.0%
8
3
9.4%
3
2
0.0%
0
1
12.5%
4

Steve G

Verified

April 24, 2026 Stayed at: 002, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

1

Very disappointed.
No sign at turn for campground.
No way to get anywhere near level
Description given by “visitor center “ staff not even close to accurate.
Can not believe that this park does not let a person in a van/camper stay at any of the other campgrounds, even though their description list ok to park 2 vehicles at individual campsites. Which means, according to this, only 2 sites are available for a person not tenting.

rochelle p

Verified

March 25, 2026 Stayed at: 001, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

5

One of my favorite places to camp it’s always nice and quiet, peaceful clean

Barb C

Verified

March 19, 2026 Stayed at: 001, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

4

Perfect stay, very clean

Karlene F

Verified

December 28, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

4

Very private location. We actually parked outside of the designated site because there was nowhere to park in the site that was level. Which was fine because there was plenty of space.

YANG C

Verified

December 21, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

4

Great place if you want to stay quiet and the staring sky at the night

David L

Verified

November 16, 2025 Stayed at: 002, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

5

Had a great experience

Greg B

Verified

May 26, 2025 Stayed at: 002, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

5

Very clean, pristine. Responsive rangers

Haley J

Verified

November 13, 2024 Stayed at: 001, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

4

This was a great spot to stay, quiet, close to the lake, beautiful scenery. No complaints about the campground itself, just the inconsiderate people who took our reserved spot (001), so we had to park our trailer at a less level space (002). Other than that, great location to do some stargazing 😊

Lisa B

Verified

September 20, 2024 Stayed at: 002, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

3

We had a good time,love horse camp only problem was couldn't have a fire in the fire pit didn't know till we got there

rochelle p

Verified

May 23, 2024 Stayed at: 001, Loop: HORSE CAMP PRIMITIVE CAMPGROUND

5

Horse camp is one of my favorite places. I went with just my dog and it was amazing. There’s only two sites so it’s very private

Location Horse Camp Primitive Campground

Address:
Po Box 188
Whiskeytown, CA, 96095
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 40.5761 / -122.531

Elevation: 326 feet

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

Check in time

1PM

Check out time

12PM

General

  • 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.
  • 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;
  • 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

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: June 3, 2026

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