The year-round equestrian trails at Battle Ground Lake State Park take you through the park’s beautiful forest and allow you to ride loops of varying lengths. The park also has a small horse camp. And it’s only 4 miles from downtown Battle Ground, Washington!
- Trails are easy
- 5 miles of trails
- Elevation 550 feet
The Riding
The horse trails circle the perimeter of the park, running under a dense canopy of Douglas-firs. Vine maples and alders grow in the understory, providing spectacular color in autumn. Sword ferns, thimbleberries, and snowberries cover the ground. The verdant forest is the star of the show on these trails.
The horse trails depart from the southwest and southeast ends of the main horse trailer parking area. On the east side of the park there is only one possible route, but on the west side you’ll find several trails that make loops of various lengths as they travel up and down the low hills.
The trails also go through a couple of open, grassy meadows.
The Backstory
Battle Ground Lake got its name from an incident in 1855 that occurred near what we now call Battle Ground Lake. Tensions between settlers and the local Indians had been rising, and the settlers around Fort Vancouver expected a battle between the US Army and the local Klickitat Indians. The battle didn’t occur, but Chief Umtux was shot dead during the night. The name for the area stuck.
Battle Ground Lake itself lies within a volcanic caldera and is believed to be a miniature version of Oregon’s Crater Lake.
The Camping
The tiny horse camp at Battle Ground Lake is available by reservation only. It offers four sites, each with a 2-horse corral, barbecue, and picnic table. Only two of the sites are level, but all have room for two trailers.
More Information
You can learn more about the riding at Battle Ground Lake State Park in Riding Southwest Washington Horse Trails, by Kim McCarrel, available at www.NWHorseTrails.com.