Sisters Cow Camp has a funny name, but it’s a terrific horse camp with trails galore, gentle terrain, and easy access. And it’s free!
The camp, located just four miles from Sisters, Oregon, got its name decades ago when local ranchers used this site to gather their cows from their summer grazing range. Today, Sisters Cow Camp is a popular horse camping area and equestrian trailhead, but you can still see evidence of its prior use—a historic shed, large pole corrals, and a cattle loading chute.
The Riding
Sisters Cow Camp offers a variety of fun equestrian trails. The 150-mile Metolius-Windigo Trail runs right past the camp, and other nearby trails connect with it to create loop rides that feature mountain views, pretty creeks, and open ponderosa pine forest.
You can ride to Graham Corral, passing through an interesting grotto formed by lava pressure ridges.
You can take the Met-Win Trail south to pretty Pole Creek, a 7-mile round trip with impressive views of the Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Black Butte, and Mt. Jefferson. Pole Creek is a good place to train him to cross bridges and creeks, as the bridge is short and low to the ground, and the creek crossing beside the bridge is gentle and easy to access.
You can continue south on the Met-Win for 1.5 miles past Pole Creek to reach Whychus Creek, a designated Wild and Scenic River that roars impressively past you in a narrow canyon shaded by huge ponderosas.
The Jimerson Trail connects with the Met-Win north of the horse camp to create a 10-mile loop through beautiful ponderosa pine forest.
If you start out on the Jimerson Trail, you can veer off on a signed trail that takes you into the town of Sisters. In town, you can enjoy a delicious burger or shake at the Sno-Cap Drive-in, a 1950s-style drive-in that makes its own ice cream. (Tie your horses in the trees in front of the Forest Service office across the street.)
And you can ride the Marquis Loop, a wonderful 13-mile loop that follows the Met-Win, forest roads, and single-track trail to explore the forest south of Sisters Cow Camp. You’ll need a map for this unsigned but easy and well-traveled loop.
Experienced riders and novices alike will find plenty of good riding at Sisters Cow Camp, so make plans to go!
The Camping
Sisters Cow Camp has five sites with fire pits and picnic tables, plus a huge parking area that can accommodate many trailers. The camp has four large corrals in the center of the camp that are shared by all the sites on a first-come, first-served basis. In case the corrals are full, you may want to bring a portable corral or be prepared to highline your horses among the huge ponderosa pines that shade the camp. The camp has a vault toilet and a seasonal stock water tank.
More Information
You'll find more details about the riding at Sisters Cow Camp in Riding Central Oregon Horse Trails, by Kim McCarrel, available at www.NWHorseTrails.com.