Here's a brief list of 21 of the best places to ride your horse in Northwest Oregon. Make plans now to ride someplace you've never been!
Mt. Hood
• Gibson Prairie Horse Camp: This area offers moderately easy trails and spectacular views of Mt. Hood.
• Riley Horse Camp: The big elevation changes on these trails reward you with breathtaking Mt. Hood views.
• Joe Graham and Clackamas Lake Horse Camps: Fun trails explore the beautiful forest around Timothy Lake.
Other Cascade Mountains Destinations
• Big Meadows Horse Camp: These beautiful trails feature a scenic lake around every bend. You'll need a Wilderness Permit for day-rides, but not if you camp at Big Meadow.
• Box Canyon Horse Camp: Variety is the hallmark here, where you can explore a lake basin, follow trails with big elevation gains, or travel along wilderness trails.
• Santiam Horse Camp: This destination not far from Salem traverses the hillside of Monument Peak. Part of the trail was burned in the Beachie Creek fire, so you’ll be able to watch the forest regenerate over time.
Northern Willamette Valley
• McIver State Park: Easy trails, river views, beautiful forest, and trail training practice obstacles are the hallmarks of this popular riding area near Estacada.
• Molalla River Corridor: Fifty miles of forested trails close to home, including a lovely trail that can be ridden year-round.
• Silver Falls State Park: Oregon’s largest state park offers camping and day-riding on varied trails that explore a beautiful forested landscape.
• Willamette Mission State Park: These easy trails run beside the Willamette River and Windsor Slough, through lush forest, and past working farmlands.
Southern Willamette Valley
• Elijah Bristow State Park: Ten miles of fun, horse-friendly trails await you at this day-riding destination near Eugene.
• Mt. Pisgah: This Eugene-area day-riding area features bike-free trails that climb to the summit of 1,531-foot Mt. Pisgah and offer panoramic views of the southern Willamette Valley.
• McDonald Forest: This OSU research forest offers a whopping 57 miles of fabulous trails and roads that wind through various forest environments, from old-growth to clear-cut and everything in between.
Coast Range
• Stub Stewart State Park: This beautiful park offers 20 miles of equestrian trails plus access to the 20-mile Banks-Vernonia Trail. You can camp (with full hookups) or day-ride a wide variety of loop trails.
• Camp Wilkerson: This Columbia County Park has one loop trail inside the park, plus access to miles of trails and roads that wind through the adjacent state forest lands. The park's horse camp is a delight, and so are the trails.
• Northrup Creek: You can camp or day ride at Northrup Creek and enjoy the towering trees, lush vegetation, and seasonal wildflowers.
• Reehers Camp: This historic setting offers very nice trails through pretty forest and beside verdant streams.
The Coast
• Nehalem Bay State Park: This is the most popular horseback riding destination on the coast. You can camp here or day-ride and enjoy the four-mile-long beach, the dunes, and the bay.
• Bob Straub State Park: You can ride on the beach, along the bay, or through the dunes at this delightful day-use area.
• Ft. Stevens State Park: Ft. Stevens offers some of the most varied coastal trails in the state, with 5 trails that wind along the beach, the foredune, and the dunes. Riding to the wreck of the Peter Iredale is the icing on the cake.
• Dry Creek Horse Camp: These trails explore the flanks of Cape Mountain as they run through dense forest. On a clear day, you’ll have expansive views of the ocean.
Learn More
To learn more about wonderful places to ride in Northwest Oregon, pick up a copy of Riding Northwest Oregon Horse Trails by Kim McCarrel, available at www.nwhorsetrails.com.
