If you live in the Portland Metro area, you are lucky indeed, because Joe Graham Horse Camp and Clackamas Lake Campground are not far away. These popular camps on the south side of Mt. Hood have fabulous riding. Make your reservations early because the campsites get snapped up quickly.
The Camping
Joe Graham and Clackamas Lake are near the shore of Timothy Lake, a sapphire jewel sitting at the foot of snow-capped Mt. Hood. They feature all the amenities you want at a horse camp, including log corrals, potable water (from spigots—no pumping!), vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, and easy access to the trails. Joe Graham is exclusively a horse camp; Clackamas Lake has both horse sites and family sites.
The Riding
The trails in the surrounding area offer forest solitude along with beautiful vistas. You can ride the Headwaters Loop, a fun 6-mile loop that runs along the Oak Grove Fork Clackamas River.
You can ride all the way around Timothy Lake and take in its picture-postcard view of Mt. Hood and the lake.
You can make a loop using the Pacific Crest Trail and the Old 1916 Trail to visit the spectacular Little Crater Lake, which has astonishingly blue waters and a constant temperature of 34 degrees year-round.
You can ride south on the PCT to the Warm Springs River through a beautiful forest. Or, if you’re into distance riding, you can go as far as you please either north or south on the PCT.
The terrain is gently rolling, with moderate elevation changes and no steep hillsides to traverse. And the forest you ride through is both pretty and varied.
You’ll find plenty of riding at Joe Graham and Clackamas Lake for a long weekend summer of fun. Don’t miss out!
More Information
Joe Graham and Clackamas Lake Horse Camps and all the nearby trails are described in detail in Riding Northwest Oregon Horse Trails, by Kim McCarrel, available at www.nwhorsetrails.com.
