Kelsay Valley Campground and Trailhead provides access to wonderful trail riding in the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness Area east of Roseburg, Oregon. Horse-friendly trails lead to mountaintop views, pretty lakes, and the Pacific Crest Trail.
The Riding
The North Umpqua Trail runs right past the camp. You can ride it to Maidu Lake (the headwaters of the North Umpqua River) and on to the PCT.
Or you can follow the North Umpqua Trail past lush green meadows as it follows the river to Lemolo Lake and beyond. Be sure to detour from the trail and check out the pretty Crystal Springs. You can even ride to the south end of Lemolo Lake and get a burger at the Lemolo Lake Resort restaurant.
The Windigo Trail follows an old forest road and connects to the PCT and the Metolius-Windigo Trail at Windigo Pass.
The Tolo Creek Trail runs to the PCT near the base of Tolo Mountain.
Or you can ride the Tenas Peak Trail to the summit of its namesake butte, which offers a panoramic view, then continue to the PCT.
The Calamut Lake Trail will take you to three pretty lakes: Calamut, Linda, and Charline.
By connecting the Windigo, Maidu Lake, Tolo Creek, Tenas Peak, and Pacific Crest Trails, you can create several excellent loops ranging from 11 to 20 miles long. The terrain is horse friendly, and the forest is beautiful, so make your campground reservations and go!
The Camping
Kelsay Valley Campground offers sturdy steel corrals in eleven of its 16 sites, plus a toilet, manure bin, stock water from the nearby creek, and camp hosts who can answer your questions about the nearby trails.
More Information
Kelsay Valley Horse Camp is covered in more detail in Riding Southern Oregon Horse Trails by Kim McCarrel, available at www.NWHorseTrails.com.
