Horse Camp Primitive

Summary

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area's Horse Camp is located 15 miles west of Redding, California and offers a range of recreational activities for the outdoors enthusiast, including swimming, kayaking, fishing, and hiking. Visitors can enjoy the picturesque mountain setting, extensive forested backcountry, and cool, clear waters of Whiskeytown Lake. Facilities include sites with picnic tables, bear-resistant lockers, metal fire pits, and a pump for potable water.

Overview

This campground is located in the southeast corner of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 15 miles west of Redding, California, and three and a half hours north of Sacramento. This is the only campground in the park that can accommodate camping with horses, but horseback riders must share the campground with visitors who may not have horses.

The cool, clear waters of Whiskeytown Lake provide endless water activities. The picturesque mountain setting and extensive forested backcountry offer ample opportunities for horseback riding, hiking and biking.

Recreation

During the summer heat, swimming, kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and water skiing are popular on the 3,200 acre lake. Year round, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, gold panning, fishing and picnicking attract visitors. Hunting is allowed in the appropriate season.

Facilities

Horse Camp can accommodate any vehicle or combination of vehicles, including trailers, RVs and RVs pulling other vehicles. Overflow parking is available. Each campsite is equipped with two picnic tables, two large bear-resistant storage lockers, a metal fire pit with a swing-arm barbecue grill and a lamp pole. The two campsites share a vault toilet. A hand pump provides potable water when available. There is no electricity at the site.

There are no corrals, hitching posts or troughs at the site. Horses must be high-lined or tethered to trailer.

Natural Features

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is located where the Klamath Mountains, Cascade and Coast Mountain Ranges, and the Sacramento Valley meet, creating a wide variety of wildlife and landscapes. Foothill pines lightly shade Horse Camp.

Nearby Attractions

Brandy Creek Beach is located five and a half miles from the campground and features sandy beaches, a large swimming area, picnicking and barbecuing facilities. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, there are showers, a store with food and supplies and rentals of paddle boards and kayaks.