Horse Camp Primitive Campground

About

Horse Camp Primitive Campground occupies the southeast corner of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 15 miles west of Redding and about three and a half hours north of Sacramento. It is the only campground in the park where camping with horses is permitted, though non-equestrian visitors may also reserve sites. The two campsites sit in partial shade beneath foothill pines, offering easy parking for horse trailers and direct access to the Guardian Rock Trail network. Each site accommodates up to 10 people, 3 tents, and 3 vehicles with a combined length not exceeding 25 feet. Sites include two picnic tables, two large bear-resistant storage lockers, a lamp pole, and a fire pit with a swing-arm barbecue grill. A shared ADA-accessible vault toilet serves both sites. Potable water is available from a hand pump most of the year. No corrals, hitching posts, tie rails, or water troughs are provided; horses must be high-lined or tethered to trailers. The surrounding Whiskeytown area offers extensive recreation opportunities including horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, and gold panning year-round. During summer, the 3,200-acre lake provides swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, and water skiing. Brandy Creek Beach, about five miles away, has a store, rentals, and showers from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Directions

From Interstate 5 in Redding, drive 10 miles west on Highway 299. Turn left on Kennedy Memorial Drive at the visitor center and follow it for 1.6 miles to a fork at the dam. Turn left onto Paige Bar Road and drive 2 miles to another fork at NEED Camp. Turn left onto the gravel road and proceed 0.5 miles to Horse Camp.