Horse camping at Groom Creek Horse Camp, Prescott National Forest

What are the horse camping facts at Groom Creek Horse Camp?

Managed by

USDA Forest Service ^[1]

Park or forest

Prescott National Forest ^[1]

Listed for horses as

Horse Camping site ^[1] (USDA Forest Service)

Horse sites

35 ^[2]

Max rig length

35 ft ^[2]

Horses per site

4 ^[2]

Corrals

Yes ^[2]

Hitching posts

Yes (“horse tethers, and hitching racks”) ^[3]

Reservations

Reservations: Campsites 8-37 are subject to reservations, with same day reservations possible. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance at Recreation.gov or by calling 1 (877) 444-6777. ^[1] Full text from USDA Forest Service Book

Notes

$18 per night for a single site, $36 for a double site, plus $5 per additional vehicle per night ^[3]
Campsites 8-37 can be reserved up to 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov (same-day reservations possible, with a processing fee); campsites 1-6 in Loop A are first-come, first-served ^[3]
30 corrals, each 16 ft by 16 ft; every campsite has an overhead tether line for two to four horses ^[3]

Coordinates

34.46528, -112.44324 ^[1] · Directions ^[1]

Where do I park a horse trailer at Groom Creek Horse Camp?

Max rig length at the camp: 35 ft ^[2]

In Loops B and C, 27 of the 30 campsite driveways are pull-through and three are back-in, all packed gravel; the group site in Loop B cannot accommodate trailers ^[16]

Early arrivals can park across the street at Trailhead 307 until check-in time ^[3]

No agency publishes horse-trailer parking for this camp. Ridden here? Add it in Ride

Which horse trails start near Groom Creek Horse Camp?

• Ranch

  9.5 mapped mi ^[4] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Groom Creek Loop

  9.0 mapped mi ^[5] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Yankee Doodle

  8.7 mapped mi ^[6] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Wolverton Mountain

  5.0 mapped mi ^[7] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Wolf Creek Loop

  4.9 mapped mi ^[8] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Goldwater Lakes

  4.7 mapped mi ^[9] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• E Cross L

  4.6 mapped mi ^[10] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• East Copper

  3.6 mapped mi ^[11] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Aspen Creek

  3.4 mapped mi ^[12] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Potts Creek

  3.2 mapped mi ^[13] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Seven Mile Gulch

  3.1 mapped mi ^[14] · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Watershed

  3.1 mapped mi ^[15] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

Plus 34 more named horse-legal trails in the same data, not listed here.

Trails within about 9 miles where the managing agency (or OpenStreetMap) marks horses as allowed. Mileage is the mapped length of segments with that name, not a loop distance.

When is Groom Creek Horse Camp open?

• Season: May 1 – October 31 ^[1]

As of October 28, 2026. Check with the agency before you haul: seasons move with snow and fire.

What are the horse rules at Groom Creek Horse Camp?

• Check-in 2:00 PM or later; Check-out 12 NOON or earlier. Early arrivals can park across the street at Trailhead 307 and enjoy equestrian trails until check-in time. Those who occupy a site early are expected to pay the site fee at the same rate as an overnight visit. ^[1] Full text from USDA Forest Service
• All campers must be accompanied by trail-riding livestock (horses and/or mules), per Forest Order #03-09-03-24-07; campers without horses are turned away ^[3]
• Check-in 2:00 PM or later; check-out 12 noon or earlier ^[3]
• Quiet hours 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. ^[3]
• Campfires in developed fire pits only; fireworks prohibited ^[3]
• Dogs on a leash, 6 ft maximum ^[3]
• OHV/ATV use prohibited in the campground ^[3]
• Maximum stay 14 days in a 30-day period on the Prescott National Forest, including dispersed sites ^[3]
• Gathering dead wood is allowed for campground use only ^[3]
• Smoking only within enclosed vehicles, buildings or developed fee sites cleared of flammable material ^[3]

Is there water for horses at Groom Creek Horse Camp?

• Water for horses: Not published by the USDA Forest Service or Recreation.gov. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
• Water hookup at the site: Not published by the USDA Forest Service or Recreation.gov. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
• Drinking water (people): Potable water is available at this site ^[3]
• Four vault toilets and six water faucets; nearly all faucets are at a vault toilet ^[16]

Ridden here?

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What other horse campgrounds are near Groom Creek Horse Camp?

Packing for it: the horse camping checklist. First trip with horses? Camping with horses: a first-trip guide.

No other horse campground on Ride is within 62 miles yet. See every published camp in horse camping.

Sources

1. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recarea/?recid=67177, fetched October 28, 2026
2. Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234759, fetched October 28, 2026
3. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/prescott/recreation/groom-creek-horse-camp, read and verified by hand October 28, 2026
4. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10793502&outFields=*&f=html
5. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10758658&outFields=*&f=html
6. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10758314&outFields=*&f=html
7. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10764305&outFields=*&f=html
8. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10758311&outFields=*&f=html
9. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10763433&outFields=*&f=html
10. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10762826&outFields=*&f=html
11. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10796374&outFields=*&f=html
12. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10762947&outFields=*&f=html
13. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10763012&outFields=*&f=html
14. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10725410&outFields=*&f=html
15. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10764241&outFields=*&f=html
16. Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234759, read and verified by hand October 28, 2026