Horse camping at Carter Meadows Horse Group, Klamath National Forest

What are the horse camping facts at Carter Meadows Horse Group?

Managed by

USDA Forest Service ^[1]

Park or forest

Klamath National Forest ^[1]

Listed for horses as

Equestrian campsites ^[2] (Recreation.gov)

Horse sites

1 ^[2]

Corrals

Yes (“seven one-horse corrals, three 2-horse corrals and three 3–4 horse corrals”) ^[3]

Hitching posts

Yes (“a hitch rack and a mounting ramp”) ^[3]

Not published

Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service: max rig length, horses per site. Ridden here? Add it in Ride

Reservations

Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride

Notes

Designed for up to 25 people and 25 horses ^[3]

Coordinates

41.22200, -122.91100 ^[2] · Directions ^[2]

Where do I park a horse trailer at Carter Meadows Horse Group?

Max rig length at the camp: Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride

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

Nearest trailheads (trailer access unknown)

• Carter Meadows Summit Trailhead · 0.7 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[4]

• Bingham Lake Trailhead · 3.5 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[5]

• Fox Creek Ridge Trailhead · 4.4 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[6]

• Middle Boulder Trailhead · 5.2 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[7]

• East Boulder Trailhead · 6.4 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[8]

• Timber Camp Trailhead · 6.5 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[9]

• South Russian Trailhead · 7.6 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[10]

• Union Creek Trailhead · 7.7 mi away

  listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[11]

Which horse trails start near Carter Meadows Horse Group?

• Pacific Crest Trail

  29.8 mapped mi ^[12] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Pct: Shasta-Trinity

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

• North Fork Coffee Creek

  9.0 mapped mi ^[14] · horse season: 05/01-11/28 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Doe Lake

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

• Chipmunk Meadow

  5.3 mapped mi ^[16] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Eagle Creek

  5.0 mapped mi ^[17] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Tangle Blue

  5.0 mapped mi ^[18] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• South Fork Coffee Creek

  4.9 mapped mi ^[19] · horse season: 05/01-11/28 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Granite Creek

  4.6 mapped mi ^[20] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• East Fork Coffee Creek

  4.5 mapped mi ^[21] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• Mcneil Creek

  4.0 mapped mi ^[22] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

• East Boulder Lake Trail

  3.7 mapped mi ^[23] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

Plus 30 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 Carter Meadows Horse Group open?

• Season: June 15 – October 18 ^[24]
• Status: Open ^[1]

As of October 25, 2026. Check with the agency before you haul: seasons move with snow and fire.

What are the horse rules at Carter Meadows Horse Group?

• Certified weed-free feed required ^[3]
• Wilderness Permit required for overnight trips into the Trinity Alps Wilderness ^[3]
• "Only tie stock to trees for time periods of less than one hour." Use high-lines, hobbles, pickets and electric fences for longer periods. ^[25]
• The Forest Service requests and recommends weed-free feed for horses entering wilderness areas. ^[25]
• Some Klamath trails may not be suitable or safe for horses or pack stock; call the District Office to confirm water and trail conditions. ^[25]
• All horse camps have a corral or enclosure and stock water; all are first come, first served except Carter Meadows Group Camp (reservation only). ^[25]
• Trinity Alps Wilderness (Order 25-05-06, Sep 19, 2025 to Sep 19, 2028): no hitching, tethering or hobbling saddle/pack animals to a tree, except loading, unloading or traveling. ^[26]
• Trinity Alps Wilderness: no hitching saddle/pack animals within 200 feet of a lake, stream or campsite except loading, unloading or traveling; groups max 10 persons. ^[26]
• Trinity Alps Wilderness: camping any time of year requires a valid wilderness permit; self-issued permits available at district offices and guard stations. ^[26]
• "Wilderness permits are not required for trips into the Russian Wilderness." A California Campfire Permit is required. ^[27]
• Carter Meadows: "Campers must bring certified weed-free feed for horses"; stock must be held in corrals or parking area; groups clean corrals before leaving. ^[28]

Is there water for horses at Carter Meadows Horse Group?

• Water for horses: Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
• Water hookup at the site: Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
• Drinking water (people): Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride

Ridden here?

Free · iPhone · iOS 16.4+

What other horse campgrounds are near Carter Meadows Horse Group?

Packing for it: the horse camping checklist.

• Hidden Horse Equestrian Campground · 0.2 mi away · Klamath National Forest

• Big Flat Campground · 10.7 mi away · Klamath National Forest

• Preacher Meadow (CA) · 20.2 mi away · Shasta-Trinity National Forest

• Bridge Camp (CA) · 24.1 mi away · Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Sources

1. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_InfraRecreationSites_01/MapServer/0/query?where=site_cn%3D'5220.003771'&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
2. Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234344, fetched October 25, 2026
3. Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234344, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
4. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/11128968269, fetched October 25, 2026
5. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/11170904826, fetched October 25, 2026
6. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/11145624999, fetched October 25, 2026
7. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3802920631, fetched October 25, 2026
8. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/7341000266, fetched October 25, 2026
9. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/94389603, fetched October 25, 2026
10. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/93322486, fetched October 25, 2026
11. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/8947782477, fetched October 25, 2026
12. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1378995074
13. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10581952&outFields=*&f=html
14. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10556066&outFields=*&f=html
15. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10619674&outFields=*&f=html
16. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10620934&outFields=*&f=html
17. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10611209&outFields=*&f=html
18. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10559424&outFields=*&f=html
19. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10600342&outFields=*&f=html
20. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10598294&outFields=*&f=html
21. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10607462&outFields=*&f=html
22. USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10596884&outFields=*&f=html
23. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1202218581
24. Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234344?tab=seasons, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
25. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/klamath/recreation/opportunities/horse-riding-and-camping, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
26. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/klamath/alerts/trinity-alps-wilderness-area-restrictions, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
27. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/klamath/wilderness, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
28. USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/klamath/recreation/carter-meadows-campground, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026