Horse camping at Loon Lake, Eldorado National Forest

Horse camping facts for Loon Lake in Eldorado National Forest, from Recreation.gov, USDA Forest Service: sites, rig length, trailer parking, horse trails nearby and the rules. Where an agency doesn't publish something, this page says so.

More horse camps, trailer parking, horse-legal trails and rules in the Eldorado National Forest: Eldorado National Forest horse camping.

What are the horse camping facts at Loon Lake?

Managed by: USDA Forest Service ^[1]
Park or forest: Eldorado National Forest ^[1]
Listed for horses as: Equestrian campsites ^[2] (Recreation.gov)
Status: Site Closed ^[3] (USDA Forest Service)
Horse sites: 8 ^[2]
Max rig length: 55 ft ^[2]
Not published: Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service: horses per site, corrals, hitching posts. Ridden here? Add it in Ride Bring a portable corral or a highline.
Reservations: Not published by Recreation.gov or the USDA Forest Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
Coordinates: 38.98333, -120.33000 ^[2] · Directions ^[2]

Where do I park a horse trailer at Loon Lake?

Max rig length at the camp: 55 ft ^[2]

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

Nearest trailheads (trailer access unknown)

Rubicon Trailhead · 0.8 mi away

listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[4]

Which horse trails start near Loon Lake?

Rubicon
15.5 mapped mi ^[5] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Hellhole
11.7 mapped mi ^[6] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material, native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Hunters
9.6 mapped mi ^[7] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Pacific Crest Trail
9.2 mapped mi ^[8] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Rubicon Trail (16E30.2)
7.2 mapped mi ^[9] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Rubicon Trail
7.2 mapped mi ^[10] · surface: concrete, ground, rock · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Union Valley Bike Trail
6.7 mapped mi ^[11] · surface: ac- asphalt · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Mcconnell Lake Loop
6.7 mapped mi ^[12] · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Red Peak
6.7 mapped mi ^[13] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Two Peaks
5.6 mapped mi ^[14] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Two Peaks Trail (16E11)
5.5 mapped mi ^[15] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Rubicon Jeep
5.1 mapped mi ^[16] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

Plus 55 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 Loon Lake open?

Status: Site Closed ^[3] (USDA Forest Service)
Season: Reservable June 19 – September 6; first-come, first-served September 7–27 ^[17]
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 Loon Lake?

Most trails suit horse and foot travel; early season may bring downfall and wet areas. Horses have the right-of-way on multiple-use trails. ^[18]
Desolation Wilderness: entering without a valid permit is prohibited (Forest Order 03-24-01, effective Mar 9, 2024 to Mar 8, 2027). ^[19]
Desolation Wilderness: "Possessing more than two livestock per person, or possessing more than 12 livestock per group" is prohibited; groups max 12 persons. ^[19]
Desolation Wilderness: no hitching, tethering or hobbling saddle or pack animals within 200 feet of water or 100 feet of a campsite. ^[19]
Desolation Wilderness: livestock waste must be scattered at least 100 feet from water sources and campsites. ^[19]
Wrights Lake equestrian sites: visitors must travel with pack or saddle stock, one equine or pack animal per site; campers without stock must leave, no refund. ^[20]

Is there water for horses at Loon Lake?

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?

Ride is a free iPhone app for logging rides, built for trail rides out of cell range: GPS keeps recording with no signal and the ride syncs later. If an agency hasn't published something on this page and you know it, add it in Ride.

Free · iPhone · iOS 16.4+

What other horse campgrounds are near Loon Lake?

Packing for it: the horse camping checklist.

Tells Creek Equestrian Camp · 3.7 mi away · Eldorado National Forest
Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground · 11.0 mi away · Eldorado National Forest
Dru Barner Campground · 23.5 mi away · Eldorado National Forest
Skillman · 33.9 mi away · Tahoe National Forest

Sources

USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_InfraRecreationSites_01/MapServer/0/query?where=site_cn%3D'5253.003661'&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232070, fetched October 25, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/eldorado/recreation/loon-lake-campground, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/13946933641, fetched October 25, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10562587&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10554205&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10563713&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10562732&outFields=*&f=html
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/125412402
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1443605240
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10561856&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10563719&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10562695&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10562873&outFields=*&f=html
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/169777760
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10596284&outFields=*&f=html
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232070?tab=seasons, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/eldorado/recreation/opportunities/horse-riding-and-camping, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/eldorado/alerts/occupancy-and-use-restrictions-desolation-wilderness-area, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/eldorado/recreation/wrights-lake-campground, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026