Horse camping at Packsaddle, Tahoe National Forest

Horse camping facts for Packsaddle in Tahoe National Forest, from Recreation.gov: 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 Tahoe National Forest: Tahoe National Forest horse camping.

What are the horse camping facts at Packsaddle?

Booked through: Recreation.gov ^[1]
Park or forest: Tahoe National Forest ^[1]
Listed for horses as: Two equestrian sites ^[2] (Recreation.gov)
Corrals: Yes (“Campground has corrals and space for stock trailers.”) ^[3]
Not published: Not published by Recreation.gov: horse sites, max rig length, horses per site, hitching posts. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
Reservations: Not published by Recreation.gov. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
Coordinates: 39.62472, -120.64986 ^[1] · Directions ^[1]

What else does the USDA Forest Service publish about Packsaddle?

Corrals: Yes (“Campground has corrals and space for stock trailers.”) ^[3]
Horse-trailer parking: Yes ^[3]
Water: Potable water is not available at this site. ^[3]
Sources differ: The same page's description says "14 developed sites with piped water and vault toilets"; both kept.
Sites: 14 ^[3]

Read by hand on the agency's own page. Where it and the data above disagree, both are shown.

Where do I park a horse trailer at Packsaddle?

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

Horse-trailer parking (USDA Forest Service): “Campground has corrals and space for stock trailers.” ^[3]

Horse-trailer parking (USDA Forest Service): Yes ^[3]

Which horse trails start near Packsaddle?

Pacific Crest Trail
18.8 mapped mi ^[4] · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Gold Valley OHV Trail
9.1 mapped mi ^[5] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Butcher Ranch
6.5 mapped mi ^[6] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Lavezzola Creek OHV Trail
6.5 mapped mi ^[7] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Big Boulder
5.9 mapped mi ^[8] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Red Oak OHV
5.8 mapped mi ^[9] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Gold Valley Rim Mc Trail
5.2 mapped mi ^[10] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Second Divide
4.6 mapped mi ^[11] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Haypress Creek
4.6 mapped mi ^[12] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Haypress Creek Trail
4.6 mapped mi ^[13] · surface: 2.66728935093296, 3.3014639478061 · horses allowed per County of Nevada
Craycroft Ridge OHV
4.5 mapped mi ^[14] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Lots A Lakes OHV
4.2 mapped mi ^[15] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

Plus 47 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 Packsaddle open?

Season: June 13 – October 15 ^[3]

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

What are the horse rules at Packsaddle?

Riders must ensure their horse has been tested for Equine Infectious Anemia and carry current written proof of a negative Coggins test, shown on request. ^[16]
"Horses are not permitted in developed areas (campgrounds and picnic areas) unless specifically stated." ^[16]
Food storage orders apply to horse camping too. Horses have right-of-way on multiple-use trails; riders control their horse at all times. ^[16]
Little Lasier Meadow: bears frequent the area; all food in approved containers. ^[17]
Talbot Campground: equestrian trailhead with hitching posts outside the campground; no horses inside the campground. ^[18]

Is there water for horses at Packsaddle?

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

Packing for it: the horse camping checklist.

Little Lasier Meadow Horse Camp · 11.8 mi away · Tahoe National Forest
Horse Campground (Little Grass Valley) · 17.8 mi away · Plumas National Forest
Skillman · 22.5 mi away · Tahoe National Forest
Snake Lake Campground and Equestrian Camp · 31.0 mi away · Plumas National Forest

Sources

Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234535, fetched October 25, 2026
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234535, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/tahoe/recreation/packsaddle-campground, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1331967884
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10590295&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10591357&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10584269&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10577813&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10590343&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10568221&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10623462&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10596095&outFields=*&f=html
County of Nevada: https://services1.arcgis.com/UvqJJ6GFv4u5BZQj/arcgis/rest/services/Nevada_County_Trails_PUBLIC_VL/FeatureServer/4/query?where=OBJECTID%3D607&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10589873&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10594837&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/tahoe/recreation/opportunities/horse-riding-and-camping, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/tahoe/recreation/little-lasier-meadow-horse-camp, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/tahoe/recreation/talbot-campground, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026