Horse camping at Skillman, Tahoe National Forest

Horse camping facts for Skillman 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 Skillman?

Booked through: Recreation.gov ^[1]
Park or forest: Tahoe National Forest ^[1]
Listed for horses as: Equestrian campsites ^[1] (Recreation.gov)
Status: Site Closed ^[2] (USDA Forest Service)
Horse sites: 5 ^[1]
Max rig length: 25–35 ft (longest 35 ft) ^[1]
Corrals: Yes ^[1]
Not published: Not published by Recreation.gov: horses per site, hitching posts. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
Reservations: Not published by Recreation.gov. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
Notes: No hookups or showers ^[3]
Coordinates: 39.31843, -120.79192 ^[1] · Directions ^[1]

Where do I park a horse trailer at Skillman?

Max rig length at the camp: 25–35 ft (longest 35 ft) ^[1]

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

Nearest trailheads (trailer access unknown)

South Yuba Trailhead (Poorman Cr.) · 3.0 mi away

listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[4]
Bear Creek Trailhead · 6.8 mi away

listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[5]
Humbug Trailhead · 7.7 mi away

listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[6]

Which horse trails start near Skillman?

Pioneer
25.7 mapped mi ^[7] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Pioneer Trail
25.7 mapped mi ^[8] · surface: 33.281449969804 · horses allowed per County of Nevada
Excelsior Trail
12.8 mapped mi ^[9] · surface: 0.266143282792599, 0.829798295825868, 12.3696966392773, 3.07734932531426 · horses allowed per County of Nevada
Excelsior
12.8 mapped mi ^[10] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
South Yuba
10.1 mapped mi ^[11] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Towle Mill Loop Mc
10.0 mapped mi ^[12] · surface: 12.8768526232045 · horses allowed per County of Nevada
Towle Mill Loop Mc
10.0 mapped mi ^[13] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Pioneer Trail
9.9 mapped mi ^[14] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Deer Creek Mc
8.5 mapped mi ^[15] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Deer Creek Mc Trail
8.5 mapped mi ^[16] · surface: 10.944918931524 · horses allowed per County of Nevada
South Yuba Ridge Trail
8.4 mapped mi ^[17] · surface: native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
South Yuba Ridge Trail
8.4 mapped mi ^[18] · surface: 10.8167550179603 · horses allowed per County of Nevada

Plus 76 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 Skillman open?

Status: Site Closed ^[2] (USDA Forest Service)
Season: May 22 – September 30 ^[19]

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

What are the horse rules at Skillman?

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. ^[20]
"Horses are not permitted in developed areas (campgrounds and picnic areas) unless specifically stated." ^[20]
Food storage orders apply to horse camping too. Horses have right-of-way on multiple-use trails; riders control their horse at all times. ^[20]
Little Lasier Meadow: bears frequent the area; all food in approved containers. ^[21]
Talbot Campground: equestrian trailhead with hitching posts outside the campground; no horses inside the campground. ^[22]

Is there water for horses at Skillman?

Water for horses: Yes (“Some of the sites have horse pens and water troughs for horses”) ^[3]
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 Skillman?

Packing for it: the horse camping checklist.

Little Lasier Meadow Horse Camp · 18.9 mi away · Tahoe National Forest
Packsaddle · 22.5 mi away · Tahoe National Forest
Dru Barner Campground · 26.0 mi away · Eldorado National Forest
Horse Campground (Little Grass Valley) · 30.1 mi away · Plumas National Forest

Sources

Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234591, fetched October 25, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/tahoe/recreation/skillman-campground, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234591, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4253919443, fetched October 25, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3748099539, fetched October 25, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/428230013, fetched October 25, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10582433&outFields=*&f=html
County of Nevada: https://services1.arcgis.com/UvqJJ6GFv4u5BZQj/arcgis/rest/services/Nevada_County_Trails_PUBLIC_VL/FeatureServer/4/query?where=OBJECTID%3D540&outFields=*&f=html
County of Nevada: https://services1.arcgis.com/UvqJJ6GFv4u5BZQj/arcgis/rest/services/Nevada_County_Trails_PUBLIC_VL/FeatureServer/4/query?where=OBJECTID%3D573&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10596199&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10581994&outFields=*&f=html
County of Nevada: https://services1.arcgis.com/UvqJJ6GFv4u5BZQj/arcgis/rest/services/Nevada_County_Trails_PUBLIC_VL/FeatureServer/4/query?where=OBJECTID%3D498&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10577762&outFields=*&f=html
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1225090580
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10552575&outFields=*&f=html
County of Nevada: https://services1.arcgis.com/UvqJJ6GFv4u5BZQj/arcgis/rest/services/Nevada_County_Trails_PUBLIC_VL/FeatureServer/4/query?where=OBJECTID%3D359&outFields=*&f=html
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10590744&outFields=*&f=html
County of Nevada: https://services1.arcgis.com/UvqJJ6GFv4u5BZQj/arcgis/rest/services/Nevada_County_Trails_PUBLIC_VL/FeatureServer/4/query?where=OBJECTID%3D555&outFields=*&f=html
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234591?tab=seasons, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
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