Horse camping at Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp, Yosemite National Park
Horse camping facts for Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp in Yosemite National Park, from National Park 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 Yosemite: Yosemite horseback riding.
What are the horse camping facts at Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp?
- Managed by
- National Park Service [1]
- Park or forest
- Yosemite National Park [1]
- Listed for horses as
- Campsites open to horses [1] (National Park Service)
- Horse sites
- 4 [2]
- Max rig length
- 27 ft [1]
- Not published
- Not published by the National Park Service: horses per site, corrals, hitching posts. Ridden here? Add it in Ride Bring a portable corral or a highline.
- Reservations
- Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp reservations are required from early July through September. During the rest of the year the campground is closed. [1] Full text from National Park Service Book
- Coordinates
- 37.87060, -119.35562 [1] · Directions [1]
Where do I park a horse trailer at Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp?
Max rig length at the camp: 27 ft [1]
Stock-trailer parking in Yosemite: Frontcountry stock sites at Wawona (2), Bridalveil Creek (3) and Tuolumne Meadows (4) campgrounds, with a limit of two vehicles and two stock trailers per parking area. Stock can be loaded and unloaded at any stock camp, designated stock area or concession stable. [3]
Nearest trailheads (trailer access unknown)
Elizabeth Lake Trailhead
Young Lakes Trailhead
Glen Aulin Trailhead
Lyell Canyon Trailhead
Soda Springs Trailhead
Dog Lake Trailhead
Cathedral Lakes Trailhead
Lower Gaylor Lake Trailhead
Which horse trails start near Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp?
John Muir Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail/John Muir Trail
John Muir Trail
Glen Aulin - May Lake Trail
Rafferty Creek Trail
Saddlebag Lake Loop
Snow Creek Trail
Elizabeth Lake Trail
20 Lakes Basin Loop
Murphy Creek Trail
Plus 23 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 Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp open?
- Season: Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp reservations are required from July through September (dates vary). October. [1] Full text from National Park Service
- Seasonal Winter Closure: September 27, 2026 to July 15, 2027 [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 Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp?
- Pets: Permitted; must be on a leash at all times. Fires: Wood and charcoal fires are permitted. People per site: A maximum of six people and six head of stock are allowed per campsite. [1] Full text from National Park Service Full rules
- "Except where otherwise posted or listed below, all designated trails in the park are open to stock use." Valley-floor stock trails are signed as bridle paths. [3]
- Closed to stock: bicycle paths, tram roads, shuttle routes; Mist Trail (Happy Isles to Nevada Fall), Snow Creek Trail from Mirror Lake, Mirror Lake Road; Lower Chilnualna Falls; Mariposa Grove except Perimeter Trail; Gaylor Lakes; Muir Gorge segment. [3]
- "Maximum of 25 head of pack and saddle stock per party." Overnight on non-maintained routes: 12 stock and 8 people. [3]
- "Cross-country or off-trail travel with stock is prohibited." Stock parties travel single file when possible. [3]
- "Grazing is permitted except within four miles of trailheads and paved roads or immediately surrounding any of the High Sierra Camps." [3]
- "Stock must be picketed at least 100 feet from any stream, lake, or spring." No tying to trees beyond loading and unloading. [3]
- Wilderness stock users must carry a shovel and rake to naturalize camps and scatter manure. [3]
- Llamas are not allowed on the High Sierra Camp Loop, the Vernal/Nevada Falls corridor, or the river trail from Nevada Fall to Merced Lake. [3]
- Private stock may stay overnight only in campgrounds with designated stock sites; reservations required; no stock camp in Yosemite Valley. [3]
- At stock camps: "Feed must be provided. Grazing is prohibited. The use of weed-free stock feed is required." Use hitch lines or portable corrals; wrap trees under ropes. [3]
- Several wilderness stock camps are closed, including Benson Lake, Crescent Lake, Hook Lake, Isberg Lake, Miller Lake, Rodgers Lake, Turner Meadow and Virginia Canyon-Castle Camp. [3]
Is there water for horses at Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp?
- Water for horses: Not published by the National Park Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
- Water hookup at the site: Not published by the National Park Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride
- Drinking water (people): Yes - seasonal [1]
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 Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp?
Packing for it: the horse camping checklist.
Sources
- National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tmhorsecamp.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
- National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tmcamp.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
- National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/stock.htm, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1366302529, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5895174809, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/10554781208, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2443957941, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/13121990665, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5494142226, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/10290274762, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1744952092, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1014940956
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1067934297
- National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D14811&outFields=*&f=html
- National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D16122&outFields=*&f=html
- National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D15984&outFields=*&f=html
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1215616484
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/162653003
- USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10593406&outFields=*&f=html
- National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D15419&outFields=*&f=html
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1195619913
- USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10608970&outFields=*&f=html
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/162652670