Horse camping at Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground, Eldorado National Forest

Horse camping facts for Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground 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 Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground?

Managed by: USDA Forest Service ^[1]
Park or forest: Eldorado National Forest ^[1]
Listed for horses as: Equestrian campsites ^[2] (Recreation.gov)
Status: Closed for the 2026 season (estimated to 10/30/26); trailhead parking open ^[3] (USDA Forest Service)
Horse sites: 15 ^[2]
Max rig length: 35 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: 38.84191, -120.23521 ^[2] · Directions ^[2]

Where do I park a horse trailer at Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground?

Max rig length at the camp: 35 ft ^[2]

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

Nearest trailheads (trailer access unknown)

Rockbound Trailhead · 0.5 mi away

listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[4]
Pyramid Creek Trailhead · 6.4 mi away

listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[5]
Glen Alpine Trailhead · 8.7 mi away

listed by OpenStreetMap contributors · Directions ^[6]

Which horse trails start near Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground?

Pony Express
25.3 mapped mi ^[7] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Pacific Crest Trail
18.5 mapped mi ^[8] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Rubicon
10.8 mapped mi ^[9] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Rubicon Trail (16E30.2)
10.3 mapped mi ^[10] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Rockbound
7.8 mapped mi ^[11] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Union Valley Bike Trail
6.7 mapped mi ^[12] · surface: ac- asphalt · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Mcconnell Lake Loop
6.7 mapped mi ^[13] · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Red Peak
6.7 mapped mi ^[14] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Two Peaks
5.6 mapped mi ^[15] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Pacific Crest Trail
5.5 mapped mi ^[16] · horse season: 01/01-12/31 · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service
Two Peaks Trail (16E11)
5.5 mapped mi ^[17] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors
Barrett Lake Jeep Trail
5.4 mapped mi ^[18] · surface: nat - native material · horses allowed per USDA Forest Service

Plus 72 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 Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground open?

Status: Closed for the 2026 season (estimated to 10/30/26); trailhead parking open ^[3] (USDA Forest Service)
Season: Reservable July 1 – September 6; first-come, first-served September 7–27 ^[19]
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 Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground?

At least one horse or pack animal required per site ^[20]
No riding through the Wrights Lake Campground and day-use areas ^[20]
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. ^[21]
Desolation Wilderness: entering without a valid permit is prohibited (Forest Order 03-24-01, effective Mar 9, 2024 to Mar 8, 2027). ^[22]
Desolation Wilderness: "Possessing more than two livestock per person, or possessing more than 12 livestock per group" is prohibited; groups max 12 persons. ^[22]
Desolation Wilderness: no hitching, tethering or hobbling saddle or pack animals within 200 feet of water or 100 feet of a campsite. ^[22]
Desolation Wilderness: livestock waste must be scattered at least 100 feet from water sources and campsites. ^[22]
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. ^[3]

Is there water for horses at Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground?

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 Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground?

Packing for it: the horse camping checklist.

Tells Creek Equestrian Camp · 7.7 mi away · Eldorado National Forest
Loon Lake · 11.0 mi away · Eldorado National Forest
Dru Barner Campground · 29.3 mi away · Eldorado National Forest
Clark Fork Horse Camp · 38.7 mi away · Stanislaus 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'5357.003661'&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251578, fetched October 25, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/eldorado/recreation/wrights-lake-campground, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1365123723, fetched October 25, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5082887157, fetched October 25, 2026
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4004588877, fetched October 25, 2026
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10561838&outFields=*&f=html
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/439973666
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10562591&outFields=*&f=html
OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/125412402
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10562700&outFields=*&f=html
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
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/169777760
USDA Forest Service: https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_TrailNFSPublish_01/MapServer/0/query?where=objectid%3D10562901&outFields=*&f=html
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251578?tab=seasons, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251578, 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