Sonoma County horseback riding
Where to camp with horses, where to park a trailer, which trails allow horses and the rules in Sonoma County, from Recreation.gov, California State Parks and OpenStreetMap data.
Where can I camp with horses in Sonoma County?
Where do I park a horse trailer in Sonoma County?
Horse trailheads and staging named on agency pages
Warren Richardson parking area (Trione-Annadel)
- Horse-trailer parking
- Yes (“Horse trailer parking is available at the Warren Richardson parking area near the end of Channel Drive. The staging area is complete with a horse -watering trough and a mounting ramp for those who may need it.”) [3]
- Horse-trailer spaces
- 5 horse-trailer spaces (“20 car spots, 5 horse trailer spots”) [4]
- Water for horses
- Yes [3]
- Rule
- HORSES are allowed on all designated multi-use trails/fire roads. Horses are not permitted on any pedestrian-only trails. [3]
- Note
- Also horse trailer parking and a staging area in Spring Lake Regional Park, with access to Trione-Annadel via the Canyon Trail [3]
Hillside Trail parking (Sugarloaf Ridge)
Upper Lot (Jack London)
Shiloh Ranch Regional Park
Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
- Trails
- more than 19 miles of trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians [10]
- Status
- Status (Sonoma County Regional Parks): Hood Mountain Trail is closed to equestrians .75 miles south of the Santa Rosa Creek crossing due to a significant landslide below the trail [10]
- Water
- Potable water is not available in the park [10]
- Note
- Los Alamos Road entrance is very winding and narrow: "RV's and vehicles with trailers should use extreme caution." [10]
Spring Lake Regional Park
Helen Putnam Regional Park
- Trails
- nearly 6 miles of trails; equestrians, hikers, and cyclists are welcome on all trails [13]
Foothill Regional Park
- Trails
- 6.8 miles of trails; Pond A Loop, Pond B Loop, Pond C Trail and the Ravine Trail are hikers only, all other trails are open to hikers, equestrians and cyclists [14]
Named by California State Parks
Equestrian Parking and Staging
Upper Lot
Bay Flat Trl Horse Staging Area on Bodega Harbor
Bodega Dunes CG Overflow Parking
Freezeout Flat Parking Area
Hillside Trl Prking
Horse Trailer and Trailhead Parking
Horse staging, trailheads and entrances from the agencies' own map data. A trailer count appears only where the agency publishes one; a quoted lot note is the agency's wording. Parked a trailer here? Add it in Ride
Which Sonoma County trails allow horses?
California State Parks
East Austin Creek Rd/Trl
Marsh Trl
Ridge Trl
Hunters Camp Rd
East Ridge Trl
Gilliam Creek Trl
Brushy Peaks Trl
Canyon Rd/Trl
Mountain Trl
Lawndale Trl
Plus 93 more named horse-legal trails in the same data, not listed here.
OpenStreetMap
Willow Creek Road
Half A Canoe Loop
Hood Mountain Trail
Old Skaggs Springs Road
North Sonoma Mountain Trail
Brushy Peaks Trail
Gray Pine Trail
Bald Mountain Trail
Pool Ridge Trail
Dry Creek Trail
Plus 59 more named horse-legal trails in the same data, not listed here.
Horse trails named on agency pages
- Hillside Trail parking (Sugarloaf Ridge): 25 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding [6]
- Shiloh Ranch Regional Park: nearly 8 miles of trails for hiking, bicycle, and horseback riding [9]
- Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve: more than 19 miles of trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians [10]
- Spring Lake Regional Park: Horse Loop Trail: 2.6 miles [12]
- Helen Putnam Regional Park: nearly 6 miles of trails; equestrians, hikers, and cyclists are welcome on all trails [13]
- Foothill Regional Park: 6.8 miles of trails; Pond A Loop, Pond B Loop, Pond C Trail and the Ravine Trail are hikers only, all other trails are open to hikers, equestrians and cyclists [14]
Trails where the managing agency or OpenStreetMap marks horses as allowed, one list per agency. Mileage is the mapped length of segments with that name, not a loop distance.
What closures and seasons apply in Sonoma County?
- Liberty Glen (Lake Sonoma): season Year round; peak season April 1 – September 30 [2]
- Status (California State Parks): All trails currently closed to pack animals [45]
- Status (California State Parks): Bullfrog Pond Campground and the backcountry campsites (Tom King, Mannings Flat) closed; no public water sources or restrooms in Austin Creek [45]
- Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve: Status (Sonoma County Regional Parks): Hood Mountain Trail is closed to equestrians .75 miles south of the Santa Rosa Creek crossing due to a significant landslide below the trail [10]
As of October 25, 2026. Check with the agency before you haul: seasons move with snow and fire.
What are the horse rules in Sonoma County?
- Austin Creek State Recreation Area: When trails are open all horse trailers must remain down in the parking lots of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. [45]
- Sonoma County Regional Parks (riding overview): Note: Most parks with equestrian trails offer trailer parking, manure bins, hitching posts, and water troughs. [11]
- Sonoma County Regional Parks (riding overview): Doran Regional Park: equestrians are welcome on the east side of this Bodega Bay beach [11]
- Sonoma County Regional Parks (riding overview): Tolay Lake Regional Park: equestrians who participate in the interim-use program are welcome on its trails on weekends [11]
- Warren Richardson parking area (Trione-Annadel): HORSES are allowed on all designated multi-use trails/fire roads. Horses are not permitted on any pedestrian-only trails. [3]
- Upper Lot (Jack London): Bicycling and horseback riding are permitted on some trails. [8]
Is there water for horses in Sonoma County?
Water for horses at trailheads: Not published by California State Parks. 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 Sonoma County?
Sources
- Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233537, fetched October 25, 2026
- Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233537?tab=seasons, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
- California State Parks: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=480, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- California State Parks (Parking_viewpublic, NOTES on lot "Horse Trailer and Trailhead Parking"): https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/Parking_viewpublic/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D17577&outFields=*&f=html, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- California State Parks (Parking_viewpublic, lot "Hillside Trl Prking", TOT_SPACES 3): https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/Parking_viewpublic/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D17583&outFields=*&f=html, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- California State Parks: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=481, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- California State Parks (Parking_viewpublic): https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/Parking_viewpublic/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D18983&outFields=*&f=html, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- California State Parks: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=478, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- Sonoma County Regional Parks: https://parks.sonomacounty.gov/visit/find-a-park/shiloh-ranch-regional-park, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- Sonoma County Regional Parks: https://parks.sonomacounty.gov/visit/find-a-park/hood-mountain-regional-park-and-preserve, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- Sonoma County Regional Parks: https://parks.sonomacounty.gov/play/horseback-riding, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- Sonoma County Regional Parks: https://parks.sonomacounty.gov/visit/find-a-park/spring-lake-regional-park, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- Sonoma County Regional Parks: https://parks.sonomacounty.gov/visit/find-a-park/helen-putnam-regional-park, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- Sonoma County Regional Parks: https://parks.sonomacounty.gov/visit/find-a-park/foothill-regional-park, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/Parking_viewpublic/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D18037&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/Parking_viewpublic/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D18983&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/ParkingPoints/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D56729&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/ParkingPoints/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D56691&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/ParkingPoints/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D56686&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/Parking_viewpublic/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D17583&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/Parking_viewpublic/FeatureServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D17577&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/ParkingPoints/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D57688&outFields=*&f=html, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0, fetched October 25, 2026
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1063263&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1059886&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1059902&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1055505&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1063240&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1063283&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1060901&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1059868&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1060691&outFields=*&f=html
- California State Parks: https://services2.arcgis.com/AhxrK3F6WM8ECvDi/arcgis/rest/services/RecreationalRoutes/FeatureServer/0/query?where=FID%3D1059883&outFields=*&f=html
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/, fetched October 25, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/462449535
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1187363844
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1244520070
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/7722618
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1041306998
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/313647361
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1420084050
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/317141287
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/312363592
- OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1006035978
- California State Parks: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=452, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026