Yosemite horseback riding

Where can I camp with horses in Yosemite?

• Bridalveil Creek Horse Camp

  3 horse sites ^[2] · season: The Bridalveil Creek Campground is typically open from mid-July through early September (exact dates vary); reservations are required. ^[3]

• Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp

  4 horse sites ^[4] · season: Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp reservations are required from July through September (dates vary). ^[5]

• Wawona Horse Camp

  2 horse sites ^[6] · season: Wawona Horse Camp reservations are required from early to mid-April through early to mid-October. ^[7]

Horse camping in Yosemite: Wawona, Bridalveil Creek and Tuolumne Meadows

Privately owned stock may stay overnight in the frontcountry only at campgrounds with designated stock sites: Wawona, Bridalveil Creek and Tuolumne Meadows. ^[9]

• Bridalveil Creek Horse Camp

  Stock sites

  3 stock sites ^[2]

  Max rig length

  25 ft ^[3]

  Season

  The Bridalveil Creek Campground is typically open from mid-July through early September (exact dates vary); reservations are required. ^[3]

  Closed

  Seasonal Winter Closure: September 7, 2026 to July 3, 2027 ^[3]

• Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp

  Stock sites

  4 stock sites ^[4]

  Max rig length

  27 ft ^[5]

  Season

  Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp reservations are required from July through September (dates vary). ^[5]

  Closed

  Seasonal Winter Closure: September 27, 2026 to July 15, 2027 ^[5]

• Wawona Horse Camp

  Stock sites

  2 stock sites ^[6]

  Max rig length

  35 ft ^[7]

  Season

  Wawona Horse Camp reservations are required from early to mid-April through early to mid-October. ^[7]

  Closed

  Seasonal Winter Closure: October 12, 2026 to May 1, 2027 ^[7]

Rig length is the campsite limit from the National Park Service campground record, not a trailhead lot limit. The stock page gives no fee amounts.

Limits and rules at the stock sites

• Each stock site holds up to six people and six head of stock, with a limit of two vehicles and two stock trailers per parking area. ^[9]
• Feed must be provided and weed-free, grazing is prohibited, and stock use hitch lines or portable corrals. Stock is not permitted in the main campground. ^[9]
• There is no stock camp in Yosemite Valley. Stock can be loaded and unloaded at any stock camp, designated stock area or concession stable. ^[9]
• Check-out is at noon on the day of departure. ^[9]

How to reserve

• Book through Recreation.gov, or by phone at 877/444-6777. Reservations open at 7 am Pacific. ^[36]
• The campground release schedule lists Wawona five months ahead on the 15th of each month, Bridalveil Creek two weeks ahead on a rolling daily basis, and half of Tuolumne Meadows two months ahead and half two weeks ahead. ^[36]

The NPS campground page does not mention stock sites, and the stock page says only that reservations are required, so check the stock site's own Recreation.gov listing.

All published camps: horse camping in California.

Where do I park a horse trailer in Yosemite?

Stock-trailer parking: 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. ^[9]

The park's oversize visitor-lot spaces aren't listed as trailer parking: the National Park Service names no stock-trailer parking at those lots, and bars trailers on the Mariposa Grove road and on Glacier Point Road past the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point trailhead. ^[10]

Horse trailheads and stock facilities named by the National Park Service

• Wawona Campground stock sites (Wawona Horse Camp)

  2 stock sites, seasonal ^[11] · Up to 6 people and 6 head of stock per site ^[11] · Limit 2 vehicles and 2 stock trailers per parking area ^[11] · Reservations required ^[11]

• Bridalveil Creek Campground stock sites

  3 stock sites, seasonal ^[9] · Up to 6 people and 6 head of stock per site ^[9] · Limit 2 vehicles and 2 stock trailers per parking area ^[9] · Reservations required ^[9]

• Tuolumne Meadows Campground stock sites (Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp)

  4 stock sites, seasonal ^[12] · Up to 6 people and 6 head of stock per site ^[12] · Limit 2 vehicles and 2 stock trailers per parking area ^[12] · Reservations required ^[12]

From the agency's own horse and stock pages. Trailer space is only what each note says.

Which Yosemite trails allow horses?

National Park Service

49 trails, 181.1 mapped mi ^[13]

• Pacific Crest Trail

  53.9 mapped mi ^[14] · surface: concrete, native, wood · horses allowed per National Park Service

• John Muir Trail

  17.4 mapped mi ^[15] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Valley Loop Trail

  14.9 mapped mi ^[16] · surface: asphalt, native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Pacific Crest Trail/John Muir Trail

  11.7 mapped mi ^[17] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Red Peak Pass

  11.4 mapped mi ^[18] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Robinson Creek Trail

  9.2 mapped mi ^[19] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Old Tioga Road

  8.6 mapped mi ^[20] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Snow Creek Trail

  5.9 mapped mi ^[21] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Four Mile Trail

  4.8 mapped mi ^[22] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

• Perimeter Trail

  4.0 mapped mi ^[23] · surface: native · horses allowed per National Park Service

Plus 39 more named horse-legal trails in the same data, not listed here.

OpenStreetMap

66 trails, 351.6 mapped mi ^[24]

• Pacific Crest Trail

  59.3 mapped mi ^[25] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• John Muir Trail

  38.0 mapped mi ^[26] · surface: ground, wood · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Stevenson Trail

  12.0 mapped mi ^[27] · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Merced Pass Trail

  11.8 mapped mi ^[28] · surface: dirt · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Isberg Trail

  11.7 mapped mi ^[29] · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Red Peak Pass Trail

  11.5 mapped mi ^[30] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Green Creek Trail

  11.2 mapped mi ^[31] · surface: ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Bell Meadow Trail

  11.2 mapped mi ^[32] · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Buena Vista Trail

  11.0 mapped mi ^[33] · surface: dirt, ground · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

• Buckeye Canyon Trail

  8.9 mapped mi ^[34] · horses allowed per OpenStreetMap contributors

Plus 56 more named horse-legal trails in the same data, not listed here.

Trails in and around the park where the managing agency or OpenStreetMap marks horses as allowed. Mileage is the mapped length of segments with that name.

Is Yosemite open to horses right now?

No National Park Service alerts for Yosemite National Park as of October 25, 2026.

• Bridalveil Creek Horse Camp: season The Bridalveil Creek Campground is typically open from mid-July through early September (exact dates vary); reservations are required. ^[3] · Seasonal Winter Closure: September 7, 2026 to July 3, 2027 ^[3]
• Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp: season Tuolumne Meadows Horse Camp reservations are required from July through September (dates vary). ^[5] · Seasonal Winter Closure: September 27, 2026 to July 15, 2027 ^[5]
• Wawona Horse Camp: season Wawona Horse Camp reservations are required from early to mid-April through early to mid-October. ^[7] · Seasonal Winter Closure: October 12, 2026 to May 1, 2027 ^[7]

• Frontcountry stock sites are available seasonally; no dates published on the stock or horse camp pages. ^[9]
• Wilderness meadow opening dates for grazing vary by meadow class and water-year class; preliminary 2026 dates are published, with final determinations factoring May 1 snow surveys. ^[35]

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

What are the horse rules in Yosemite?

Official horse info: Horseback Riding & Stock Use - Yosemite National Park ^[9]

• "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. ^[9]
• 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. ^[9]
• "Maximum of 25 head of pack and saddle stock per party." Overnight on non-maintained routes: 12 stock and 8 people. ^[9]
• "Cross-country or off-trail travel with stock is prohibited." Stock parties travel single file when possible. ^[9]
• "Grazing is permitted except within four miles of trailheads and paved roads or immediately surrounding any of the High Sierra Camps." ^[9]
• "Stock must be picketed at least 100 feet from any stream, lake, or spring." No tying to trees beyond loading and unloading. ^[9]
• Wilderness stock users must carry a shovel and rake to naturalize camps and scatter manure. ^[9]
• 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. ^[9]
• Private stock may stay overnight only in campgrounds with designated stock sites; reservations required; no stock camp in Yosemite Valley. ^[9]
• 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. ^[9]
• 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. ^[9]

Is there water for horses in Yosemite?

Water for horses at trailheads: Not published by the National Park Service. Ridden here? Add it in Ride

Ridden here?

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What other horse campgrounds are near Yosemite?

• Pine Valley Horse Camp · 29.9 mi away · Stanislaus National Forest

• Kerrick Corral Horse Camp · 31.5 mi away · Stanislaus National Forest

• Eagle Meadow Horse Camp · 34.1 mi away · Stanislaus National Forest

• Clark Fork Horse Camp · 40.1 mi away · Stanislaus National Forest

More horse trails in California

Sources

1. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C84CF74-1DD8-B71B-0B9C7FF83F7C68EB.jpg
2. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bvcamp.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
3. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
4. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tmcamp.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
5. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tmhorsecamp.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
6. Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10220609, fetched October 25, 2026
7. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wawonahorsecamp.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
8. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/directions.htm, fetched October 16, 2026
9. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/stock.htm, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
10. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/restrictions.htm, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026
11. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wawonahorsecamp.htm, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
12. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tmhorsecamp.htm, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
13. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0, fetched October 25, 2026
14. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D14762&outFields=*&f=html
15. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D15984&outFields=*&f=html
16. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D14868&outFields=*&f=html
17. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D16122&outFields=*&f=html
18. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D19393&outFields=*&f=html
19. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D18122&outFields=*&f=html
20. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D16357&outFields=*&f=html
21. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D15419&outFields=*&f=html
22. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D15283&outFields=*&f=html
23. National Park Service: https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_Trails/MapServer/0/query?where=OBJECTID%3D14929&outFields=*&f=html
24. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/, fetched October 25, 2026
25. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1033906287
26. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1014940956
27. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/129081220
28. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/163901738
29. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/163901805
30. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/163901774
31. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1319859450
32. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/78290793
33. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1497840991
34. OpenStreetMap contributors: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/162652828
35. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/meadow-opening-dates.htm, read and verified by hand October 16, 2026
36. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm, read and verified by hand October 24, 2026