Is there a better place to horse camp than British Columbia? Hard to say – the province’s horse campgrounds, many of them free, offer access to epic trails along the Rocky Mountains, the Okanagan Valley, the Pacific Northwest coastline and more.
Here’s our roundup of cool places to camp with your horse in British Columbia this summer:
(photo courtesy Hideaway Horse Camp)
Hideaway Horse Camp
Location: Oliver (35 minutes from Osoyoos, 50 minutes from Penticton)
Amenities: 4 sites for horse camping, 14’ x 14’ corrals, well water, outhouse, hot showers, mounting rock, picnic tables and chairs
Trails: 45 km of marked looping trails, plus many more kilometres of smaller unmarked wildlife trails and old logging roads
Rates: Daily rates of $15/adult ($10/for children 3-10 years old, no charge for children under 3) and $10/horse. Maximum of 4 people per site.
Hideaway Horse Camp, in south central BC, has over 45 km of beautiful, well-marked trails to explore. This peaceful spot has four sites for horse camping: three are best suited for campers with 2-3 horse trailers, and one site is a pull-through site for longer rigs (let them know when booking if you’d like the pull-through site). Reservations are a must.
(photo courtesy Memekay Horse Camp)
Memekay Horse Camp
Location: Sayward Valley on Vancouver Island (30 minutes from Sayward, 1 hour from Campbell River)
Amenities: 12 sites, paddocks for horses (generally each site has a paddock for two horses, and one larger site can accommodate four horses)
Trails: 40 km maintained trail corridor, plus access to Crown lands and wilderness area
Rates: No fee
Located on Vancouver Island, Memekay Horse Camp is purpose built for horses and lovingly maintained by the Back Country Horsemen of British Columbia (BCHBC). You don’t have to be a member to stay at this no-fee campground, but donations to the BCHBC are appreciated. The organization also has two other nearby horse campgrounds: Brewster Horse Camp and Pine Marten Horse Camp. Since it’s off-grid, there are no reservations – it’s first-come, first-served.
A spacious tent at Reflection Creek Ranch.
Reflection Creek Ranch
Location: Princeton (1 hour from Merritt, 2 hours from Kelowna)
Amenities: Glamping, 12×12 uncovered stalls, larger paddocks and pasture available, 200×100 outdoor arena, gallop track
Trails: Backs onto the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and other trail systems.
Rates: $50/night for rig camping and stabling, $225/night for glamping tents (sleep 2-4)
Reflection Creek Ranch is set on 45 acres at the foothills of Iron Mountain. It borders the extensive Kettle Valley Rail Trail, Martins Lake, and Allison Creek, providing endless opportunity for exploring trails via horseback. You can camp with your horses or treat yourself to a stay in a glamping tent.
You can learn roping or practice cattle sorting at Rocking V Ranch.
Rocking V Ranch
Location: Tulameen (45 minutes from Princeton, 1 hour from Merritt)
Amenities: Airbnb house (sleeps 8-10), 12×12 steel panel corals for 8-10 horses, easy access to water, 40’ round pen, 160×300 sand arena
Trails: Hundreds of kilometres to explore from the ranch
Rates: $40/night per rig for dry camping, $65/night per rig for power and water, $25/night per horse, $400/night for the Airbnb
Rocking V Ranch offers a bed and bale situation: stay at their Airbnb (a three-bedroom house that can sleep up to ten) and explore all they have to offer with your horses. From the ranch you can ride out to hundreds of kilometres of range land, with trip options including Pike Mountain, dozens of small lakes, or taking the Kettle Valley Rail Trail into Tulameen (16km), where you can go for lunch at the Tulameen general store or swim in Otter Lake. Add-on extras are available, including roping the Heel-O-Matic or practice sorting cattle. Horse Council BC membership required.
(photo courtesy Hidden Gait Ranch)
Hidden Gait Ranch
Location: Summerland (west side of Okanagan Lake)
Amenities: 4 smaller sites, plus a bigger area with a yurt and space for large trailers, pens for horses, obstacle course, round pen, and outdoor arena
Trails: Property backs onto the Trans Canada Trail. From the sides of the property, you can access many kilometres of local trails, including the 492km-long Kettle Valley Rail Trail.
Rates: $25/person and $10/horse
This hidden gem with friendly hosts is set on a 55-acre property five minutes from Summerland, on the west side of Okanagan Lake. Local trails can take you to mountaintops, the Summerland Rodeo Grounds, or even local wineries and breweries. They will be hosting their third annual “Music in the Country” fundraiser on Friday, July 12, with proceeds going to Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team.
Little Horse Lodge
Location: 70 Mile House
Amenities: 7 horse corrals that can accommodate up to 2 horse each, water (200 feet from the corrals), camping or cabins, small store on-site, Wi-Fi, shower available with token
Trails: Access to many kilometres of trails on Crown land
Rates: $30/night for dry camping, $49/night for RV site with water and electrical, $40/corral per stay, cabins (with one queen bed each) start at $159/night
Little Horse Lodge is a great spot with horse camping, cabins, and many kilometres of trails to explore. It’s within walking distance to the shores of Green Lake in the beautiful Cariboo region of central interior BC.
Skimikin Lake.
Skimikin Lake Recreation Site
Location: Tappen (23 minutes from Salmon Arm, 1 hour from Kamloops)
Amenities: Several horse corrals, manure dumping locations
Trails: Access to many kilometres of looping trails throughout the Skimikin Lake Recreation Area. View a detailed trail map here.
Rates: $15/night for camping, plus $4/night per horse
Set on the beautiful Skimikin Lake, half of the sites here are developed for horses (horses are permitted in the East Recreation Site, sites 1-40). Horse corrals are on a first-come first-serve basis, and if the adjacent campsites are in use by non-horse users, horse campers have to find an unoccupied site to camp in.
Corrals at Kane Lake.
Kane Valley Equestrian Recreation Site
Location: Kane Valley (25 minutes from Merritt, 1 hour from Princeton)
Amenities: 13 large campsites with 26 corrals (including 1 group site), manure bins, creek for water
Trails: Over 50kms of trails
Rates: $15/rig and $2/corral per night
This newly-built equestrian area is an expansion of the Kane Lake Recreation Site. Located in the Kane Valley, it’s a popular and family-friendly area for outdoor enthusiasts, with incredible views of the valley from the camping area. Equine use has priority for the equine sites, but all campers have access to the sites when it’s busy. For trails, you can explore the nearby Harmon Lake Forest Interpretive Trail, or hop on the adjacent Kane Valley cross country ski trails (over 50km) which are all signed. Many ride areas have range permits, so be mindful of cattle and gates, and stay on the trails. You can also check out the nearby Lundlom Lake Recreation Site, which has 102 campsites, 14 double corrals, beautiful lake views and trails.
Fishtrap Campsite.
Fishtrap Campsite
Location: 12.5km on Westsyde Road, just west of Barriere (up gravel road, slightly winding at start)
Amenities: 15 corrals (nine are 22×22 and six are 12×20), 3 outhouses, shower house, 20×20 shelter, picnic tables, fire rings
Trails: Access to 187 km of horseback trails, including Rexford Trail (11km), Rim Rocks Trail (5km), and many more connected routes.
Rates: Free
Fishtrap Campsite is a great quiet spot for those who are looking to explore moderate or more challenging trails. They have 15 corrals and room for parking at least 20 rigs, plus additional cowboy corrals on the other side of the creek for overflow. It’s a fairly rocky area, so full shoes or boots should be worn.
