Willow Prairie Oregon Horse Camp

Willow Prairie Horse Camp is one of our favorite horse camps in Oregon! The riding trails are absolutely beautiful!

All of the trails go in circles, and are well-marked - so it would be difficult to get lost. It is rocky in many areas, so you will need to have your horses shod, or use boots. Our horses are barefoot, and they live on soft ground, so we carry boots, and if they start getting tender, we just put on the boots!

Most of the trails are easy, but there are also some areas that are steep and rocky. In the spring, there are a lot of water crossings, but most of them dry up by July. We like to take our young horses to Willow Prairie Horse Camp because there are trails that are great for beginners, and we can advance them as they are ready. There aren't a lot of areas where you can lope because of the rocks - unless you ride the dirt roads.

At an elevation of 4,400 feet, the season for camping doesn't start until May 15th. Some years you can't even get into the campground until after June 1st because of snow. There are over 20 miles of designated horse trails, but the higher elevation trails (Rye Springs area) often have snow drifts well into the month of June. You can also ride miles and miles of dirt roads!

Willow Prairie Horse Camp is located southwest of Mt. McLaughlin (also known as Mt. Pitt), next to a beautiful meadow called Willow Prairie. This meadow is a wetlands with a beaver swamp and several ponds. You can hear the sandhill cranes from the campground, and you will also see ducks, Canada geese, coyotes, deer, elk. There are also bears in the area, but they are wild, and don't come near people. We have seen one bear in the 10 years we have been riding the area - and he ran away as fast as he could! But there is a lot of bear sign out on the trails.

There are ten campsites in the campground. Each site has at least four nice, log corrals. Site #5 has six corrals and room for more vehicles. Each site also has a picnic table and a fire pit. Campfires are allowed in the fire pits all summer long. There is one vault toilet located in the middle of the campground. There is a hand pump with potable water located between sites #3 and #4. There are three water troughs for your horses, so there is always water close to your campsite! There is a manure trailer in the middle of the campground, and a wheelbarrow and tools are provided for you.

Of course, everyone is expected to clean up after their horses. Mosquitos can be a problem in the early part of the summer, so be sure to have plenty of mosquito repellant. We have had problems with some biting flies in August or September, so fly spray is a good idea.

Since we live at a lower elevation where the temperatures are warmer at night, we usually blanket our horses at night. This helps protect them from the mosquitoes at night, as well.

There is a very nice day-use area with a picnic table and large parking area. Plans are currently under way to build several corrals and added picnic tables for larger group horse camping.

There is a Camp Host at Willow Prairie Horse Camp from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

There is also a nice log cabin at the edge of the meadow that is available for rent. It is rustic, but is in a beautiful setting, and is more secluded. It has 4 corrals, a water trough and a picnic table.

From Highway 140, turn north on the Butte Falls Highway (County Road 821). Go approximately 1 mile, and turn left on USFS Road #3738. The campground is about 1 mile off the highway.

There are two beautiful lakes within 10 miles of this campground - Fish Lake and Lake of the Woods. Fish Lake has a speed limit, and is specifically for fishing - and the trout fishing is awesome! Lake of the Woods is a popular resort for people who like to ski, swim, tube, etc.

Willow Lake is about 25 miles away, and is also primarily a fishing lake. They do have a small area that is designated for water skiing as well.

If you want to make reservations at Willow Prairie, you can do so online at www.ReserveUSA.com. I would recommend reservations on the weekends, as this is a popular horse campground.

Willow Prairie Horse Camp is a great place to get away with your horses and enjoy some beautiful trail riding! I highly recommend it!