Horseback Riding in Coe Park

Camping with Horses      (top)

Designated Horse Camps

• There are eight designated horse camps in the park, and each of them has a set of pipe corals that will hold at least two horses.

• One of the camps is at the park headquarters, and it's the only horse camp you can reach by a paved road.  Potable tap water and a horse trough are nearby.

• Blue Oak Camp (at Manzanita Point) is the only designated horse camp in the backcountry that you can reach by vehicle.  It's located about two miles down a dirt road that starts behind a locked gate in the headquarters area.  If you want to use the Blue Oak campsite, check in advance with park staff about its availability, the condition of the dirt road, and special regulations that apply to the camp.  Nothing larger than a two-horse trailer is allowed on the road to the camp.  Bass Pond, about a hundred yards from the Blue Oak corral, always has water for horses, but you'll need to pack in water for your consumption (or be prepared to purify water that may look and taste pretty unpalatable).

• The other six designated horse camps are pack-in sites, and they have no potable water.  All of the sites have a lake, spring, pond, or creek nearby, but some of the water sources are unreliable, and all water in the backcountry must be purified for human consumption.

• The designated camps are the only places where parties with more than four horses can camp.

• Listed below are approximate distances from headquarters to designated horse camps.

  Arnold horse camp	6.5 miles
  Coit Camp horse camp	9.9 miles
  Coit Lake horse camp	11.5 miles
  Mississippi Creek horse camp	13 miles
  Brem horse camp	15 miles
  Dowdy Ranch horse camp	17 miles

Where You Can Camp

• If you camp in the Western Area of the park, you must camp in a designated horse camp.  (The Western Area is the camping zone that extends 5 to 8 miles out from park headquarters.)

• Outside the Western Zone, parties are limited to four horses, and you can camp wherever you like (including the Orestimba Wilderness), with the following exceptions:
  • You must always camp at least 100 feet from any lake, pond, creek, or spring.

  • If you're packing into the park from the Coyote Creek or Hunting Hollow entrance, you must camp at least one-half mile from the entrance.

  • Always camp out of sight of other campers.

Camping Rules

• The fee for camping is $14 per night for up to two horses and $2 each for each additional horse (no charge for vehicle parking).

• Equestrian groups are limited to four horses except in the designated horse camps.

• Camp stoves are usually permitted at all the campsites.  Open fires are allowed only at the Headquarters and Blue Oak horse camps and only in the pits that are provided.  Wood gathering is prohibited in the park.  You can bring your own firewood or purchase wood at the Visitor Center.  During periods of extreme fire danger, all forms of open flame may be prohibited.

• Firearms are not allowed in the park.

• Dogs are not allowed in the backcountry.  The only horse camp where dogs are allowed is the Headquarters Horse Camp, where they must be on a leash at all times and must be kept in a vehicle or tent during the night.

• Please pack out all your trash.

• Bury human waste and wash dishes at least 100 feet from any lake, pond, stream, or spring.

Camping Recommendations

• You should purify any backcountry water that you're going to consume.

• Springs and creeks on the map might not have water.  Ask park staff about water availability when you register.

• Be sure to take a map with you.  Maps are available in the Visitor Center.

• Some trails and roads, particularly in the Orestimba Wilderness, are in poor condition and some are hard to find.  Ask park staff about the condition of roads and trails on your planned route.

Seasonal Considerations      (top)

The seasons at Coe Park are typical of central California.  Springtime, with its moderate temperatures and abundant water, is undoubtedly the best time to visit the park; it's also the most popular time, so you're likely to meet more people during the months of March, April, and May.  Fall is also a good time to visit.  Fall temperatures alternate between balmy and brisk, and colorful autumn leaves, dangling from trees, floating on breezes, and crinkling under foot, bring a sense of rest and replenishment.  If you visit in the hot dry months of summer, you'll probably want to keep your trips short and plan to ride in the morning or early evening.  If you plan to visit in the winter, be prepared for adverse weather.

Water is an important consideration year-round.  In the spring, the creeks have plenty of water and are usually easy for horses and hikers to cross.  In the winter, docile streams can turn into raging, impassable torrents after heavy rains.  In the summer and fall, the creeks and some of the springs are usually dry.  Keep in mind that you shouldn't depend entirely on springs you see marked on park maps; some of them are undeveloped, unmaintained, or unreliable.  When you register in the Visitor Center for a day trip or for overnight camping, be sure to ask about the current condition of creeks and springs in the area you plan to visit.

Getting to the Park (and parking when you get there)      (top)

For information about how to get to Coe Park headquarters, click here.  After you reach park headquarters, please stop first in the big, open paved area just past the stop sign and ask in the Visitor Center about a good place to park.  We like to park larger vehicles in specific spots to make the best use of our limited parking areas.

Most equestrians prefer to enter the park at the Hunting Hollow entrance.  For information about the Hunting Hollow entrance, see our park entrances page.

Riding Rules and Recommendations      (top)

• Riding helmets are highly encouraged. 

• Several narrow trails located near park headquarters are closed to horses (the Corral, Fish, Forest, Madrone Soda Springs, Middle Ridge, Mile, Monument, and Springs trails).  Those trails are marked with "no horse" logo signs.  For trail locations and other information, please ask for a free horseback riding handout at the Visitor Center.

• When you're on the trail, be courteous to other trail users.

• Watch out for mountain bikes.  Although mountain bikers are instructed to yield the right-of-way to horses, some don't.  Also be prepared to encounter motor vehicles driving on right-of-way routes to property within or beyond the park.

• You can let your horse graze in the park as long as you keep the horse under your control. 

• Check on the availability of water when you register.

• Respect all plant and animal life.

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