Enjoy Nature's beauty on horseback. Exploring the country on horseback is a rider's special chance to get close to the environment. The Stanislaus National Forest has about 400 miles of trails suitable for riding and several areas for base camps.
For a riding adventure at lower elevations, try areas on the Forest's Mi-Wok (lower Highway 108 area) and Groveland (Highway 120 area) ranger districts. Suggested riding and camping areas on the Mi-Wok District include Thompson Meadow, Bourland Meadow, Reynolds Creek, Deer Creek, and Camp Clavey. Livestock cannot be kept at developed campgrounds.
On the Groveland District, the Forest's southernmost section, you can ride and camp at Anderson Valley, Kibbie Ridge (part of the Emigrant Wilderness), and south of Cherry Dam along the creek.
Some riders like to camp at the Clark Fork horse camp on the Forest's Summit Ranger District (upper Highway area). The camp has twelve sites you can use free of charge. Day rides into the high-elevation Carson-Iceberg Wilderness area are possible from Clark Fork. (Wilderness permit needed for overnight stays.)
Other areas suitable for traveling and camping with livestock include Eagle Meadow, Fence Creek, Herring Creek, and the Emigrant Wilderness. You need a wilderness permit for the Emigrant, and special livestock-use rules will be attached to your wilderness permit. Permits are issued free at any Forest office.
If your riding group is larger than 20 people, please pick up a special-use permit for non-wilderness large group use from the Ranger District office in the area where you plan to travel.
The Calaveras District (Highway 4 area) also has many high-elevation areas for riding and camping. Suggested routes include the loop trail from Wheeler Lake to Sandy Meadow, Pine Marten campground to Duck and Rock lakes, Stanislaus Meadow to Bull Run, Heiser and Mosquito Lakes, Highland Lakes to Arnot Creek, Wood Gulch, Jenkin Canyon, Hiram Meadow (loop trail), and from Frog Lake in the Mokelumne Wilderness (wilderness permit needed) to Mount Reba.
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