Dixie Glade Campground
Mendocino National Forest, CAThis small horse camp tucked into the Mendocino National Forest keeps things simple: seven sites, vault toilets, and direct access to Snow Mountain Wilderness trails. At $5 per night first-come, first-served, it's built for riders who want a quiet base camp without the crowds of reservation campgrounds.
Campground Details
- 🏕️Total Sites
- 7
- 💵Fee per Night
- $5
- 📋Reservations
- First-Come, First-Served
- 📍GPS
- 39.33628, -122.70348
- 🌤️Best Seasons
- spring, fall
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- No
- 📞Phone
- N/A
- 🗺️Address
- CA
Amenities
The Camp
Dixie Glade sits among ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and oak with chaparral understory — classic Northern California forest mix that provides decent shade and natural windbreaks. The seven campsites come with the basics: picnic tables, fire rings, and stoves. What sets this apart from standard Forest Service camps are the hitching posts and corrals designed specifically for horse camping.
Sites accommodate trailers up to 30 feet, though the primitive setting means you're packing in your own water and packing out all garbage. One day-use area rounds out the facilities for riders who want to stage a trail ride without staying overnight.
What to Know
No reservations means showing up and hoping, which works better here than at popular destinations because equestrian camps draw smaller crowds. Download the Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival — you'll need it to scan QR codes for payment, and cell service gets spotty in these hills.
Spring and fall are prime seasons when temperatures make sense for both horses and humans. Summer heat can be brutal in this chaparral country, and winter brings unpredictable weather to the higher elevations nearby.
Nearby
The 0.8-mile Deafy Glade Trail connects directly from camp to the Snow Mountain Wilderness boundary. This puts you at the doorstep of a 37,000-acre wilderness with options ranging from day rides to multi-day pack trips deeper into the backcountry. The wilderness designation means no motorized vehicles — just horses, hikers, and the occasional mountain biker on connecting trails outside the boundary.
For facility details or current conditions, call the ranger district at (530) 963-3128.