Equestrian Campground, Madera County, California: 1,024 ft, Map and Directions

Nestled by large oak trees and located near the Nuckahee Learning center, the Equestrian Campground offers a large parking area for trailers, and corrals available for horseback riders. A short 1/4 mile bypass trail connects you to the main trail head that leads to the other trails in the management area.

Facilities

The Equestrian Campground offers 3 accessible campsites with fire rings, picnic tables and wood grill. Drinking water is available via a paddle style spigot next to the corrals. Garbage collection is available, and an accessible restroom is on site. Reservations for this site are not accepted and it is a first come-first serve basis. No electricity is provided, and cell service is typically nonexistent. Please practice Leave No Trace and Tread Lightly principles to recreate responsibly on your public lands.

Parking

The gravel parking area is large enough for 2-3 trucks with horse trailers and provides enough space to turn around. Please do not block access for others when parking.

Restrictions

A permit is required for campfires, and campfires must be in designated fire rings in the campgrounds.

The description, directions and fees are the Bureau of Land Management’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

camping
day use area
horse camping
horseback riding

Getting there

The San Joaquin River Gorge is located approximately five (5) miles northwest of the town of Auberry. The visitor center is located at 40060 Smalley Road, Auberry, California. Google Maps accurately locates the visitor center at it's actual location. From Fresno, take CA-168 north. One mile after the town of Prather, turn left onto Auberry Road. Follow Auberry Road 2.9 miles through the town of Auberry and turn left at the Y onto Powerhouse Road. After 1.8 miles, turn left onto Smalley Road and follow it into the recreation area.

Accessibility

View images of accessibility features in a new window. There is no cell phone reception at this site. Parking for the campground is in a hard-packed gravel lot. Although there are no designated accessible spaces, the lot’s flat, compacted surface should be appropriate for mobility device users. Near the entrance to the site, on the southern edge of the parking area, a partially shaded kiosk with site and safety information and a pay station sit on gravel. Farther to the east, just north of the horse corral, an accessible portable toilet sits next to a dumpster on gravel and dirt. The lid of the dumpster should be reachable from a sitting position. The campground has 3 campsites, and campers can park their vehicles next to their site rather than using the general parking lot. The sites are on grass and dirt, with the terrain being sloped and/or uneven in some areas. Each campsite includes a picnic table with an extended end to accommodate wheelchair users, a pedestal grill, and a fire ring with a grill attachment. There are no shade shelters at the site, but trees provide some shade, especially in campsite 2. Two water spigots with a twist-on/twist-off mechanism sit on grass at the northeast corner of the corral, near the toilet and dumpster. Descriptions and photos uploaded June 2026. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.

Equestrian Campground

Facilities

Parking

Restrictions

What people do here

The land around Equestrian Campground

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near