A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service horse camp

Ribbonwood Equestrian Cg

Forest Service horse camp in San Bernardino National Forest, Riverside County, California. About 4,000 feet. 11.2 miles from Indian Wells.

Managed by
Forest Service San Bernardino National Forest
Elevation
About 4,000 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
8 8 equestrian non-electric
Hookups
Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Ribbonwood is an ideal mountain escape for equestrian campers. The campground overlooks Palm Desert and the Salton Sea in southern California and provides visitors with access to hundreds of miles of terrain for exploration and enjoyment.

The San Bernardino National Forest is submitting a proposal to increase fees at various sites across the Forest and is seeking public input. Please visit the https://www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf for more information and to submit comments regarding this proposal.

Recreation

Horseback riding and mountain biking are popular activities. The 5.3-mile Sawmill Trail begins within the campground and traverses an old road with 2,220 feet of elevation gain. It also intersects with the Cactus Spring Trail near the campground's parking area.

Bountiful botanical species exist along the trail, providing scenic views for travelers.

Facilities

The campground offers less than a dozen large, single-family campsites for both tent or RV camping. Each is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible flush toilets, showers and drinking water are provided, and campsites each have access to two horse corrals and hitching racks.

Natural Features

The campground is located approximately 16 miles southeast of Palm Desert, California, at an elevation of about 4,000 feet. It is nestled in a chaparral brush, high desert environment of cactus, pinyon pine and yucca plants. Roads and spurs are gravel.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • horse camping
  • horseback riding
  • mountain biking

The land around Ribbonwood Equestrian Cg

The ringed pin is this horse camp; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.