A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Army Corps of Engineers group campground

Wildcat Equestrian Area

Army Corps of Engineers group campground in Eastman Lake, Madera County, California. 735 feet. 16.6 miles from Chowchilla.

Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers Eastman Lake
Elevation
735 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 group equestrian
Hookups
Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Madera County

Overview

Wildcat Equestrian Area at Buchanan Dam, H.V. Eastman Lake is a perfect launchpad for activities like horseback riding, birding and hiking. Tucked in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the area attracts abundant wildlife like bobcats, bald eagles, golden eagles, and hawks. Wildcat Equestrian Area is a equestrian group area with water, vault toilets, horse corrals and hitching posts.

Recreation

Wildcat Equestrian Area at Buchanan Dam, H.V. Eastman Lake is a perfect launchpad for activities like horseback riding, birding and hiking.

Facilities

Wildcat Equestrian Area facility offeres areas for camping, horse hitching posts and corrals, water, bbq, fire pits, picnic tables, vault toilets, and access to showers.

Natural Features

The rolling hills around Buchanan Dam, H.V. Eastman Lake are surrounded by tall grasses and scattered oak trees, giving way to stunning mountain views.

The lake features 1,780 surface acres, fed by the cool waters of the Chowchilla River.

Nearby Attractions

The Sierra National Forest is a short drive to the east of the campground.

The description, directions and fees are the Army Corps of Engineers’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • birding
  • camping
  • hiking
  • horse camping
  • horseback riding
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Wildcat Equestrian Area

The ringed pin is this group campground; 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 March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.