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

Forest Service horse camp

Palisades Horse Camp

Forest Service horse camp in San Juan National Forest, Hinsdale County, Colorado. About 8,300 feet. 22.2 miles from Pagosa Springs.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service San Juan National Forest
Elevation
About 8,300 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
12 12 equestrian non-electric
Longest rig
45 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Hinsdale County

Overview

Palisades Horse Camp is located 30 miles north of Pagosa Springs, high in the San Juan National Forest. This beautiful area has excellent horseback riding and hiking trails and an abundance of wildlife.

Recreation

Hiking and horseback riding trails are the main attraction at Palisades. The Williams Creek Trail leads directly from the campground into the Weminuche Wilderness, crossing the Continental Divide.

Facilities

This equestrian campground offers single- and double-family campsites to campers with horses. Corrals with feeding bins are provided. The corrals are divided into two sections with room for two to three horses on each side, depending on horse temperaments. Hitching racks are set up throughout the campground and a water tank is on-site.

Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. A campground host is on-site, and is very knowledgeable about the area.

Natural Features

The campground is nestled in a stand of pine, spruce and fir trees, and sits at an elevation of 8,300 feet. The area provides panoramic views of the surrounding meadows and mountains. Williams Creek flows nearby.

The surrounding forest provides a prime wildlife habitat. Bears, deer, elk and moose frequent the area.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • hiking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Palisades Horse Camp

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.

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.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated June 17, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

Join Overlanding Life
Saved Account

Start with a region

Browse the directory