Deschutes National Forest › Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District › Oregon › Deschutes County › Bend › Chief Paulina Horse Camp

Chief Paulina Horse Camp, OR - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map

Chief Paulina Horse Camp is located in the Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District, Deschutes National Forest (47 min south of Bend, OR) with an elevation of 6,401 feet. There are a total of 14 campsites. The campground is normally open from mid June to the end of September. Max equipment length is 47 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring. Fees range from $19.00 to $23.00. Activities include horseback riding, hiking trails.
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Chief Paulina Horse Camp

39 reviews
Total sites: 14
Available Today: 10 FF*
Available this Weekend: 12 + 12 FF*
Booking Window: 6 months

6,401 ft
71°F
49°F

no signal
EquestrianHiking trailsHorseback riding
*First-come/First-served (FF) sites have no availability guarantee.
We
80°
54°
Th
69°
52°
Fr
70°
48°
Sa
70°
49°
Su
65°
45°
Mo
65°
47°
Tu
68°
47°

Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (39)

3.7 out of 5

5 star
28%
4 star
26%
3 star
36%
2 star
8%
1 star
3%
@LaunaSF4543FEA · Camped on Jul 13, 2025 at Campsite #14
Many great trails but most dont have water so make sure your stock is conditioned. Trails are very dusty so bring wild rags if there are more then 2 horses. My favorite was Peter Skene Ogden trail. We were lucky enough to have a shuttle trailer and were dropped off at Ogden group camp and rode back. Many great places for lunch next to the creek with pools to hang out in. Plenty of water and shade on this trail. Plus the bonus of riding to Paulina resort for ice cream!Riding to the hot springs on East lake is another great destination spot. I could have slept for hours in the hot springs. I loved Paulina Peak trail but no water so we had friends meet us at the peak with water and food for the horses. As for horse camp I was not impressed with the design. A few simple changes could make this camp effective and efficient. Check corals for safety and get creative on improving the gate system. Water is only close to the lower sites so camp 1,11, 12, 13 and 14 its tough to haul your water uphill if you cant transport your own. These sights are nice and big but also right next to the highway.The first night a horse in 13 got lose as the hardware used for the poorly designed corals pulled from the post as through bolts werent used. Being right next to the highway was nerve wracking until caught. Fortunately I had panels and a few of our group used these for gates.Most like to face North for afternoon shade and most LQ doors are on the passenger side. The camp design is poorly thought out so in many camps youll have to drive in against the one way road signs in order park your rig. With creativity and ingenuity you can easily adapt to the poor design of the actual horse camp and have an amazing experience.
@ValerieS299120 · Camped on Jul 13, 2025 at Campsite #12
Beautiful place, well cared for.
@AngelaP4535093 · Camped on Jul 9, 2025 at Campsite #12
Sites nice but some pull thru are basicly right of driveway. Some fight bigger rigs than others. Corrals vary in size. Camp are is clear. When we arrived Corral not clean. Make sure you bring something for a gate. Our sight the chains were not secure & missing snaps or hooks. There was no connections between bottom & top chain. Had water in daytime area & other side of loop. Manure bin in day use area. We will be back for more camping.
@MaryleeW968BEB · Camped on Jul 9, 2025 at Campsite #13
Horse corrals were very nice; riding the Obsidian Trail was amazing! The water cistern was filled frequently which was great. Next time I will choose a different site; 13 is really close to the main road.
@JackieB4266163 · Camped on Jul 3, 2025 at Campsite #12
We really enjoyed our stay here. The entire camp was beautiful, the bathroom was always clea, the horse amenities were great. The camp host was very friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back.
@PamelaF123617D · Camped on Jun 20, 2025 at Campsite #8
Camp was good, weather was bad.
@AnnettePB52808 · Camped on Jun 16, 2025 at Campsite #7
The horse camp is very nice, but the official website said that there is no human water but there IS water for horses. When we arrived, both tanks in the camp were bone dry. We had to spend several hours our first afternoon there trying to find someone who knew who to contact to get the tanks filled. There are so few actual USFS employees now that all are volunteers (we love volunteers, we volunteer as well) and contractors and no one seemed to know. Finally we were directed to the camp host at one of the non-horse campgrounds, a contractor, who was very apologetic and said she would contact the maintenance guy. True to her word, he was out to the horse camp the next morning to fill the tanks. All in all it caused us lost time when we could have been riding or relaxing in camp, but the volunteers and the camp host and the maintenance man were troopers in helping us get our problem resolved. But we had our reservations for over a month...the stock tanks should have been sanitized and filled before we got there. The only other issue was that there is still a LOT of blow down on the trails (we did clear some of it) and in some places, trails were still closed due to snow.
@MarianneH8D815 · Camped on Aug 8, 2024 at Campsite #7
All parties had a great time! Thank you to the park ranger for allowing us to park vehicles in our rented spaces where website size details were not correct! That might be an issue for other visitors in the future! Space 7 is way off!
@MarleneM5309B6 · Camped on Aug 1, 2024 at Campsite #8
Beautiful camp and excellent trails.
@JonD8720334 · Camped on Aug 2, 2023 at Campsite #10
Camp was well kept, but the corrals need to be refurbished. Time and destructive horses have not been kind to the wood rails.
@BonnieW4675121 · Camped on Jul 27, 2023 at Campsite #8
Always a good place for horse camping. We love it there.
@ElizaD9973560 · Camped on Aug 14, 2022 at Campsite #9
The riding was fantastic and included a stop at the lodge for tacos! We swam and floated in the lake after riding. I was in site nine and it was a little tricky backing into between the stamp and the fire pit but I made it with some help
@ManjaR5084409 · Camped on Aug 13, 2022 at Campsite #11
Clean and friendly staff made my stay enjoyable.
@KendraB3986404 · Camped on Aug 5, 2022 at Campsite #3
Great sites & trails
@BrianaT1381408 · Camped on Jul 20, 2022 at Campsite #13
So happy there was only horse people in camp this year. Please make sure it stays that way. As an avid horse camper I appreciate the sites being saved for horse people only.
@KristinL423063 · Camped on Jul 7, 2022 at Campsite #8
The Lost Lake lollipop trail was our favorite ride! A variety of breathtaking views and terrain - 12-13 miles. Treated ourselves to lunch/dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern at East Lake. Beautiful view, nice staff, and delicious food. While the horse camp is great do come prepared with twine or material to doctor up corrals if needed. And if you have a horse/pony on the shorter side (mine is 13.2h) come prepared to doctor up corrals so that your horse can't get under the corral gate chains or between the bottom and top pole of the corrals. Highly recommend coming here.
@KristaS5270174 · Camped on Aug 25, 2021 at Campsite #11
The trails were great but bring your dust mask, they were pretty dusty. We experienced a lot of smoke due to near by fires so be prepared to not have camp fires or a bbq. Cell phone service is spotty. I loved the lake and the hot springs were pretty low due to the time of year. I can't wait to check them out when they are full. The horse camp could use new corals but our horses weren't escape artists so it wasn't a problem but could be if you have a horse that likes to get out. The bathrooms were clean and the camp host Holly was very helpful. It looks like a great place to Kayak which you can rent at the lodge.
@KristaS790 · Camped on Aug 25, 2021 at Campsite #11
The trails were great but bring your dust mask, they were pretty dusty. We experienced a lot of smoke due to near by fires so be prepared to not have camp fires or a bbq. Cell phone service is spotty. I loved the lake and the hot springs were pretty low due to the time of year. I can't wait to check them out when they are full. The horse camp could use new corals but our horses weren't escape artists so it wasn't a problem but could be if you have a horse that likes to get out. The bathrooms were clean and the camp host Holly was very helpful. It looks like a great place to Kayak which you can rent at the lodge.
@ShelleyB655968 · Camped on Aug 12, 2021 at Campsite #9
Stock water was empty for 24 hrs. Trails open to horses were not signed well. Horses not allowed to access natural water source and no water in camp. Some one locked up their dog and left it to bark all day . The camp site was nice. Camp host and USFS ranger were nice.
@ShelleyB517 · Camped on Aug 12, 2021 at Campsite #9
Stock water was empty for 24 hrs. Trails open to horses were not signed well. Horses not allowed to access natural water source and no water in camp. Some one locked up their dog and left it to bark all day . The camp site was nice. Camp host and USFS ranger were nice.
@LindaC728 · Camped on Aug 8, 2021 at Campsite #10
We loved the campsites but we were very disappointed in the state of the corrals. We had a corral that was almost chewed through, another one was split but held up with hay twine. All the corrals in the park were in terrible condition.
@LindaC3432477 · Camped on Aug 8, 2021 at Campsite #10
We loved the campsites but we were very disappointed in the state of the corrals. We had a corral that was almost chewed through, another one was split but held up with hay twine. All the corrals in the park were in terrible condition.
@Deborrah774510 · Camped on Jul 9, 2021 at Campsite #11
It was another fantastic horse camping experience!!
Riding, swimming, and hiking, and amazing views that touch your soul!
Oregon is a fabulous state with great amenities!!
@DeborrahH476 · Camped on Jul 9, 2021 at Campsite #11
It was another fantastic horse camping experience!!
Riding, swimming, and hiking, and amazing views that touch your soul!
Oregon is a fabulous state with great amenities!!
@CindyW735 · Camped on Jul 2, 2021 at Campsite #14
The camp host was very helpful and courteous without being intrusive. The vault toilet is the best maintained one I’ve ever used. Clean, checked daily, just really great. I brought my own water for my horse, but other people mentioned to the camp host that the eater in the large tanks had algae growing in it. The next day, I noticed that the tank was freshly cleaned and refilled and had black tarp wrapped around it. (Prevention of sunlight minimizes algae growth.) I was very impressed that the other camper’s concerns were addressed so quickly and so satisfactorily. Just an outstandingly well maintained campground.

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