A Guide to Finding Places to Stay With Your Horse

I set out to travel America full-time with my horses, staying with family and friends, at campgrounds, and at horse motels along the way. While you may not be looking to travel full-time, knowing how to find layover spots for horses can be useful when transporting long distances or simply looking for your next weekend adventure. As I planned my trip, I quickly discovered a formula for finding these places. “How do I find a place to stay with my horses?” is one of the primary questions I get asked. In this article, I want to share how I find horse campgrounds, layovers, and stays.

Step #1: Search Equestrian Campgrounds Near Your Destination

The easiest place to start is by doing an internet search for “equestrian campgrounds near (your destination).” You can scroll through the results and research each option. I look through the entire campground website and read the reviews on Google to ensure it would be a good fit for my horses. There will be campgrounds in the search that aren’t equestrian, so you will need to verify each before going.

If you can’t tell if the campground allows horse camping, call them and ask. Some campgrounds may act as a parking lot for horse trailers so riders can access the trails, but they don’t provide horse accommodations. Others may only offer horse camping during certain seasons. The last thing you want to do is drive a few hours to realize you can’t actually camp there.

You will also want to review the accommodation options. While some places may provide layover stalls or paddocks for horses, they don’t have a place you can stay on the premises. You may be allowed to stay in your horse trailer or living quarters. Others may require you to rent a cabin to access the horse accommodations.

Step #2: Check State Parks, National Forests, and Public Land

Many state parks and national forests across America have equestrian camping facilities. If you want a weekend trail-riding getaway, call the state parks office or check their websites to see if the state parks near your destination have horse accommodations. Be careful with your research, as many state parks may have trails for horses, but they don’t allow horse camping. I know of someone who went to camp at a state park. They set up their camp, only for a ranger to come over and tell them they couldn’t camp with horses there; they could only trail ride. Don’t let this happen to you!

Beyond state and national parks and forests, you can boondock with horses on public land. While more difficult to find in the east, it is quite easy to locate BLM land out west. You’ll have to provide all your supplies for you and your horses, including containment. There is also a 14-day camping limit in most areas. This is the way to go if you want a rugged back-country experience. That said, be sure to check if there are any rules relating to containing your horses. I know some areas prohibit high-lining.

Camping on public land is one of the cheapest options for equestrian camping. Often, these campgrounds charge from free to $20/night. However, many national and state parks and forests only have seasonal horse camping available, especially if you’re in the northern part of the country. Some areas also allow hunting during the hunting season, and while you can still ride the trails at this time, you’ll want to make sure you have high-visibility clothing and stick strictly to marked trails.

Step #3: Look Through Horse Motel Websites

If you’re having difficulty finding places through an internet search, don’t give up yet! There are other places to look. if I’m not finding a campground in a particular area, I will check to see if there are horse motels instead. Horse motels are private farms that provide short-term boarding options. Many horse motels operate more like a campground, providing living quarter hook-ups. The benefit of a horse motel over a campground is that I feel more comfortable leaving my horse at the motel to go sightseeing or to do something else. I don’t always feel comfortable leaving my horse at a typical public campsite. Too many people have access to the area compared to a private farm horse motel.

The best website for finding a horse motel is HorseMotels.com. You can filter by state. I will then compare my route to the state map with motel markers to find one that will work. I booked a month-long winter stay in Florida by finding a horse motel on this website.

Step #4: Keyword Search on Airbnb

Another option if you cannot find a suitable internet search is to check Airbnb. In the filter, add a keyword for “equestrian,” “horse,” or “stall available.” I have found a few horse-stays on Airbnb with a small house for the humans and a stable pasture for the horses. While this is the most expensive option, it can provide a more intimate and secure feel.

Not all Airbnbs are suitable for your situation. For example, there is no possible way, and my 34′ gooseneck trailer could get into most equestrian Airbnbs. If you are traveling with a big trailer, this may not be your option. Another consistent theme is that Airbnb can only support one to two horses. I’ve seen one that provides two stalls with small turn-outs. I’ve seen another with about 1/10th of an acre fenced for horses. If you are traveling with a group or multiple horses, this may not be the best option for you.

Step #5: Ask in Horse-Travel Facebook Groups

When all else fails, I post in a few horse-travel Facebook groups to see if anyone knows of anything. Believe it or not, many people are traveling full-time with horses. These groups are a great place to find the best campgrounds and trails and ask any questions to get advice. The two main groups I recommend are Horse Campgrounds and Trails in the USA and Road Apple Gang (Full Timers & Our Horses/Mules).

If you want to follow my journey traveling the country with my horses, check out my YouTube channel, where I document the experience!

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