Two New Horse Camps Approved in the Upper Entiat Valley

Published: September 22, 2009

by Sara Porterfield

The Entiat Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has approved the construction of two new horse camps in the Upper Entiat River Valley. Currently there are no designated horse camps in this valley. This project is supported by a collaboration between The Wilderness Society, the Washington Wilderness Coalition, Back Country Horsemen of Washington, Sierra Club, Washington Trails Association, and Conservation Northwest. Thanks to the great work of the Forest Service, horse advocates, and the support and partnership of these diverse groups, equestrians will now be able to enjoy full service campgrounds at key access points to the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

The horse camps will be located at the North Fork Trailhead and the Cottonwood Campground, northwest of the town of Entiat. Both sites will include parking space for trucks and trailers, hitching posts or highlines for stock animals, communal manure compost facilities, and a communal water trough. The North Fork camp will have five campsites with easy access to the North Fork Trailhead; the Cottonwood camp will have seven sites and connect with the Shetipo Creek Trail.

The Entiat Valley is a popular area for horseback riders, though at this time there are no designated campgrounds for stock use. Currently, equestrians must either camp at dispersed sites along the trail, face a long day of driving on both ends of a ride, or camp illegally at trailheads. The construction of these new camps will give backcountry equestrians convenient access to the Entiat trail system, and will concentrate and minimize the impact of horses and other pack animals, helping to insure the pristine beauty of the region.