Stewart Horse Camp
Point Reyes National Seashore, U.S. National Park Service State Highway #1, Marin County, California
by Robert H. Sydnor, AERC Trail Master September 2012 Introduction The Stewart Horse Camp is used by equestrians from April through September. It is favored because of cool marine air, excellent horse trails, varied terrain in dense forests and open marine beaches, and proximity to supplies at Olema. The historic Stewart Horse Camp is operated by the Stewart family as a concession within Point Reyes National Sea‐ shore, United States National Park Service. www.nps.gov/pore For reservations, telephone the Stewart Horse Camp at 415‐663‐1362. The cost is $17.50 per horse per day. Reservations are difficult to obtain on weekends in the sum‐ mertime, so book your trip well in advance for weekends. Many horsemen depart on a Thursday morning, and get into camp by Thursday evening, and stay through Mondays. This strategy helps to obtain an optimum campsite (open meadow or forested shade).
Some equestrians stay at local bed & breakfast inns in the Point Reyes area that accommodate horses. Each morn‐ ing, they use their own truck and trailer and drive along Highway #1 to the public trailhead at Five Brooks. Others that have no horses, but want to enjoy riding at Point Reyes use the Five Brooks Ranch Stables. Trail‐rides for groups with a wrangler are available for a rental fee basis. 415‐663‐1570 www.fivebrooks.com
Geologic Map of Stewart Horse Camp The key to understanding why the Point Reyes area has splendid terrain for horse trails is the regional geology. An extract of the geologic map is provided and it contains salient information about the San Andreas Fault and the bedrock formations.
Above: Forest shade and picnic tables for the Sydnor truck, trailer, and Ahzee in a portable corral. Bring 100‐foot garden hoses and Y‐valves for piped‐in water. Center: Trucks and trailers in the open meadow with high‐lines for horses. Below: the bath house and flush toilets. Bring shower sandals, lots of clean towels, and soap.
The horse trails within Point Reyes National Seashore are highly varied, and include steep forested single‐track trails, miles of ranch roads, and spectacular beaches. Shown below is beautiful Alamere Falls on Drakes Bay. My Registered Arabian horse had never seen a waterfall in his life, so he was pretty surprised. Ride with a jacket because of marine fog and wind, which can turn into a bright sunny day with highly varied temperatures. Always bring a horse‐blanket in the summertime, even though it is hot 100°F in the Sacramento Valley. During the night, it can suddenly be cold, foggy, or rainy for your horse. Obtain reliable trail maps from WildernessPress.com or purchase trail maps at the USNPS Visitor’s Center. Do not ride without a detailed trail map in your horn‐bag.
