Timber Creek Equestrian Campground

This spectacular part of eastern Nevada features high peaks, windswept ridges, limestone cliffs, and big stands of aspen and pine. Ride the rugged trails of the Schell Creek Range from the secluded Timber Creek Equestrian Campground.

The Forest Service re-opened this campground in spring 2024 after a massive renovation project. It’s probably one of the best engineered horse camps we’ve seen in Nevada! The facility is well built and the riding is memorable. Timber Creek Equestrian Campground is located just 25 miles from Ely making it an easy escape into the mountains.

Campground

The campground has seven pull in/back out sites. Each one has a large sandy tent pad square, a picnic table, fire ring, BBQ pedestal, and hitching post. There are two very large corrals for horses built with hefty steel pipes. Right outside the corrals is a water spigot with potable water. Other potable water spigots can be found near the campsites, along with a vault toilet and horseshoe pits.

I’m told that perhaps in 2025 the equestrian sites could be on recreation.gov but for now they are first come, first serve. The fee is $10 per site and there is a fee station at the campground. Weed free hay is required. Cell service in the canyon is spotty at best. Given that the campground sits at 8,200+ feet of elevation, it is open from late May to October, as weather allows.

The campground is tightly laid out and will not accommodate very large rigs. Also, there is limited space to set up your own pens – if the two provided corrals were not enough.

Trails

Designated trails are limited from Timber Creek Equestrian Campground. The stand out ride is to continue about 1.5 miles up the canyon, past the non-equestrian campground. (Alternatively, you could haul your horse up.) The road ends at the High Schell Wilderness boundary and a trailhead. Here you can pick up either the North Fork or the South Fork Timber Creek Trail.

Both are lovely single track trails that climb up and along the base of North Schell Peak. The routes follow creeks through beautiful aspen groves and tall pine trees with sweeping views of the mountains and the valley below. Both trails are short (1.5 – 2 miles each, one way) but have a lot of elevation making them a bit of a workout up and down. South Fork is the easier of the two at only 1,100 feet of elevation gain.

You can expect some small water crossings. The trails are rough and in some places can be hard to follow due to thick grass and overgrowth. The whole area is mildly rocky so boots and shoes are recommended.

Alternatively, from the horse camp you can also ride down the canyon. There are lots of cow trails to pick up or you can just ride cross country. Depending on the time of year, there may be cows turned out in the open range just south of camp. There are cowboy gates along the campground fence line. Be sure to leave the gates as you find them. You can also pick up the Ranger Trail about 2 miles south of the camp.