U.S. Forest Service · Malheur National Forest · Prairie City, OR

Slide Horse Camp

Just up the road from the campground is the Slide Connector Trail #386, this trail is a great starting point for horse riders heading into the wilderness. The campground sets amongst ponderosa pines and is one mile from Strawberry Campground and the Strawberry Basin Trailhead.

Open nowReservable · Recreation.gov3 sitesFrom $8 per nightElectric hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: electric hookups in Oregon · reservable in Oregon · pets allowed in Oregon

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Slide Horse Camp EntranceHorse Corralscampsitevault toilet
Photos courtesy of USDA Forest Service · Recreation.gov
4fires
active
Greenwood Rx (prescribed burn) · 8 mi away · 38 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups3
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

3 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePowerWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFires
1Back-in55GravelPartial30 ampNo / No– / 2Yes
2Back-in48GravelPartial30 ampNo / No8 / 2Yes
3Back-in48GravelPartialNoNo / No8 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsElectric
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
Fees$8/Night for single unit, $4/Night for extra vehicle

Each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring, horse corral, and parking for camp trailers and horse trailers. Accessible vault toilets are conveniently located in the middle of the campground.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestMalheur National Forest
Fees$8/Night for single unit, $4/Night for extra vehicle

Malheur National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Slide Horse Camp20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.09 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowFebruary: 0.60 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowMarch: 1.14 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowApril: 1.49 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowMay: 1.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 1.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.43 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.50 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.04 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowNovember: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowDecember: 1.14 inches of precipitation, 2.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.8°F averageFebruary: 33.7°F averageMarch: 38.9°F averageApril: 43.8°F averageMay: 51.8°F averageJune: 58.6°F averageJuly: 67.0°F averageAugust: 65.9°F averageSeptember: 57.9°F averageOctober: 46.7°F averageNovember: 36.6°F averageDecember: 29.9°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at John Day, 16 miles from the campground at 3,063 feet, station USC00354291 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 12 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 10 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

In the town of Prairie City, OR. turn onto South Main Street. Follow South Main Street to the junction with Bridge Street. Turn left onto Bridge Street. The second right, turn onto Bridge Street again, follow Bridge Street to city limits, the road then becomes County Road 60.

Nearest townPrairie City, Oregon
Coordinates44.3452° N, 118.6551° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Greenwood Rx

    8 mi from the campground · 38 acres

  • Prescribed
    Damon 2A Rx

    20 mi from the campground · 85 acres

  • Prescribed
    Jane 102 Rx

    23 mi from the campground · 3,000 acres

  • Wildfire
    Mccully

    38 mi from the campground · 13,604 acres · 91% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗22 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

  • Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
  • Slide Creek Campground
  • Strawberry Campground
  • Strawberry Basin Trail
  • Onion Creek Trail
  • Slide Basin Trail

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Slide Connector
    4.3 mi trail
  • 0.2 mi
    Slide Onion Connector
    0.9 mi trail
  • 0.9 mi
    Onion Creek ↗
    6.2 mi trail
  • 2.4 mi
    Tie In
    0.8 mi trail
  • 2.7 mi
    Slide Basin
    2.2 mi trail
  • 2.7 mi
    Shortcut
    0.1 mi trail

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Malheur National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Recreation

This campground offers convenient access to the Slide Connector Trail, a popular route for horseback riders heading into the wilderness. Strawberry Campground and Strawberry Basin Trail are nearby, giving hikers and sightseers easy entry into the scenic Strawberry Mountains.

Guidebooks for Oregon

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Slide Horse Camp?

Sites at Slide Horse Camp are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Slide Horse Camp?

$8/Night for single unit, $4/Night for extra vehicle

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Slide Horse Camp?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Slide Horse Camp open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Slide Horse Camp have?

3 sites, including 3 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Slide Horse Camp?

Slide Horse Camp is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Does Slide Horse Camp have hookups?

Yes, electric hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Slide Horse Camp?

Yes, pets are allowed at Slide Horse Camp. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Slide Horse Camp?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

What is there to do at Slide Horse Camp?

This campground offers convenient access to the Slide Connector Trail, a popular route for horseback riders heading into the wilderness. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Slide Horse Camp?

Prairie City, Oregon. Strawberry Mountain Wilderness

Source: Getting there

What if Slide Horse Camp is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Slide Creek Campground (0.2 mi, first-come), Strawberry Campground (2 mi), and Trout Farm Campground (5.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby