Campsite Sniper
Oregon · Recreation.gov

Chief Paulina Horse Camp

43.7036° N / 121.2553° W · Data Sep 18 2026, checked hourly
Next open date Sep 21Next open weekend Sep 2514 monitored sites

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Every site at Chief Paulina Horse Camp, colored by availability across the tracked window. Tap a site for its calendar.
Chief Paulina Horse Camp

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Opening record
No detected openings in the last 90 days

No detected openings were recorded in the last 90 days. Campsite Sniper monitors Chief Paulina Horse Camp continuously and will alert you if that changes.

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01 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026 · of 14 monitored sites

Of the 126 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026): 70 open for online reservation · 2 reserved · 36 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative) · 18 closed.

Where the open windows are

44.4% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 70 of 126 remain open; here is where they are.

Load status

Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026
Not open online44.4%
Open site-nights70 / 126
Reserved (of online inventory)2 / 72
Weekday openings48
Weekend openings22

Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 48 fall on weekdays and 22 on weekends (Fri–Sun).

Open dates by month

Sep 2026 – Sep 2026
0408012016070SEPSOLID = OPEN SITE-NIGHTS · DASHED OUTLINE = TOTAL BOOKABLE

September holds the most room. 70 of 126 site-nights are still open there.

Holiday windows

Sites open per night · of 14 sites
WindowNightSites openStatus
Labor DaySAT Sep 50None open
SUN Sep 60None open
MON Sep 70None open

Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.

Best-availability sites

Most open site-nights · tracked window
SiteOpen site-nights
002  6
004  6
005  6
006  6
007  6

The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.

Next windows

As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshot
Next open dateMon · Sep 21
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25

The next bookable night is Sep 21; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.

Stays and site detail

70 open site-nights across 12 sites at Chief Paulina Horse Camp, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.

Multi-night stays. 12 2-night, 12 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 21 at site 002.

RV length. Longest recorded site here is 50 ft. 14 sites take 25 ft, 13 sites take 35 ft, 11 sites take 40 ft.

All 12 sites with current availability
SiteMax RVHookupsOpen site-nightsLongest runDates
00240 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
00440 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
00536 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
00650 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
00740 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
00850 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
00935 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
01140 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
01240 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
01350 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
01445 ftNone66 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26
01045 ftNone44 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24

About Chief Paulina Horse Camp

Overview

Chief Paulina Horse Camp is the only horse campground located in Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Deschutes National Forest. A favorite for horse enthusiasts, the campground provides visitors with access to lakes, lava flows and spectacular geologic features.

For more information about the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=66159

Recreation

Visitors on horseback can explore the area on a variety of trails, with several trailheads located at the campground. Lakes, lava flows and forested areas provide a beautiful scenic backdrop for a variety of rides.

The Crater Rim Trail, considered one of the premiere high country trails in the area, boasts vast stretches of forest, desert and mountain views, with many access points and connector trails for convenient and customized rides.

For visitors who enjoy hiking, the Peter Skene Ogden National Scenic Trail parallels Paulina Creek as it ascends 8.5 miles to the spectacular Paulina Lake.

Lost Lake Trail traverses drier landscapes and heads up from the lakes into a more arid part of the Newberry Caldera. This trail affords some excellent views of The Big Obsidian Flow as well as pumice flats and other features of Newberry Volcanic National Monument. The start of the trail is near Big Obsidian Flow.

Facilities

All sites are reservable at this campground. There are basic amenities for horse camping, including large equestrian sites with double or quadruple corrals and ample room for parking vehicles and trailers. Roads in the campground are unpaved as are the parking spurs. The campground parking was reconstructed in the fall of 2018 to allow for larger vehicle trailer combinations and some sites were modified to accomodate pull thru parking. While there is a water tank for the live stock, no potable drinking water is available. Restaurants and basic supplies are available at nearby resorts. Monument information is available at the nearby Paulina Visitor Center.

Natural Features

Visitors can catch a glimpse of the area's unique geological features by exploring nearby Paulina Lake, located within the collapsed caldera of Newberry Volcano. The lake covers a surface area of 1,531 acres and reaches depths of up to 250 ft., but neither Paulina Lake or its twin, East Lake, receives water from an inlet stream. Instead, each lake relies on relies on rain, snowmelt and hot springs for water. Paulina Creek drains the lake and has chiseled a narrow gorge through the caldera's west wall creating a remarkable twin waterfall. Thermal vents and hot springs along the lake's northeast edge help create a highly productive ecosystem. Wetlands, diverse forests, and rocky slopes near the campground provide a necessary habitat for shorebirds, racoons, deer, bats, and the occasional black bear. In September, the outlet of Paulina Lake may be choked with Kokanee salmon moving to spawn in Paulina Creek.

Nearby Attractions

Lava Lands Visitor Center in nearby Bend, Oregon, is a great starting point for visitors to learn about the diverse landscape and history of the area through interpretive programs and exhibits.

Visitors can explore the Lava River Cave, also located in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. At 5,211 feet (1,588 m) in length, the northwest section of the cave is the longest continuous lava tube in Oregon.

14 monitored sitesRVs up to 50 ftNo hookups14 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 12

Getting there

From Bend go south 23.5 miles on Hwy 97, then 13.9 miles east on County Rd 21(Paulina Lake Road) From La Pine go north 5 miles on Hwy 97, then 13.9 miles east on County Rd. 21 (Paulina Lake Road)

541-383-5300
HikingHorse CampingHorseback Riding

View on Recreation.gov ↗   Get directions ↗

FAQ

How do I get a reservation at Chief Paulina Horse Camp?

Reservations for Chief Paulina Horse Camp are made through Recreation.gov. 70 of 126 tracked site-nights are currently open (55.6%). Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.

Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?

No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.

How current is this availability data?

Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 17:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.

Can I get a multi-night stay at Chief Paulina Horse Camp?

12 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 21 at site 002. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.

Which sites at Chief Paulina Horse Camp fit a 35-foot RV?

13 of the 14 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 50 ft.

Which month has the most availability at Chief Paulina Horse Camp?

September 2026, with 70 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 126.

When is the next open date at Chief Paulina Horse Camp?

As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Mon, Sep 21 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 25. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.

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