Stub Stewart Horse Camp
|
Location: L.L. Stub Stewart State Park, Buxton, OR 97109
Facilities: Flush toilets with electric outlet, 2 rooms for individual hot showers, handicapped accessible Site Type: Back-in, amenities make up for 20 minutes of frustration backing into spot Most Exposed Sites: 5 and 7, By restroom, very little trees and shade, sunniest spots Best Sites: Double sites 9 and 10, they are farthest from the bathroom, Site 13 is the shadiest site closest to restroom and manure bin. Can I see my horse from my gooseneck? If you back in and can open the top half of the back of your horse trailer, yes. Water: Spigot within 50 feet of corrals, my 25 foot hose worked for site 13 Footing: Gravel footing in corrals, rocky, best to use boots or shoes Corrals: Wooden corrals with chain gate, able to hang tarp from supports Cell Signal: Yes! 2 bars with ATT Dogs: Very dog-friendly with fully fenced dog park at day-use area. Website: stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=75 Reservations: https://oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/ll-stub-stewart-memorial-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=OR&parkId=402294 |
|
Things You Must Bring:
Hose:
Bring a hose! The spigot at site 13 was just close enough to use my 25 foot hose to fill up buckets for the front corrals directly from the spigot. I recommend a 50 foot hose to be safe.
Extension Cord:
There are electric plug-ins!! A 50 foot extension cord was plenty for us. We had a fan during 90 degree weather!
Stall guards;
Stall guards with carabiners are great to use instead of the rickety chain corral gates.
Tarps/Bungee Cords:
Bring a tarp and bungee cords if you have a sunny site so you can provide shade over your corral.
Gaia:
Gaia map app! This is my favorite trail accessory. It is worth paying for the version so you can download maps to use when you are off-line!
Bikes!
Bring your bike! Ride down to the Banks-Verona trail, ride down-hill to the Buxton Trailhead and then call your friend for a car ride uphill back to camp. If you have an ebike bring it. Ebikes are allowed on the road to camp and on the Banks-Verona Trail. If you use all your battery riding up back to camp you can easily plug in and recharge your bike.
Dogs:
This is a great place for dogs! There is a fenced in dog-park a short walk from the horse-camp.
Hose:
Bring a hose! The spigot at site 13 was just close enough to use my 25 foot hose to fill up buckets for the front corrals directly from the spigot. I recommend a 50 foot hose to be safe.
Extension Cord:
There are electric plug-ins!! A 50 foot extension cord was plenty for us. We had a fan during 90 degree weather!
Stall guards;
Stall guards with carabiners are great to use instead of the rickety chain corral gates.
Tarps/Bungee Cords:
Bring a tarp and bungee cords if you have a sunny site so you can provide shade over your corral.
Gaia:
Gaia map app! This is my favorite trail accessory. It is worth paying for the version so you can download maps to use when you are off-line!
Bikes!
Bring your bike! Ride down to the Banks-Verona trail, ride down-hill to the Buxton Trailhead and then call your friend for a car ride uphill back to camp. If you have an ebike bring it. Ebikes are allowed on the road to camp and on the Banks-Verona Trail. If you use all your battery riding up back to camp you can easily plug in and recharge your bike.
Dogs:
This is a great place for dogs! There is a fenced in dog-park a short walk from the horse-camp.
Amenities
Water Spigot: With a water spigot close to the horse corrals it meant no hauling water!! This gave us more time for biking, walking the dogs and napping.
Electric box: There are electric plug ins that even tent campers can use! It contained regular outlets so no need for a conversion cord.
Showers/Flush Toilets: Hot showers were nice. Each room is only 1 individual shower with a small cement wall barrier shielding you from an open door. I did appreciate the metal shelf for shampoo in the shower. In the bathroom side there are 2 electric outlets and flush toilets.
Manure Stations: There were two manure dump stations on opposite sides of the park by campsite 13 and 1 with a wheelbarrow and rake provided!
Water Spigot: With a water spigot close to the horse corrals it meant no hauling water!! This gave us more time for biking, walking the dogs and napping.
Electric box: There are electric plug ins that even tent campers can use! It contained regular outlets so no need for a conversion cord.
Showers/Flush Toilets: Hot showers were nice. Each room is only 1 individual shower with a small cement wall barrier shielding you from an open door. I did appreciate the metal shelf for shampoo in the shower. In the bathroom side there are 2 electric outlets and flush toilets.
Manure Stations: There were two manure dump stations on opposite sides of the park by campsite 13 and 1 with a wheelbarrow and rake provided!
|
|
|
|
Horse Campsites Overview
Best Parts:
This is by far my favorite horse camp for glamping! It has electric plugins and hot showers in the horse camp! The water spigot was within 50 feet of the corrals so with a long hose there was no hauling water! It is very clean camp loop and has a tight loop so you can see all the other horses camping. In the evening we all walked our horses around the loop and it was fun to see all the horses and riders, kids and bike riders.
Camp Challenges:
1) It is hard to back a big rig into these sites. The loop itself is tight and I had to drive on top of the grass hill to back in straight. These spots could easily be redesigned to be pull-though. Here is a video of the big hills between the horse sites.
2) Site 9 was right next to the trail entrance so you would have lots of horses riding through your camp-site. There are other entrances to the trail behind the sites 11, 10, 9, 2 and 1.
3) Because the sites were back-in your horse is behind your trailer and you can't see them from your gooseneck unless you open up the top doors of your trailer.
4) I do not love the wooden corrals or the chain gates they really should be replaced with pipe fencing. I would bring extra stall guards to hang as a gate. I found a loose horse at 5am that ducked underneath the chain and was freely grazing.
5) I wish there was a pile of sand to use to fill in urine holes in the corral after and before our stay.
This is by far my favorite horse camp for glamping! It has electric plugins and hot showers in the horse camp! The water spigot was within 50 feet of the corrals so with a long hose there was no hauling water! It is very clean camp loop and has a tight loop so you can see all the other horses camping. In the evening we all walked our horses around the loop and it was fun to see all the horses and riders, kids and bike riders.
Camp Challenges:
1) It is hard to back a big rig into these sites. The loop itself is tight and I had to drive on top of the grass hill to back in straight. These spots could easily be redesigned to be pull-though. Here is a video of the big hills between the horse sites.
2) Site 9 was right next to the trail entrance so you would have lots of horses riding through your camp-site. There are other entrances to the trail behind the sites 11, 10, 9, 2 and 1.
3) Because the sites were back-in your horse is behind your trailer and you can't see them from your gooseneck unless you open up the top doors of your trailer.
4) I do not love the wooden corrals or the chain gates they really should be replaced with pipe fencing. I would bring extra stall guards to hang as a gate. I found a loose horse at 5am that ducked underneath the chain and was freely grazing.
5) I wish there was a pile of sand to use to fill in urine holes in the corral after and before our stay.
Campsite Details
Site 1 - Outer circle, close to the entrance to the trail, corral in shade, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 2 - Outer circle, corral in shade, large grassy area between trailer parking and corral, max vehicle length 50 feet
Site 3 - Outer circle, corral in shade, more narrow back-in, max vehicle length 68 feet
Site 4 - Outer circle, corral in shade, tough angle to back-in, horses can see horses in 3 and 2, max vehicle length 62 feet
Site 5 - Inner circle, close to site 7, good if you have a friend in 7, in sun and close to restroom, people walk through site 5 to get to restroom, better angle for backing in, max vehicle length 55 feet
Site 6 - Outer circle, corral in shade, 2 trucks can fit side by side, hard to back-in, have to drive over hill, horses in corral can see horses in site 8, good site to have a friend in site 8, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 7 - Inner circle, close to site 5, in sun, by restroom, narrow area to back in, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 8 - Outer circle, corral in shade, narrow parking to back in, good if you have a friend in site 6, max vehicle length 67 feet
Site 9 - Outer circle, corral in shade, wider backing area, room for 2 rigs, right next to trail entrance so other campers may walk through your site, double corrals, 4 corrals in a bunch and then another 2, max vehicle length 90 feet
Site 10 - Outer circle, double site, 4 corrals and then 2 more, wide grassy area, may be able to turn around gn trailer on grassy area, max vehicle length 81 feet
Site 11 - Outer circle, corral shaded, narrow, max vehicle length 72 feet
Site 12 - Outer circle, shaded corral, narrow, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 13 - Inner circle, hard angle for backing, shaded corral, close to restroom, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 14 - Narrow and shaded corral, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 15 - Shaded corral, narrow back-in, max vehicle length 78 feet
Site 2 - Outer circle, corral in shade, large grassy area between trailer parking and corral, max vehicle length 50 feet
Site 3 - Outer circle, corral in shade, more narrow back-in, max vehicle length 68 feet
Site 4 - Outer circle, corral in shade, tough angle to back-in, horses can see horses in 3 and 2, max vehicle length 62 feet
Site 5 - Inner circle, close to site 7, good if you have a friend in 7, in sun and close to restroom, people walk through site 5 to get to restroom, better angle for backing in, max vehicle length 55 feet
Site 6 - Outer circle, corral in shade, 2 trucks can fit side by side, hard to back-in, have to drive over hill, horses in corral can see horses in site 8, good site to have a friend in site 8, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 7 - Inner circle, close to site 5, in sun, by restroom, narrow area to back in, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 8 - Outer circle, corral in shade, narrow parking to back in, good if you have a friend in site 6, max vehicle length 67 feet
Site 9 - Outer circle, corral in shade, wider backing area, room for 2 rigs, right next to trail entrance so other campers may walk through your site, double corrals, 4 corrals in a bunch and then another 2, max vehicle length 90 feet
Site 10 - Outer circle, double site, 4 corrals and then 2 more, wide grassy area, may be able to turn around gn trailer on grassy area, max vehicle length 81 feet
Site 11 - Outer circle, corral shaded, narrow, max vehicle length 72 feet
Site 12 - Outer circle, shaded corral, narrow, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 13 - Inner circle, hard angle for backing, shaded corral, close to restroom, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 14 - Narrow and shaded corral, max vehicle length 64 feet
Site 15 - Shaded corral, narrow back-in, max vehicle length 78 feet
Campsite Pictures
Site 1
Site Video Link
Site Video Link
|
|
Site 3
Site Video Link
Site Video Link
Site 4
Site Video Link
Site Video Link
Site 5
Site Link Video
Site Link Video
Below Site 5 on left and 7 on right, exposed and sunny sites that are close together.
|
|
|
|
Site 7
Site Video Link
Site Video Link
Site 8
Below is site 9 a double site with a 4 horse corral and another 2 horse corral and room for 2 trailers. This site is right next to the trail entrance and riders have to go through the site to reach the trail. Some of the other campsites also have paths that join up with lasso loop but not all of them do so you may need to walk close to another groups campsite to get to the trail.
|
|
|
|
There are small hills to the left and right of Site 11's driveway which makes it more difficult to back into the spot.
Site 12
Site Video Link
Site Video Link
Site 13 - Close to manure bin and restroom. Shady site on inner circle.
Site Video Link
Site Video Link
The angle to back into Site 14 is not as bad. The grassy area between Site 14 and 15 is a smaller incline and can be driven over.
Site 15
Site Video Link
Site Video Link
Day Use Area
There was a huge parking lot and nice circular turn-around at the day-use area. The area had a vault toilet, a mounting ramp and hitching rail.
|
|
Dogs
There is a fenced dog-park at the human day-use area! This totally made our trip! We have a very hyper and not yet well trained lab mix that loved this park. We rode our bikes with our Walky-dog bike attachment holding our dogs down from the Hares Horse Camp area to the dog-park. We could run him with the bike down the main road and then let him play in a fenced dog-park. The fence was a 5 foot tall chicken-wire but it was sturdy with no holes. The entrance gate would get easily pushed open if you were not careful. There is a great bench in the park that over-looks the mountains and is a wonderful spot to watch the sunset.
|
|
|
Riding
You can download the official trail map here.
| stub_stewart_trail_map.pdf |
I found the official trail map hard to read due to the very small font and print and the variety of trails. Instead I snipped portions of the map and blew them up. To the right is another version of the trail map I found on a biker website. You can visit the full website: here. This version does not show the Peavey Bridleway Trail. This website is neat because for each different colored trail it shows the elevation change and the mileage and difficulty.
It is important to note that horses are not allowed on the Barberchair trail, the Bark Spud Trail, the Heartwood and Timber Beast Trails. We rode down the Boomscooter Trail to check out the Banks-Verona Trail. However, we could not return on the Bark Spud Trail since horses were not allowed. We had to back-track up a very steep Boomscooter Trail or take the Swing Donkey turn off. Below on the right is an even closer view of the top part of the map so you don't need to get your glasses out.
|
|
Reading Gaia Tracks and Elevation Profiles
It is good to be prepared that even the shorter loops can have some elevation changes. Below each trail title you can click on the GPS Link. This will open a Gaia track webpage with the route you can download and an elevation profile. The elevation profile map is amazing because you can put your mouse on the elevation map and see where that elevation is reflected in the trail map. In the Hares Canyon to Unfit Settlement loop below most of the ascent is in the Unfit Settlement section of the loop. You can see where my mouse was pointed in the elevation profile which is circled in red and the corresponding point on the gps track which is also circled in red.
Loop Options
There is something wonderful about riding loops. You are always going somewhere new and you never have to back-track. Stub Stewart is wonderful because there are so many loop options. Short loops and long loops and many options to turn around if you end up more tired than expected.
Short Loops < 6 miles
Peavey Bridleway to Hares CanyonGPS Link
Total Miles: 1 Total Time: 30 minutes Total Ascent: This is a really good first day tire out the dogs walk. It is also a good into ride for a new rider or horse. I rode the Peavey Hook Bridleway then took a left onto Hares Canyon. It was a mile total and took me 30 minutes walking the dogs. |
|
Longer Peavey Bridleway to Hares Canyon Trail
I rode another version of Peavey Bridleway to Hares Canyon with my husband biking. It was 1.78 miles and we ascended 153 feet and it took us 37 minutes at a fast walk ponying Bailey. The Hares Canyon Trail was rocky and hoof boots are recommended. We rode counter-clockwise. You can see the very mild 153 foot elevation change in the graph below.
|
|
Unfit Settlement Short Loop
|
GPS Track Link
Total Miles: 2.5 miles Total Time: 1 hr 18 minutes Total Ascent: 312 feet My last morning at camp I usually want to ride but I am exhausted. This short loop gave me the highlights of the Unfit Settlement loop with the lovely switchbacks but is close to camp and has options to turn back if you are tired. It is also a good first day late arrival ride to sneak in before dusk. |
|
|
|
Boomscooter Trail
I don't recommend doing the Boomscooter trail all the way down to the Banks-Verona Trail unless you want to gallop back up a pretty good hill on the way back to camp. It was 3.25 miles and we ascended 399 feet. It took us an hour and 15 minutes doing a fast walk with my old horse being ponied as our handicap.
We wanted to check out the Banks Verona trail and the Boomscooter seemed to be the fastest way to get there. My husband was riding his bike. The way down was fun but he worked pretty hard going up the steep hill. My original plan was to go back on the Bark Spud trail but when we reached it it had a sign that said no horses were allowed. Once we reached the Banks-Verona it was lovely but there wasn't a great way to get back to camp unless you walked down the bike path until you could reach Hares Canyon Trail. This would have made for a much longer ride. |
|
Unfit Settlement Boomerang Ride
|
GPS Track Link
Total Miles: 4.09 miles Total Time: 50 minutes Total Ascent: 535 feet Average Speed: 4.8 mph Max Speed: 12.9 mph at a long-trot 
This is my favorite section of trail behind the horse camp. The Unfit Settlement trail goes north up a beautiful switchback. The switchback is forested and has a view to the south as you climb and the singletrack is surrounded by wild raspberries!! Sam and I both ate as we climbed. This section of trail is bracketed in blue in the picture to the right. The viewpoint is not much of a view so we continued on.
|
|
We did this boomerang ride our last day in camp in 7/2023. Jon rode his mountain bike followed by the dogs then I was last with Sam. We reversed our galloping parade order going uphill. We galloped uphill and trotted and walked downhill. The best section of trail is after crossing the forest road.
My favorite part of the trail is the section in the green brackets in the picture above and to the right. This section is just hilly enough and just flat enough to have an amazing long-trot!. We loved this section so much that we turned around at the T to the day use area and retraced our steps backwards. We got to gallop up the hill to the viewpoint and walk down the switchbacks to return to camp.
My favorite part of the trail is the section in the green brackets in the picture above and to the right. This section is just hilly enough and just flat enough to have an amazing long-trot!. We loved this section so much that we turned around at the T to the day use area and retraced our steps backwards. We got to gallop up the hill to the viewpoint and walk down the switchbacks to return to camp.
Below: Just starting up the switchback on the Unfit Settlement Trail when going at a slower pace.
|
|
Below: After crossing the service road, my favorite part of the trail.
|
|
There are no horses allowed on the Skycar Viewpoint Trail. All the forks are typically clearly signed and if horses are not allowed there is a horse picture with a dash through it.
|
|
Unfit Settlement to Boomscooter to Bullbucker to Hares Canyon
This is one of my new favorite routes! Unfit Settlement is a lovely uphill through the forest via gentle switchbacks. Going down from the ridge I hit a lot of overhead branches, but Sam is 16.1 hands. You would be fine if you have a short horse or pony. I would wear a helmet and long sleeves to protect yourself.
I rode counter-clockwise if you would like to look more closely at the elevation profile below. If you would like to cut out the switchback climbing, continue left on Hares Canyon going counter clock-wise and shown as the green trail. This cuts out the uphill Unfit Settlement Trail. |
|
The Unfit Settlement Trail and the ascending switchback is one of my favorite parts of this trail! However, if your horse is out of shape you can make this route a little easier on both of you.
After going downhill and crossing the service road there is an absolute lovely stretch through the forest. We rode Skidder row to Boomscooter. Around the Boomscooter pond the bugs got pretty bad and Sam wanted to leave the area quickly.
Swing Donkey turned into Sidewinder Horseshoe and took us up behind the dog park. We crossed the road to take Bullbucker past some frisbee golf stations and connect with Hares Canyon.
After going downhill and crossing the service road there is an absolute lovely stretch through the forest. We rode Skidder row to Boomscooter. Around the Boomscooter pond the bugs got pretty bad and Sam wanted to leave the area quickly.
Swing Donkey turned into Sidewinder Horseshoe and took us up behind the dog park. We crossed the road to take Bullbucker past some frisbee golf stations and connect with Hares Canyon.
Hares Canyon to Widowmaker
This is now one of my favorite trails! I went back on a very rainy June weekend and brought hoof boots. Sam was super happy in his boots and walking along the gravel Hares Canyon Trail was perfect during a rainy downpour. We took Peavey Bridleway south to Hares Canyon which turned into Brooke Creek Trail. Before we reached the Brooke Creek parking lot, we took a right on Widowmaker to go uphill and North. Widowmaker, despite it's name was a pretty trail that was a moderate uphill. Widowmaker met Hares Canyon and we rode north around the horse camp to reach the horse day use area, then rode the road back to the horse camp. This would take a little longer for the average quarter-horse. We did stop for some grass along Brooke Creek Trail.
Hares Canyon to Jackstraw Tarry to Brooke Creek TrailGPS Track Link Track
Total Miles: 4.6 Total Time: 1 hr 30 minutes Ascent: 502 feet This is another version of the loop above. The first time I rode south on Hares Canyon I came to an unlabeled fork. This is very rare as the park is very well signed. I went right up a hill and went down a narrow single-track that met up with Hares Canyon. According to the map this trail is called the Jackstrawed Tarry. If you use my gps track you will know where you are. We rode Brooke Creek Trail to the parking lot then turned around. For anyone from Colorado like me and Sam, ascending only 500 feet seems so easy. For Colorado riders, check out Sam's adventures in the mountains here: https://equestriantrails.weebly.com/ |
|
Unfit Settlement to Boomscooter to Sidewinder Horseshoe to Hares Canyon
I love the Unfit Settlement trail! Jon walked the dogs with me and Sam on the Unfit Settlement section to pick up Skidder Row. He then walked the dogs back to camp and I continued onto Boomscooter to Sidewinder Horseshoe, around the dog park then hooked up with Hares Canyon.
I was wearing my hands-free voice activated walkie-talkie so I kept in contact with Jon as I long-trotted Sam around the dog park and up the Hares Canyon trail back to camp. |
|
Longer Loops > 6 miles
If you like to ride longer than 2 hours then consider the longer loops in this section. I would caution you that Stub Stewart is very hilly. Hares Canyon goes down from the horse camp which means it is a very good hill to get back up to the horse camp. I would always plan to ride less miles than the condition of my horse can handle.
Please really take this advice to heart. This means if you can ride 8 miles on the flat and do it once a week then you can probably do 5 miles at this camp. If you have never ridden your horse more than 2 miles at home, then don't try a longer trail when you are camping. You don't go camping to test your endurance or to keep up with your fitter friend's horse. Only do what you know you and your horse can do at home. If you are a weekend trail rider and mostly like to camp and eat and drink and socialize, then stick with the shorter easier trails and keep your trip rides, short, positive and fun.
When we camp we do the longest trail on the first day when Sam has more gas. As the trip continues I try to do shorter rides as he gets more tired being away from home. Sam does not lay down to sleep when we camp, so after 2-3 days of missing his deep sleep although he is mentally ready to climb a mountain, he physically needs to slow down and do shorter rides.
Please really take this advice to heart. This means if you can ride 8 miles on the flat and do it once a week then you can probably do 5 miles at this camp. If you have never ridden your horse more than 2 miles at home, then don't try a longer trail when you are camping. You don't go camping to test your endurance or to keep up with your fitter friend's horse. Only do what you know you and your horse can do at home. If you are a weekend trail rider and mostly like to camp and eat and drink and socialize, then stick with the shorter easier trails and keep your trip rides, short, positive and fun.
When we camp we do the longest trail on the first day when Sam has more gas. As the trip continues I try to do shorter rides as he gets more tired being away from home. Sam does not lay down to sleep when we camp, so after 2-3 days of missing his deep sleep although he is mentally ready to climb a mountain, he physically needs to slow down and do shorter rides.
Hares Canyon to Williams Creek Horseshoe
This was a lovely and longer ride. I was nervous about riding Sam on the bike path. We were camping the weekend of July 4th and I didn't want to worry about a lot of bike traffic. I should not have worried! There were not many bikers and the ones we saw were slow and courteous. The Williams Creek Horseshoe path did parallel the bike path for a < 0.6 mile stretch and I did walk on the bike path for the last 0.3 or so miles to reach the Hares Canyon Trail.
The Williams Creek Horseshoe Loop was fairly steep down switchbacks and is more fitted for the advanced or confident rider. In 2023 there is some talk of rerouting this trail to make it less steep. It was downhill going away from camp and then uphill going back to camp. This was a great trail for our first day of camping to help calm and tire out Sam. |
|
Below as Hares Canyon passes Brooke Creek it narrows into a lovely singletrack that serpentines down to the Banks Vernonia Trail. Once we reached the BV trail we only paralleled the bike trail for a short distance.
|
|
Below left, most of the Williams Creek Horseshoe Trail was overgrown and narrow with multiple bridges.
Below right, as we returned to camp we had to follow along the BV bike trail again for a short distance before picking up the Hares Canyon single track section on the right.
Below right, as we returned to camp we had to follow along the BV bike trail again for a short distance before picking up the Hares Canyon single track section on the right.
|
|
Hares Canyon to Bumping Knots
My most recent trip to Stub was in the summer of 2023. Sam and I are now a lot more fit and I wanted to do a longer loop. I love the safety and predictability of the Hares Canyon Trail downhill to the Banks Vernonia bike trail. I still managed to take some wrong turns.
I missed the turn for Widow Maker shown in green on the map to the right. I also missed the turn circled in purple and took Brooke Creek instead of continuing south on Hares Canyon. There is a trail fork at the purple circle but it is located 10 feet into the turn so it is not obvious and if you have a good trot going it is easy to miss. Instead we rode Brooke Creek past the campground and to the parking lot where I saw the turn off for Widow Maker to my right. I tried to go left onto Timber Beast to reach the BV trail but there was a clear "no horses" sign. The Timber Beast Trail does not allow horses and is in red on the map to the right. So, instead I back-tracked and had a nice gallop up a hill on the Brook Creek Trail and finally found the now southern to my right turn, circled in purple, with the hidden trail sign to go south to find the BV. Sam is not amused when he feels that I am lost so I try to be intentional in my lostness so he doesn't catch on. The Bumping Knots Loop was steep at parts but beautiful and would be slick in the rain. It is advanced because of the steepness. We rode the loop counter-clockwise and went downhill on long switchbacks. Riding back it was mostly flat with a long climb at the end. For some reason I decided to hike the east wing of the loop and remount at the loop T at a nice bench. I did a lot of the long uphill on foot and decided I much prefer riding. |
|
I met Jon and the dogs at the BV trail and we walked the Bumping Knots Loop together. He drove the dogs back to camp and I rode Sam back up on Hares Canyon on my own. This was our first trip with hands-free walkie talkies!! I was able to use a headset and keep in touch with Jon as I long trotted Sam up the trail back to camp.
Next time I would ride the loop clockwise to do the steeper switchbacks going uphill instead of downhill. We had a lovely long-trot at 14mph going back up Hares Canyon to camp. We decided to visit Stub during July of 2023. We had an amazing trip at Stub Stewart. I thought I would find the trails boring but instead we did longer loops at a faster pace and had a wonderful time!!
Next time I would ride the loop clockwise to do the steeper switchbacks going uphill instead of downhill. We had a lovely long-trot at 14mph going back up Hares Canyon to camp. We decided to visit Stub during July of 2023. We had an amazing trip at Stub Stewart. I thought I would find the trails boring but instead we did longer loops at a faster pace and had a wonderful time!!
Heading down the Hares Canyon singletrack to reach the BV trail. On the way back this was an incredible section to long-trot!
|
|
I am always pleasantly surprised by the lack of bike traffic on the BV trail. This part of the trail stressed me out in theory, but in reality it was just fine. We rode 0.66 miles of the BV trail to reach the Bumping Knots Loop. We always ride early, starting around 7am-10am to avoid peak traffic and bees. The bikers we saw slowed down or announced themselves and Sam is used to bikes and is used to Jon riding his bike as I ride Sam.
BV to Bumping Knots Trail Video Link
BV to Bumping Knots Trail Video Link
Below is the straight part of Bumping Knots before the loop forks. On the way back it is great for long-trotting.
|
|
The Bumping Knots Trail is steep with a rut in the middle. I did not find it hard but it is not a switch-back in the Colorado Rockies and I love switchbacks! The video below is not the steepest part of the trail but will show you that this trail could be difficult if wet.
Link to Video of Steep Part of Bumping Knots Trail Loop
Link to Video of Steep Part of Bumping Knots Trail Loop
Mountain Bikes
All of the trails allow mountain bikes except for Timber Beast which is hiker only. I have never had a problem with bikers here. They all are typically respectful and yield to horses. Sam is also very used to bikes. It is really great to have a mtb only area in the park. Most of the mtb riders stay in this area as the trails are more interesting. It is really fun for my husband to go ride his bike while I hang out with Sam.
The best way to get to the mtb area while avoiding horses is to ride down the main road from the horse camp and take a left on North Caddywhomper Way which is a mtb cross-country trail.
The best way to get to the mtb area while avoiding horses is to ride down the main road from the horse camp and take a left on North Caddywhomper Way which is a mtb cross-country trail.
The trails are marked as climbing trails or downhill trails and are labeled in terms of difficulty. You can go both directions on North Caddywhomper Way. Rise and Shine is a climbing trail that then takes you to different downhill routes labeled by difficulty. Shoofly continues downhill to meet up with the Banks Verona Trail.
|
|
|
|
Horse Camp to Mtb Area to BV Trail
|
GPS Track Link
Total Miles: 7.7 miles Time Taken: 1 hr 45 minutes Ascent: 801 feet Average Speed: 5.1 mph Max Speed: 19 mph Our last day our trip of 7/23 Jon rode over to the mtb area and I picked him up at the park welcome center when he finished riding. He wore his voice activated walkie talkie headset and I could keep contact with him during most of the ride. He got to ride mostly down-hill and I picked him up at the bottom of the park road at the welcome center. Jon rode down Peavy Bridleway instead of down the camp road and I warned him that he needed to come to a complete stop if he saw any horses.
Hooktender is one of the cross-country bike trails. I do not recommend riding it with a horse. There is a sign showing that bikers must yield to horses but I would not risk a head-on collision with a downhill biker on this narrow singletrack.
|
|
Below on the left the red cross on the map is the location of the entrance to the mtb only area.
Below right is a picture of this area. Horses are not allowed in this area.
Below right is a picture of this area. Horses are not allowed in this area.
|
|
Below is the junction of N. Caddywhomper and Crosstie. Clearly marked. Continue on N. Caddywhomper to get to the climbing Rise and Shine Trail.
Climb using Rise and Shine then face 3 options for your downhill ride: 1) Greenhorn (easy) 2) Rinse and Repeat (moderate) 3) Drip-Torch (advanced)
|
|
When you have climbed N. Caddywhomper and taken all the different downhill options continue riding Shoofly down to the Banks Vernonia trail.
|
|
Ebikes
This is one of the few Oregon state parks that has trails over 8 feet wide which make them legal for ebikes. The camp road is below in red. Hares Canyon and Brooke Creek Trail are in purple and the Banks Vernonia Trail is in green. Ebikes can be ridden on the camp road, the upper part of Hares Canyon, Brooke Creek Trail and the Banks Vernonia Trail. This makes for some fun downhill riding out if you can save some battery to get up the hill coming back to camp or get picked up at the bottom.
Banks Vernonia Trail
The Banks Vernonia Trail is a wonderful multiuse trail that makes family outings with horses, bikes and ebikes feasible. The best place to park a horse trailer is at the Buxton Trailhead. The map shows Tophill Trailhead as being an equestrian area but the parking area is very small and is too tight for trailers.
Buxton Trailhead to Stub Stewart Horse Camp
This would be a fun ride to try if you have a extra person who could drop you off at the Buxton Trailhead and drive your horse trailer to the horse camp. It would be all uphill so you would need a fit horse. About 0.8 miles would be on the BV trail so you would need to be prepared to meet bikers.
Another fun thing to do would be to ride your horse downhill to the Buxton Trailhead and then get a trailer ride home or back to camp. |
|
Rating
Wonderful place! There are so many more loop options. Sam was comfortable on all trails with hoof boots. I loved having options for other activities at this camp! It was perfect for biking with the dogs, and hanging out at the dog-park! We use walkie-dog attachments to hook the dog harnesses up to our bikes. This allows us to bike and run the dogs in a safe manner that gives everyone so much joy!
Jon Biking Sage with Booties Video Link
I love that kids ride their bikes around the horse camp loop. In the evening everyone bikes or walks with their horses around the camp loop. Several families had a partner or kids that would ride to the mountain bike area from the horse camp. It is so nice to have a horse camp where bikers and horseback riders can coexist!
Jon Biking Sage with Booties Video Link
I love that kids ride their bikes around the horse camp loop. In the evening everyone bikes or walks with their horses around the camp loop. Several families had a partner or kids that would ride to the mountain bike area from the horse camp. It is so nice to have a horse camp where bikers and horseback riders can coexist!
