We are set to go on our first Trail Ride of the season!! Ponderosa Campground is ready for PTSC on Friday-Saturday-Sunday June 5-6-7. They will have the Primitive Campsite ready (mowed) for us - subject to the weather. It is "a little soft right now", according to owner Debbie, but should be OK in two weeks. The sites are "free-form camping" and are first-come, first-serve. It is shaded, very near the creek, and set up for picket-lines for your horses. We plan a Potluck Supper Saturday night after riding - approximately 6:00P.M. We need a rough count of those planning to attend to make this come out all right. Please confirm your plans direct to Hugh by e-mail ( hugh@casstel.net ) or cell phone (816-868-9256). Hugh is shamelessly soliciting your ideas and assistance for other activities you may prefer - Games or Poker Run or ??? He fails miserably as a Social Director!Please let us hear from you -
The below information was found on a Trail Riding site.
One of our favorite places to camp and trail ride is at a Lonesome D in Arkansas. www.lonesomed.com. This horse camp is located east of Fort Smith, AR, near the small town of New Blaine, AR, 20 miles south of I-40. It currently has over 30 sites, all with water and electricity hookups. They do not provide meals at this camp, but there are some restaurants that are not too far. They have outside stalls for your horses. They have modern bath/toilet facilities and easy access to over 75 miles of horse trails that wind through the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. Most trails are well groomed and are comprised of old logging roads and cut trails that wind through some of the most scenic country that the mid-west has to offer. There are several overlooks on these trails with views of the Ouachita Mountains, Big Shoal Creek and rocky bluffs. You could ride these trails for a full week and ride a different trail every day. Traveling from east or west, exit I-40 at Clarksville, onto HWY 164 west. Then take State Hwy 109 south about 13 miles to State Hwy 22. Turn left and travel about 2.5 miles. Lonesome D Camp sign is on the right at Cravens Road. Campground approx. 2 miles on Craven Road. Well worth the visit! We have found that there are a lot of flies in camp, so be sure to take a good fly swatter and lots of fly spray. Once you are out on the trails, the flies are not a problem.
We have ridden a couple of times at Cedar Lake in Oklahoma. It has a great campground and a lot of good trails. I also copied the following from www.horseandmuletrails.com .
Cedar Lake Campground, Ouachita National Forest
Heavener: 70 miles of trail, over 50 campsites, water, electricity, and showers. It has beautiful scenery, up to 9 different trails in various lengths and difficulty. The campground itself is like a “Holiday Inn” for horse campers. Very nice bathhouse, sites are level, very, very nice. I would recommend this place to anyone. The link to the Ouachita National Forest Web Page Ouachita National Forest . Phone 918-653-2991 or 1-877-444-6777
Horse Heaven Ranch Resort
Another place to we have trail rode and camped in Oklahoma was as Horse Heaven Ranch Resort, which is near Talihina, OK. It is privately owned and has very nice camping facilities. There are even some nice cabins for rent here if you do not have your own camping gear. There are several miles of trails that wind through the Ouachita Mountains in SE Oklahoma. http://www.horseheavenranchresort.com/
