Quinn Meadow Horse Camp

Quinn Meadow Horse Campground is situated along the Cascade Lakes Highway within Central Oregon's Cascade range. Quinn Creek Trail, which begins in the campground, follows Quinn Creek past the north end of Hosmer Lake and ties into the Metolius-Windigo Trail. With only a short shuttle between Sparks and Devils Lake, a longer, 11-mile loop can be made by connecting the Katsuk Pond Trail from Devils Lake Trailhead to Quinn Creek, and then on to Sparks Lake via the Metolius-Windigo Horse Trail. That trail is a long-distance route open to horseback riders, hikers and mountain bikers, and can be accessed from several trailheads. At over 100 miles in length, it begins near the Metolius River headwaters west of Sisters and runs south to Windigo Pass near Crescent Lake. It was created in the 1980s, primarily to serve long-distance horseback riders seeking an alternative to the Pacific Crest Trail. Because of its lower elevation, it is snow-free longer than trails at higher elevations, and it passes through a wide variety of scenic terrain and forest types. Sites are equipped with double or quadruple corrals and horse stalls, with ample room for parking vehicles and trailers at each site. A manure pit and watering hole are on site. Horses may be watered only at Sink Creek, and cleaning up manure, hay and trash is required prior to departure. The campground is equipped with a picnic shelter, tables, campfire rings, vault toilets and drinking water; electrical hookups are not available. Horse campgrounds have been designed to accommodate campers with horses — with a limited number of these kinds of facilities, please consider camping in one of the many other campgrounds nearby if you do not have a horse. Spring-fed Quinn Creek, which flows into Hosmer Lake, sits adjacent to the campground, and Quinn Meadow spreads south from the campground. The area provides habitat for mammals such as mule deer, coyotes and bears, and migratory birds and native fish also call the area home. Visitors enjoy traveling the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, a 66-mile drive through the Cascade Mountain Range that weaves through snow-capped peaks and alpine lakes, highlighting the beauty of central Oregon.