Gerber Horse Camp, Oregon

It took some time this year, due to bad weather, and most importantly not having a horse to ride for awhile, but I finally managed to get out camping for a few days. My horse needed some time off because of an undiagnosed lameness, so I bought a little Mustang mare in the meantime, and this was her first time camping.

I went over to the Gerber Recreation Area, which is in Southern Oregon near Klamath Falls and has a huge reservoir, several people campgrounds, and a very nice horse camp.

Miller Creek.

I only heard about this BLM camp about 4 years ago, but it has been open since 2011 and clearly does not get a lot of use. There are limited designated trails, about 12 miles total, but it is surrounded by 100,000 acres of forest, so there are other riding opportunities.

The turn off for the horse camp.

Gerber has what they are calling 7 sites, although the first two are kind of like double sites but numbered differently, for example 1A and 1B.
The spots are large enough for big rigs, graveled and level, and they are back in, except for #5 which is a pull through.
The camp is designed well with each end of the loop having it's own bathroom, complete with hand sanitizer, access to water, a manure bin, and a hitching rail. Water is potable from spigots, and you can attach a hose to them. There is a recycling can, a mounting ramp, and a $2.00 fee for the day use area, where they provide a small water trough you can fill up. The camp is generally open May through October. Like most BLM campgrounds the corrals are steel and larger than normal, and the camping fee is low at only $7.00 a night.

The other campgrounds in the area are so far away you will not see anyone, and only people with stock are allowed in the horse camp, although it's hard to say whether they enforce that.
There is an RV dump station located at the entrance to the recreation area, you can use on your way in or out.

Gerber Horse Camp.

Spot #3 at Gerber Horse Camp.

When I got there, I found myself completely alone, which was not surprising, this happens a lot especially during the week, and so I pulled into spot #3. I got busy right away riding on the Gerber Potholes Trail which runs right through camp, and I headed south, where it meanders above another campground, and then along Miller Creek. On this section of trail I noticed a few ticks were out and about, trying to crawl onto myself and my horse. Once you get to a road that crosses the creek, the trail continues on the other side, but only for about half a mile, where it ends at a small roadside camp spot. From there I followed the main road for awhile and then finally turned around and got back onto the trail and continued on the loop that heads back to camp. I came across the Gerber Potholes, (it looks like a lake) then shortly after that I went through a gate and had to ride through a herd of cows. In one area I found a small island in a body of water, which I have now named Cow Island!

Riding along Miller Creek on the Gerber Potholes Trail. 

Miller Creek from where the road crosses over it.

Back on the loop trail...this area looks like a meadow but is full of water.

The Gerber Potholes.

Cow Island!

The camp hosts came by later on that evening and said hi, they also said I was the first horse person they had seen use the camp so far this year.

It was absolutely perfect weather, not hot and not cold, and after my ride I walked over and checked out the reservoir up close.

The Gerber Reservoir is very large.

The following day I went north. Since this area is grazing land, there are many fence lines, cattle guards and gates to go through. The trail went over a small stream and then crossed over a road and petered out fairly quickly at the Stan H Spring Campground. I was able to get another look at the reservoir from there and then I started following random dirt roads. The first one actually took me out into a huge area called Dry Prairie. I rode through it for awhile, and then did a little bushwhacking back towards camp. It is not the easiest area to bushwhack, as it is quite rocky country.

A rocky section of trail heading north.

A water crossing.

Signs with mileage are at most junctions.

Lupines.

Dry Prairie.

Dry Prairie.

Stopped for a snack at a small watering hole.

When I got back to camp I was somewhat surprised that all of my hay and water had mysteriously disappeared from the corral. It did not take long to figure out that cows had come through while I was gone. In fact they came back again later that night, hoping there was more food to steal. You don't realize how much noise cows actually make until it's after dark, and they are hollering at each other right outside your trailer. But luckily they did quiet down at bedtime.

After dinner I went for about a 3 mile walk over to the boat ramp by the south campground, and checked out the information and history about the reservoir.

Cows wondering where the convenient edibles went.

Info at the boat ramp about the Gerber Reservoir.

Unfortunately after two amazing weather days, it got a little chillier on the third day, but I saddled up and headed west, again just following red dirt roads. The first one did not get me very far, I was hoping to arrive at Goodlow Mt. but the gate by the cattle guard had not been used in years, and would have taken superhuman strength to open.

I got rained on for awhile as I headed back over towards the reservoir. I was pleased to find a 4x4 road that followed alongside it for a little while, which was nice since so far I had just found roads that ended right at the water, but did not continue. There were big white pelicans swimming around, and more cows.... if you need somewhere to desensitize your horse to cows, this is the right place.

Heading west towards Goodlow Mt.

Found a road that followed along the reservoir.

A pelican on the reservoir.

The weather cleared up later on and I did my third evening walk, since there is nothing much else to do when you camp alone! There is cell service in the camp, so I chatted with a friend as well. She was also horse camping at the time so we joked that we were camping together...separately.

My last evening walk along the reservoir.

The next day was a pack up and head home day. I was happy to have finally gotten a trip under my belt, and wished it could have been longer, but I didn't want to completely tire out my new horse. 

The camp was great and hopefully more people check it out!

GPS COORDINATES TO GERBER