LBHA Trails Report August 2009 Newsletter

Dru Barner Equestrian Campground Georgetown, El Dorado County

by Robert H. Sydnor, M-AERC, LBHA Trails Committee  

Forseveraldecades,themembersoftheLoomisBasinHorsemen'sAssociationhaveenjoyedcampingwithourhorsesattheDrucillaBarnerEquestrianCampground,locatedseveralmileseastofGeorgetowninElDoradoCounty.

TheequestriancampwasconstructedbyjointeffortsoftheElDoradoEquestrianTrailsFoundation,theRobieFoundation,andtheU.S.ForestService.Fordetailedinformation,telephonetheGeorgetownRangerDistrictat530‐333‐4312.

ForDruBarnerEquestrianCamp,theU.S.ForestServicewebsiteis:http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/documents/rogs/rog_gtn_drubarner.pdf 

Drivingdirections:FromCool,takeHighway193toGeorgetown,thencontinueonWentworthSpringsRoadforabout6miles.Lookforthesign(shownaboveright)fortheBottlehillBypass.ThereisagoodmapontheUSFSwebsite.

Description:WithinDruBarnerEquestrianCampgroundare47campingsitesinabeautifulforestofsecond‐growthpine,cedarandfirtrees.Thereisa$8.00feeovernightfee,anda$3.00day‐usefee;payincashcurrencyatthegreenverticalpipe‐vaultattheentrancestation.Therearenoreservations,exceptthatonMemorialDayholidayweekendandthefirstweekendofJuly,theentirecampisbookedbyequestrianorganizations(EDETFandAERC).Fifteencampsiteshavealongspurlengthof±80to100feet.Thereisagroupkitchenareaonthesouthsidewithgrillsandpicnictables.Therearenoshowers,notrailerhook‐ups,nocell‐phonecoverage,andthereisnosewagedumpstation.Therearefourwaterfaucets,buttheseareforhorse‐wateronly,andnotforhumanconsumption.Bringyourownwaterfordrinkingandcooking.Thecampgroundhasthreevaulttoilets.Onabusyholidayweekend,bringanextrarolloftoiletpaperincasesuppliesrunout.Dogsareallowed,butmustbeleashedatalltimes.Thecampisabout3,200feetelevation,soitisoftenmuchcoolerthatthelowlandareas(suchasLoomisBasin)andthismakesitanattractivedestinationtoescapetheheatofsummer.Theaccessroadsarenotplowed‐outinthewintertime.

EquestrianEvents:OnMemorialDay,arideisorganizedbyElDoradoEquestrianTrailsFoundation.OnthefirstfullweekendofJuly,theAmericanEnduranceRideConferencehasa50‐mileendurancerideanda30‐milelimiteddistanceride,TheGoldCountryClassic.

EquestrianTrails:WhenyoupassthroughGeorgetownandBuckeye,stopattheU.S.ForestServiceDistrictRangerStationandpurchaseamapofElDoradoNationalForest.ThenumberedtrailsareshownontheUSFSmapandyouwillneedthesenumberstoascertainyourlocationwhileriding.DruBarnerCamphasbothloggingroadsandsingletracktrails.OnBottlehillRoad,thereisfive‐mileloopalongtheridgecrestusingloggingroads.Itisasplendidride,butthereisnowaterforyourhorseonthecrestoftheridge.Ifyoudescendoffthecrestoftheridge,theterraindowntoOtterCreek(onthenorthside)isquitesteep.OtherhorsetrailsheadsoutheastwardtoDarlingRidge,GrayEagle,andBalderstonStation.Thesetrailsoftencrosssmallcreeks,andyourhorsecandrinkatthese.