The Herman Creek Campground is a good if spartan resource for horse owners. Two corrals can accommodate several horses, and large campsites have enough room for trailers and quite a few tents. And the entire campground is a short walk from the Herman Creek Trailhead, which is open to horses and promises miles of access into the Columbia River Gorge.

It is only too bad that this campground isn’t bigger. At only seven sites, it really is a limited resource for horse lovers. Because reservations aren’t possible, horse owners would just be hoping for a vacancy as they stopped in with no good back-up option. Also, given the close proximity between the sites and the corrals, one would have to be a horse lover to enjoy the sites.

On the other hand, the campground feels roomy and quiet when the corrals are empty. It is well worth checking out if you are in the area looking for a base camp for exploring the gorge; under the right circumstances, you may end up with a large campsite in a quiet campground, which may be hard to find elsewhere.

Herman Creek Campground is open from May 1 through September 30.