HorseTrailDirectory.com
Trail Riders Helping Trail Riders

Reviews for St Croix State Forest - Tamerack Horse Camp
(click on name for more information)
Hinckley, MN

Overall TRAIL RATING with 7 votes:
Overall CAMP RATING with 7 votes:

Enter your Trail and/or Campground Review 

Individual Reviews

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

My son and i love to bring our new and young horses there for a challege. The wind storm from the summer of 2011 has really changed the trails. They have been working on clearing them and we were able to make the west loop.They also have put new bridges and fixed some of the bridges that needed work. The lower campground was usable. The upper camp ground was unbelievable. They have cleared the sites but the trees are all down.We were not able to make it up to the Pine Hill Lookout. Love the river crossings. They are working on the trails. One of our favorite places to go, hopefully the trails will get better. Have to see the damage to believe it.
Reviewed by: Barb on 5/17/2012 6:48:38 AM
Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 4/7/2012 Hometown: Sawyer, MN

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

This is our FAVORITE park to ride!! We love the steps and it's a great workout for the horse. Love the little bridges, river crossings and challenging terrain! The lower campground loop is where we like to stay..(getting there early is the key). Spring or fall great ride!!
Reviewed by: Rachel on 5/15/2012 9:41:55 AM
Experience: Expert Ride Date: 5/20/2011 Hometown: Waverly, MN

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

Didn't actually stay and ride. Well available to get water - brought generator to do so, but lacked the 120 v female generator plug to use the well. Campsites were tight (we have a 4 horse/LQ, approx 27' on the floor and felt that there were only a couple of sites that we could easily get the trailer backed into). Many of the sites looked very unlevel also. Disappointed that we were not able to stay and camp and ride - trails looked very different than St. Croix and wanted to cross the bridge into WI - maybe next time!
Reviewed by: Allison on 9/9/2010 1:50:13 PM
Experience: Expert Ride Date: 9/5/2010 Hometown: Leavenworth, KS

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

We love this place! We like a challenge and these trails offer that. The trails are at times narrow and steep with man made stair steps and narrow bridges for crossing creeks. There are several places to get to the Tamarack River and water your horse. We've yet to ride all of the trails but we hope to get back again. There was one thing though that should be considered: BUGS. We've come twice in early May and both times the black flies were already getting bothersome. The bugs keep me away later in the summer...also, the ticks were really bad. It was a ritual after riding to check your horse for ticks and then yourself. We had friends that said their horses got sick after being there because of the ticks. Not sure about the details. We would like to return in the Fall sometime. I can only imagine that the scenery would be spectacular!
Reviewed by: Kris on 7/2/2009 11:04:55 AM
Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 5/7/2008 Hometown: Lydia, MN

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

I loved this trail system. I was on a younger, moderately experienced trail horse and there were some bridges that were in bad shape that made getting around muddy areas a bit challenging. Also, with the wind storm, there were lots of down trees blocking the trail path, so a little "off-roading" was required. I would definitely recommend this trail system for a moderate to experienced rider, but not for beginners or green horses. Camping spaces are a tight squeeze. Bring your bug spray and a generator for the water pump!
Reviewed by: Katie B. on 3/23/2009 2:18:04 PM
Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 8/1/2008 Hometown: Delavan, MN

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

I really like the campsights and there is a variety to choose from if your lucky enough. I myself absolutely hated the "flower boxes", I did not find them challenging, I just hated them. The horses try to get into some kind of rythem going up or down them and it just did a number on our backs!!! I was also frustrated because before we started on trail we talked to a park ranger and he did not inform us that one side of the trail was pretty much un-ridable because of a storm that had come through and blew the trees down and they had not been cleared out. It was getting very late we could not turn around and go all the way back and around to the other side all we could do was navigate through this criss cross of limbs and scrub and tree trunks. Our horses thank-goodness are very seasoned as they were stepping through with one leg going in between criss crosses of branches and the back legs in separate criss cross of branches. Some logs we ended up jumping cuz there just was no where to go, I should say I DONT jump!!! So again there goes my back. The people that we came across on dirt bikes or four wheelers were very polite as soon as they seen riders, sometimes because of the trails they may not see you right away but you certainly hear them so be sensible when you hear them. I loved being able to cross the river back and forth, even the little bridges were fun. Although a couple of them I wondered if they were rotten and how much longer they would last??? I guess you have to experience the "window boxes" for youself to see if you would like it. There is alot going on to expose your horse too with river crossings, window boxes, small narrow little bridges, dirt bikes, four wheelers etc. I myself enjoy Zumbor Bottoms much more, I'm glad we have went there twice but I don't think we will go back
Reviewed by: Barb on 2/25/2009 6:10:25 PM
Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 9/12/2008 Hometown: Ramsey, MN

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

THE TAMARACK IS OUR (MY WIFE AND I)FAVORITE PLACE TO RIDE. WE HAVE BEEN RIDING THE TRAILS FOR OVER 20 YEARS. FOR THE MOST PART THERE IS A HIGH AND A LOW TRAIL ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TAMARACK RIVER. IF YOU STAY ON THE WEST SIDE YOU WILL END UP AT A NICE LUNCH SPOT ALONG THE ST.CROIX RIVER OR TAKE THE ROCK LAKE LOOP WHICH WILL TAKE YOU BACK TO CAMP. THE EAST SIDE GOES TO PINE POINT ANOTHER NICE SPOT FOR LUNCH.FROM PINE POINT YOU CAN RIDE TO DANBURY,WI. ABOUT A 1 1/2 HOUR RIDE THE BAR IN TOWN WEST OF TRAIL HAS TIE LINES AND WELCOMES HORSES. THERE ARE 3 CAMP LOOPS THE OLD LOOP IS CLOSER TO THE RIVER AND IS NEXT TO THE PARKING LOT FOR DAY RIDERS. THE UPPER 2 LOOPS HAVE 20 SITES EACH. ALL CAMP SITES HAVE TIE LINES PICNIC TABLE AND FIRE RING. THERE IS A WELL PUMP IN THE MIDLE LOOP WITH A GENERATOR PLUG IF YOU WANT TO FILL SOME TANKS. THE RIDING IS CHALLENGING AND VERY SCENIC THE 2 WEEKS AGO WE COULDN'T CROSS THE RIVER EXCEPT AT THE ATV BRIDGE WATER WAS TO HIGH. THE WATER HAS SINCE COME DOWN AND IS CROSSABLE. SITES COST 15 DOLLARS PER NIGHT AND YOU NEED A STATE TRAIL PASS.
Reviewed by: JIM STRUB on 5/14/2008 12:59:24 PM
Experience: Expert Ride Date: 5/9/2008 Hometown: SIREN, WI

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

Tamerack was quite a challenge !!!!!!!!!! We had no map and asked a fellow camper about the trails and she suggested that we take the river trail down one side of the river and back up the other. ( I wonder now if she had a good laugh as we left) Anyway we had a green broke mare with us but all are excellent riders, it definitely was a challenge, the "flower boxes" as we ended up calling them were the most challenging riding that I have ever done. I have since been told that we took the most challenging trail,and that we also ended up on one of the old trails that was nothing but large rocks and no way to go around them,we made it back alive(added a few gray hairs) oh yeah SNAKES!!!!!! would I go back again ? Probably but I would try to get a map or take someone with this time that knows the trails. not beginners trail
Reviewed by: windy acres stable on 10/7/2006 8:07:44 PM
Experience: Expert Ride Date: 9/29/2006 Hometown: Shafer, MN

Trail Rating: 
Camp Rating: 

Reviewed by: Arianna Wisnmer on 11/25/2005 4:28:00 PM
Experience: Beginner Ride Date: 11/25/2005 Hometown: Farmington, MN