Houston Mesa Horse Camp

Payson, AZ

Camping with your horse! Bring your horse and join us, or lease one from Super Gentle Horses! This is a 4 day camping trip where we do group potluck dinners and rides each day. On this trip you can ride as much as you would like and enjoy spending up to 4 days with your horse. On this trip you must bring your own camping gear and supplies. You should bring plenty of warm clothes and bedding, the average temperature in May is 75-80 degrees during the day, and 40 at night.

CAMPSITES - Each site includes 2 horse stalls, a fire pit, & picnic table. There are pit style rest room's and water spickets located around the campsites. This campsite is just within a few minutes of downtown Payson! Walmart is very close if you forget anything. Lot's of shopping, restaurants, feed store, and hotels nearby! CAMPSITE RESERVATIONS - Camp sites that can be reserved are in the Mule Deer Loop - sites 7 through 18, and 26 through 30. Reservations can be made by calling 1-877-444-6777 or via the Internet at http://www.recreation.gov Sites are $16 per night. Here is the link to the map of the campgrounds

LEASE HORSES - Limited but available on a first RSVP basis through me. Please PM Sherry to reserve your horse! Lease fee's are $150 for unlimited riding for the entire trip 4 days. If you need tack, it will be an additional $25. I will haul the horse, you are required to stable the horse in your campsite, feed and care for the horses over the length of the trip. Please plan to bring feed for your horse, you will need to bring 1 bag of Lakin Lite pellets, or 1 bale of Alfalfa hay PER horse. If you are short on room, you can purchase feed from the feed store in Payson. If you can not be there for the entire trip, you still have to have a campsite reserved for the entire stay so your horse has a place to stay. I will provide a water bucket, feed tub, and winter blanket for each lease horse. If you can haul your leased horse, the lease fee is only $35 per day.

MORE INFORMATION - http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/camping/Payson/HoustonMesaHorseCamp.pdf

SCHEDULE

Of course you are welcomed to ride and eat at your own leisure, or join our group on the following schedule:

THURSDAY

Be ready to ride at 3:30 pm. This will be a short 2 hour ride to get acquainted with the campgrounds and trails.

Thursday - Potluck dinner with a Mexican Food theme & Sherry's Green Chili Chicken! - 7:00 pm

FRIDAY -

Be ready to ride at 1:00 pm!

Friday Potluck dinner - Italian Food theme & Sherry's Rigatoni & meatballs! 7:00 pm

SATURDAY

10:00 am - We will haul out to ride from Granite Dells, which is only a few miles from the campsite. Pack a lunch and drinks.

BBQ Dinner, Potluck style 7:00 pm - everyone bring their own meat and a potluck side!

SUNDAY morning - A leisurely ride; to be determined. Go with a group or on your own ride :)

DRIVING DISTANCE

1 ½ hours; only 86 miles from my house in Gilbert!

DIRECTIONS - From the East Valley - Take Gilbert Rd North until it dead ends, Turn Right on AZ- 87 N/Beeline Hwy. Travel 70 miles, to Payson. Continue through Payson, this site is located two miles north of Payson at the junction of State Hwy. 87 and Houston Mesa Road (FR199). Turn east on Houston Mesa Rd. and travel ¼ mile. The Horse camp is located on the south side of the road. For those coming from East Mesa, Apache junction, Queen Creek area, take Bush Hwy past the Salt River & Saguaro Lake; continue to Beeline Hwy and follow above directions.

If you are planning on joining us on this trip, I HIGHLY SUGGEST that you join in on our thread at the http://www.horsehangout.com