Frenchman’s Bar & Vancouver Lake Regional Parks – Vancouver, Washington – Moquistang; one little mustang who does it all.

Frenchman’s Bar & Vancouver Lake Regional Parks – Vancouver, Washington

Feb 5, 2026

February 5, 2026

Trail fail – unconfirmed equestrian access – please read 2/8/26 update below.

This one was indeed- a trail FAIL. But I want to highlight even a failed explore, as there is value in publishing the lack of access that is not clear to the public.

Historically, Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park has been open to horses, and I have not heard otherwise. I have heard of people avoiding the paved section of trail due to the number of bikes and other users, and that most riders advice to avoid the beach due to too many instances of off-leash aggressive dogs. Overall, it’s been a very low use area for equestrians due to these issues.

My horse is savvy to just about anything we cross on the trail so we set out to explore and document this trail.

I have ridden here once before on the Vancouver Lake side – with no issues. We did not encounter signs that prohibited horses, and the ride was short, flat and pleasant. We parked in the same spot this time and headed out on the paved multi-user path towards Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park this time. Tide was in, so there wasn’t much beach to ride on but found a nice worn, dry user path past the main park area to get a canter in. Once we left the park we found a sign saying no horses.

According to the official map of horse trails in Clark County, horse access does continue into the park and south along the river. You can see the route on this section of the map:

Could we have just taken the wrong exit trail from the park? I’m unsure but on further research the current listing for this park is now stating horses are only allowed on the “trail between Vancouver Lake and Frenchman’s Bar Park“. This would be a rather pointless ride on sidewalks with no real destination.

My only guess is that equestrians were quietly pushed out of this location due to conflict with other users and the numerous off-leash dog incidents. Ride here on your own judgement, true access is questionable based off of the counties own information that is posted to the public.

2/8/26 Update – After posting the initial listing to site; social media users report that the actual location for horses is on the river bank SOUTH of the official Frenchman’s Bar Park. By county information this is NOT a legal place to ride but seems that it has been acceptable. I am including a map of the area color coded by allowed (green), unofficial access (yellow) and prohibited access (red).

This is a prime example of why the trail catalog exists. I went to this destination based off the information available online. I parked and rode to “Frenchmans Bar” park and low and behold that is incorrect. With the unofficial horse access actually being at the bend in the road at “Blurock Landing”. How would anyone know where to go? Well… now you know.

Trail Stats:

6 miles
Elevation Gain: 14 feet
Elevation Loss: 14 feet
Max Elevation: 36 feet
Difficulty: Easy (Trail), Moderate due to traffic and multi-use path.
↗ What does this mean?
Footing: Paved, sand/dirt.
Hoof Protection: Barefoot OK.

← Back to Trail Catalog
← Explore more trails in the Portland Metro area

Facilities: Small parking area for equestrians that is usually full or too small to turn around. Area for parking two small trailers on side of road just before the official parking.

Water Sources: Columbia River

Trail Info: From the parking area, cross the street. There is an opening in the barbed wire gate. Turn right onto this paved path (south) and ride until you cross the road again. From there continue onto the paved path. You will eventually come to the entrance of the park on the left side of trail.

Trail Challenges: Urban park happenings; bikes, strollers, multi-user trail. Road traffic – most were respectful but you may encounter fast motorcycles or large noisy trucks.

Permits: None.

Backcountry Sites: Not suitable for overnight use.

Cell Service: Yes, all carriers.

Fuel: Shell – 1910 W Fourth Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98660

GPX Files:
WHT: Vancouver Lake to Frenchman’s Bar
WHT: Vancouver Lake Trails

Maintained By: Clark County Parks & Recreation

Directions:
Unofficial Parking Spot: 45.670286, -122.743967
Official Equestrian Parking: 45.671648, -122.743926

Resources:

Map: