The 14 Best Mountain and Forest Trail Rides in the USA

1.West Maui Mountain Waterfall and Ocean Tour via Horseback

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 845 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $187Our pick

Ride with guides such as Kai, Sierra, Richard, or Cole through West Maui’s mountain trails and down to ocean viewpoints. You’ll be matched with a suitable horse, stop for photos, visit a small animal area, and may trot or canter if conditions allow. Beginners are welcome, but steep slopes require care.

“Nice experience and glad we opportunity to ride their wonderful horses. However, need to find a way so that its not so dusty as we were crazy dirty and dusty. Maybe should put stray/hay down since it’s so dry due to lack of rain or perhaps water the trail.”

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2.Monument Valley: Horseback Adventure Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 715 reviews · 30 minutes - 1 hour · from $74

Ride from the KOA Campground into Monument Valley with a Navajo guide and a horse matched to your ability. The 30-minute or one-hour outing passes Eagle Mesa, Sleeping Bear, Sitting Hen, Bear and Rabbit, with views of the Two Mittens. Guides such as Troy and Lewis are praised for patient instruction.

“What amazing time we had. I was a little nervous getting on the horse as I hadn’t been on a horse in 30 years. The guide was really helpful and rode to my ability. Xx”

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3.2 Hour Monument Valley Horseback Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 458 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $110

Ride for about two hours from a stable near The View Hotel with a Navajo guide and a small group of up to four. Choose a horse suited to your size and riding level, then follow desert tracks toward the Mittens, Merrick Butte, and Sentinel Mesa. Helmets, cowboy hats, photos, and safety gear are included.

“My partner has been talking about living his cowboy dreams of riding horses, but has never been on one- neither have I. I read about this experience and booked as a birthday surprise for him. No regrets! Although, I may have seemed like I didn’t enjoy it, because I was concentrating really hard to not fall off or piss off my horse(who was having a “little attitude”, which I thought was the cutest thing)- I had the best time. We are definitely going back SOOOON! Other than my horse having a little cute attitude, they were well behaved and knew the way back to starting point without Logan’s guidance. Thank…”

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4.Orderville: East Zion Park White Mountain Horseback Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 400 reviews · 1 hour · from $67Best value

Ride with guides such as Tim, Trev, Jacob, Carly, or Eli through East Zion’s red rock country. You’ll learn basic reining, follow a scenic trail, then walk into a slot canyon. The small group is limited to six, and beginners are welcome.

“It was great. Destin and Trav are very good with people and they sure know everything about the area and those horses. The horses are gorgeous and they obviously are well looked after they’re in great condition.”

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5.Bridger-Teton National Forest Horseback Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 337 reviews · 3 hours · from $250

Ride from historic Heart Six Ranch into Bridger-Teton National Forest with an English-speaking wrangler. Choose a 90-minute, 3-hour, or half-day outing, learn basic horse control, and follow scenic trails through forests, meadows, hills, and along a river. Guides such as Ava, Marley, Nick, and Camryn are praised for patient help.

“This was a fantastic trail ride. Our family of 4 (two adults, two older boys) has limited riding experience, but the staff and the excellent horses made it easy. The staff was super friendly and seemed to really enjoy meeting guests and making people feel confident and comfortable with the horses and the trail. We all got to learn about the personality quirks of the various horses, and even with several groups going out at once, we were quickly matched and hit the trail. The horses seem very healthy and well cared for, and even for novices, they were gentle and cooperative. The trail was absolutely beautiful - through hilly…”

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6.Small-Group East Zion White Mountain Horseback Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 272 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $70

You’ll ride a calm, trained horse from the Orderville stables toward Red Hollow Slot Canyon, then walk into the narrow canyon before returning on horseback. The one-hour trip suits beginners, with guides such as Tim, Carly, Jake, and Trev known for patient instruction and local facts.

“The horseback ride would be nice for beginners, but its honestly pretty boring. Not many great views. The slot canyon was much The same as the other slot canyons in the area.”

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7.Bryce Canyon: Horseback Ride in the Dixie National Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 260 reviews · 1h 30m · from $95

Ride a calm horse through Dixie National Forest to Bryce Canyon’s northern rim. Your English-speaking guide provides basic instruction, shares local stories, and leads all skill levels past bristlecone pines, Boat Mesa, Sinking Ship, and Bryce Amphitheater.

“It's was very well organized and the guide explained the ride well, my granddaughters enjoyed the rides and the horses were great.”

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8.Waipi’o on Horseback: Mountain Ocean Views Working Cattle Ranch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 252 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $160

Ride with guides such as Micah, Patricia, Nia, and Trisha through a working ranch near Honokaa. Expect gentle horses, fruit trees, fishponds, wild animals, Hawaiian history, and distant Hamakua ocean views. This is not a beach ride or a trip into Waipio Valley.

“Wonderful tour! Beautiful grounds, wonderful guides Nia and Micah. Lovely horses. My son and I had a blast.”

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9.Memphis Horseback Trail Ride Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 219 reviews · from $85

Ride for about an hour through Shelby Farms, a 4,500-acre park in Memphis. Shelby Farms Stables provides the horse, helmet, tack, and guide. Expect a calm pace, deer and other wildlife, and patient guides such as Crystal, Jess, Mary, and Hannah. Minimum age is 7, height is 50 inches, and riders must weigh under 240 pounds.

“We had a fantastic time! Our trail guides were very nice & very knowledgeable. We had a big group of riders- most were brand new to riding & as an experienced rider I can attest to the fact that they gave them great tips & instruction. Everything was well organized & planRead more”

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10.1 Hour Monument Valley Horseback Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 181 reviews · from $120

Ride for about an hour from Sacred Monument Tours into Monument Valley’s Mitten Buttes and Sentinel Mesa. Guides such as Logan, Dino, Dion, Ethan, and Nikko share local stories, help first-time riders, and take photos. Hats, helmets, and safety gear are provided.

“We did not expect to have THAT much fun - it was amazing. My husband has never really been on a horse before and he LOVED it. We took the 1hr tour and our guide Logan was great; he told us so much about the area and took many photos for us - amazing. 100% recommend!”

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11.Guided 90 Min Horseback Ride Catalina State Park Coronado Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 133 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Spend about 90 minutes on a slow, scenic horseback ride through Catalina State Park and Coronado National Forest. Guides such as Ari, Aspen, Lucy, and Ava match you with a suitable horse, explain the basics, and stop for photos beneath the Santa Catalina Mountains. Beginners age 8 and up are welcome.

“Ari was very knowledgeable with the horses and we felt comfortable under her lead. The horses were well trained and we were able to ride with little to no horse riding experience. Beautiful scenery and felt like the experience was well worth the price paid.”

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12.Guided Horseback Ride through Flame Azalea and Fern Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 70 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.)

Ride from Arrowmont Stables near Cullowhee through hardwood and white pine forest, fern beds, flame azaleas, and open meadow views toward the Blue Ridge Parkway. Joshua and other local guides provide safety training, match you with a horse, and lead the 75-minute ride. Beginners are welcome.

“Awesome day!! The safety video was very thorough and the guides matched us with great horses - we had an amazing ride and recommend this 100%!”

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13.Jackson Hole Horseback Riding in Bridger Teton National Forest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · from $140

Spend about two hours on horseback through Bridger-Teton National Forest, crossing near the Buffalo Fork River, aspen groves, alpine meadows, and mountain terrain. Guides such as Ava, Macy, McKenna, and Brenna help new riders feel at ease. Lunch at Turpin Meadow Ranch is a fine add-on.

“Brenna was an excellent guide! She made me feel comfortable and confident all along the ride (I used to be nervous riding horses). She was an awesome conversationalist and gave clear instructions; she knows the horses well. The ranch is beautiful at the end of a country road. We had lunch at their restaurant after the ride -- excellent food, service, wine and beer! It was a memorable day and one of the highlights of our trip to the Grand Teton area.”

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14.Austin: Maverick Horsemanship Trail Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 8 reviews · 3h 30m · from $180

Spend about two hours on horseback with Maverick Horseback Riding, guided by an English-speaking coach such as Annalise. Beginners get patient instruction and trotting practice, while experienced riders may trot or canter on scenic private trails. The ranch is 45 minutes to an hour south of Austin.

“The location is beautiful, the staff is very friendly and helpful. All the animals are in very good shape and are good taken care off. They know their animals well which is very reassuring, important fact when assigning a horse. Improvement would be the waiting time, which was way too long and partly not in the shade. Also their website is confusing, we initially thought we booked in Austin but we ended up one hour from there and got only a notice of the their address the day before (too late to cancel). The address on their website in Austin is where there offices are, no riding there. This results…”

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