Horse Destinations: Part 2 Trail Riding

Whoooo!!!! Today I finally got to go on my first trail ride for spring! Unfortunately it was not even that warm so I had to wear a sweatshirt, jacket and even gloves. Our adventure took place on the Gateway Trail, which is in Stillwater, MN. The barn I board my horse while I am at school is pretty much on the trail and we can walk through the pasture to get there. It was a great time being able to hang out with my boyfriend and best friend who also have horses at the barn. I am not sure if my little mare has ever been on a trail ride before but it was definitely her first one with me! Those bikes can be a little spooky but all in all it was a successful ride.

This week is my second edition to my two part series on horse destinations. If you missed last week I talked about dude ranches across the country and this week I will be covering trail-riding locations that you can bring your own horses to. I will mention one in each of the five regions of the US so come along with me and enjoy the ride :)

Western US
Corncob Horse & RV Park
Spray, OR
http://www.corncobranch.com

At Corncob Horse and RV Park you can enjoy your time at a real working cattle ranch in North Central Oregon. You will ride through the rolling hills and even into the Umatilla National Park. During the hotter parts of the day there is a swimming pool to enjoy as well as a fishing pond, biking and hiking trails and they even invite you to join in on the ranch activities. There are individual campsites with enough room to park a trailer or small RV and two 12’ by 12’ pens are provided for the furry campers. There is one cabin available for use as well.

Southeast US
Grove River Ranch
Gillsville, GA
http://groveriverranch.com

Grove River Ranch is in northeast, Georgia about an hour from Atlanta. They offer cabins, a campground and bunkhouse lodging. You can bring your horse for the day or they can stay as a quest at the ranch for longer to enjoy the miles of trails at your disposal. There are even hiking trails and a stocked fishing pond so you can bring along your non-horsey friends as well.

Southwest US
Taos Horse Getaways
Tres Piedras, NM
http://www.taoshorsegetaways.com/location.htm

If you are looking for a place with a lot of history this is it! You will be riding in an area called Tres Piedras, which is 30 min south of the Colorado/New Mexio border. It is one of the last developed areas of the “wild west” and you can ride on trails where they are still finding ancient relics. The ranch is close to the Carson National Forest and the Cruces Basin Wilderness Area. They offer traditional adobe houses for lodging and each house comes with its own horse shed and paddock.

Midwest US
Panther Creek Campground and Horse Trails
Tuscumbia, MO
http://www.panthercreektrailrides.com

These 4,000 acres are not going to disappoint with the wooded trails, large meadows and rocky ravines. The ranch is 25 miles south east of the Lake of the Ozarks. Unique to Panther Creek is their driving instead of riding program where guests can cover 30 miles of trails by wagon. They offer camping with electric and water hookups and stalls for the horses.

Northeast US
Cook Forest Scenic Ride, Dude Ranch & Campground
Clarion, PA
http://www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com/theinformationexchange/trailridinglocations.html

Here there are 200 miles of scenic trails to cover that are abundant with wildlife in the northwestern area of Pennsylvania as well as the Allegheny National Forest. You can stay here with your horse and enjoy camping and trail riding along with the other activities at the ranch. Nearby you can find places to go tubing, fishing, and antique shopping. Cook Forest provides hospitality for your horses and cabins and campsites for you as well.

I hope you enjoyed and happy trails to you!

-Kerry

For more info:
http://www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com/theinformationexchange/trailridinglocations.html