Our rides go out at specific timeslots every day, and we do have a limited number of horses. Sometimes these rides fill up, and if you do not book in advance, we may not have enough horses available.
Make plans now to meet some new friends, breathe some clean fresh air, and enjoy some spectacular scenery! If taking a short ride, you will be riding on scenic horse trails within the boundaries of the beautiful Canaan Valley Resort State Park, home to an abundance of wildlife, including white-tailed deer and black bear living in their natural habitat. There are frequent wildlife sightings and photo opportunities along the trail as you ride through wooded forests and mountain meadows to vantage points near Bald Knob . These trails are used only for riding horses and provide spectacular views of Canaan Valley – the highest valley east of the Mississippi River. An experienced trail guide will lead your journey and answer any questions you may have along the way. Longer rides explore more of the Canaan Valley area.
While visiting Canaan Valley during your vacation, honeymoon or weekend getaway, you will want to pack a lot of fun into your stay. Mountain Trail Rides is here to see that you enjoy your visit and have a wonderful horseback riding experience while having loads of fun! Our guides all have in-depth knowledge of the area and can help you make the most of your entire vacation even beyond Mountain Trail Rides. We take pride in our reputation for making people feel comfortable and at ease and for having great horses. We specialize in beginners and family groups and provide pre-ride instruction regarding horse behavior and safety rules to all riders.
No matter what your riding ability, and even if you’ve never ridden a horse before, you’ll find that the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxed and the scenery is breathtaking!
Our guests come from all over the world. We are fortunate to have such wonderful people to visit us! Many guests return year after year and know our guides and horses by name. (MEET OUR HORSES AND GUIDES)
Our equipment and tack are well maintained and fitted to the individual horses. We use western tack and saddles. All equipment is inspected on a daily basis and repaired or replaced as necessary. We also have mounting blocks for your convenience and safety.
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NOBODY is permitted on Mountain Trail Rides property after hours. We understand our beautiful horses are an attraction. Please understand that breaching gates, entering buildings(such as the gift shop barn or petting zoo), or crossing fence lines into pastures IS TRESPASSING and will be treated as such.
For your safety and the safety of our animals, guests are only permitted on the property Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, unless otherwise scheduled. We’re closed on Sundays, please respect our families privacy. Please do not feed our animals anything that is not purchased in our gift shop or approved by a member of our team. Many of our horses have special diets and restrictions. Thank you for understanding.
Pony rides: 15 months +. Half hour/One hour rides: 6+. All other rides: 10+.
Unfortunately no. All of our horses are specifically chosen and paired with certain riders. Many of our child horses are enjoying their retirement with us and are older than the other horses. Riding up and down the mountain all day can tire them out and going on longer rides can be quite taxing. You wouldn’t work your grandpa in a ditch all day, would ya? We wouldn’t! We make sure these horses get ample breaks throughout the day.
Our weight restrictions are subjective. As a general rule, if a rider weighs 240 lbs. or more, he or she needs to call to discuss if we have a horse suited for the desired ride. Riders may be weighed upon arrival. Height is also a factor.
Because our horses carry our riders up a mountain, loads can become cumbersome. Weight and height are both a factor because of how the weight distribution spreads across a horse’s back. Someone who is much taller may weigh less than someone shorter, but because they sit so much higher, it may affect the horse’s comfort level.
Although our riders wear most anything, we highly recommend closed-toed shoes and pants.z
In a way, we specialize in first time riders. Many people who visit us have never touched a horse before let alone have ridden one. Our horses are seasoned professionals and our guides will be with you every step along the way.
Unless there is thunder, lightning, or other dangerous conditions, we will be out on the trails, rain or shine! Our gift shop has ponchos, rain jackets, and sweatshirts available for purchase. If rides are canceled, we will call the person who made the reservation to notify them.
That is a negative, cowboy. All of our rides are done at a walk.
No. Since we hold the lease with Canaan Valley State Park, you must be accompanied by one of our guides to follow our designated trails.
