5th Annual Trail Riding Guide

Are you anxiously looking at the calendar, wondering when you will get to load the mules up and hit the road for a riding vacation this summer?  Now is the time to start making plans and filling in those empty dates! We’ve gathered everything you need to plan your perfect trail riding vacation in the fifth annual trail riding issue of Mules and More!

Bookmark this post - it contains our trail riding guide, with our recommendations for planning your trail riding vacation this summer.

Check out the April issue to see the full trail guide, where we gathered several stories from subscribers detailing their favorite trail rides, as well. It's pages are filled with snapshots of mule and donkey trail riders from across the country. We have what you need to plan out your next trail riding trip, and then saddle up and go!

Riding Vacations

Wyoming Wilderness Outfitters

Step back in time, ride with Wyoming Wilderness Outfitters.  Born cowboys, we take pride in providing you with a unique and memorable summer adventure. With the vast number of trails in northwest Wyoming and Yellowstone to choose from, we plan to make this one of the best vacation experiences of a lifetime. We’ll arrange the trip to best fit your personal needs; fishing, riding, camping, exploring, wildlife viewing, and photography.  We provide teepees, pack and riding animals, saddles, wrangler and a cook complete with kitchen. 
Whether you travel from location to location, set up camp at the base of the mountain along a river and take day rides from your campsite to surrounding valleys and passes, or bring your own living quarters horse trailer and horses/mules – we can guide you through some spectacular country. We’ll have our mules/horses saddled waiting for your call. For more information call (307) 754-4320 or visit www.wyomingwilderness.com.

Overnight Camps

Ears the Place Equine Inn

At 6,200’ elevation in a mountain valley on the west side of the Tetons in Teton Valley, Idaho, with a 360 degree view. There are hundreds of miles of trails to explore in Targhee National Forest and Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area. It is in close proximity to both Grand Teton (50 miles) and Yellowstone (90 miles) National Parks. There are also a wide variety of other outdoor activities available, including fly fishing, mountain biking, glider rides, floating the river and golf.
Three 40’x 60’ pipe and cable outdoor corrals with windbreaks made from a recycled grainery, a 75’ x 60’ corral with a lean off the barn, and four 12’ x 12’ stalls in the barn. There is room to turn a big rig, space for dry camping, and room to park and leave trailers. There are five motels within five miles, plus one 12 miles away, with a good variety of restaurants.
Elaine Johnson, (208)354-2471 or (208)201-8979, eljohnsontetons@silverstar.com

Trail Riding Camps

Flying-R-Ranch

Nestled deep in the heart of the Ozarks, surrounded on three sides by the Mark Twain National Forest, The Flying-R-Ranch is a must visit, family oriented, vacation destination. Near West Plains, Mo., the Flying-R offers 800 acres of private property with several trails leaving the Ranch and entering the National Forest giving riders literally hundreds of miles of trails. And with approximately two miles of the North Fork of the White River running through the Ranch there's always plenty of fun on the water. The Flying-R also has caves to explore for the adventurous type.
Amenities include RV sites with water and electric for each site, multi-room cabins, bunkhouse rooms, primitive campsites for tents, covered stalls with free bedding, free firewood for your campsite, an obstacle course for your animal, the cleanest showerhouses to be  found, a full dining facility serving three home style meals each day, The Hitch n Post store, a laundry room, free Wi-Fi, an onsite dump station, and the friendliest staff anywhere.
We have both pull through and back in RV sites, with someone available to help you park, if needed. Trail riding at the Flying-R is always open, even on event weekends. You can join in or go riding on your own.
The Flying-R-Ranch has been featured on The Best of America by Horseback the T.V. show three times and we are very proud to have been voted as being in the top 5% of trail riding destinations for the past three years by horsetraildirectory.com. It’s always best to call ahead for reservations. Check our website flying-r-ranch.com for information or call (417)469-2267.

Mule Power Farms, LLC

Located in beautiful Tucson, Ariz., Mule Power Farms is your winter destination and is more than a full hook-up RV resort; It’s a full-service boarding facility for your equine friends.
From here you can ride in Saguaro National Park East, Coronado National Forest, Catalina State Park, Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, Cochise Stronghold, and Chiricahua National Monument.  This secluded retreat is just minutes from the amenities of the big city. Living-quarters horse trailer camping, full hookups, including cable T.V. and Wifi, loaner horse trailers available. (520)298-1536 or (520)975-0377, www.mulepowerfarms.com

Winding River Resort

 

Located outside of Grand Lake, CO on the north fork of the Colorado River, bordering Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapaho National Forest offers limitless beauty and recreation.
With your own mule you have direct access to miles of designated trails adjacent in Rocky Mountain National Park, or trailer your mules to more distant trail heads.  You can even take a day trail ride through the park over the Continental Divide to Estes Park, CO.  Camp next to your mules on water/electric sites or stay in our cabins or lodge rooms with pens available at the barn.
Camping facilities include showers, restrooms, and laundry.  For more information visit www.windingriverresort.com or call 970-627-3215.

Tin Top Ranch Trailriding

 

This 160-acre ranch is located in the beautiful Ouachita National Forest of southwest Scott County, Arkansas. They offer a unique opportunity to provide you with a quiet, secluded retreat where you, your mule and a few friends can get away from it all. It's not hard to do in the middle of 1.8 million acres of forest.
Tin Top Ranch’s ranch house has a complete kitchen, dining area, three bedrooms and two baths. There is also a half-basement outfitted as a bedroom. A cozy wood-burning fireplace will provide comfort on chilly evenings, after a long day hunting or trail riding. Like to star-gaze? You'll never see a night sky until you see the skies at Tin Top.
Organized trailrides are offered several times a year, or you can bring your mules and explore the wilderness on your own. During hunting season, there are hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest within a short distance. Like to fish? Catch a mess of pan-fish in one of the stocked ponds and local creeks.
For more information or to reserve your weekend or weeklong vacation, call 1-800-436-8199 and ask for Terri or Scott, or email walls_sa@yahoo.com.

Whiskey Ridge Guest Ranch

Stop by overnight or come and stay the weekend! Professional Arena, Great Trails, Good People - Come Ride With Us!
Located in Malvern, Ark.,Whiskey Ranch offers unlimited primitive camping (limited electrical outlets & water available). Stalls and cabins are available for rent. The ranch has a 150’ × 250’ covered arena with complete team roping set up.
The ranch has access to lots of trails, as well.
Contact (501) 213-8594 for more, or visit the Whiskey Ridge Guest Ranch Facebook page.

Hayes Canyon

 

Hayes Canyon, in Eddyville, Illinois, is a family-owned campground located adjacent to the Shawnee National Forest with access to the Shawnee’s extensive trail system for hikers, equestrians, hunters, and nature lovers of all sorts. They have 30 RV campsites available for rent with electric hookups and city water, picnic table, and fire ring.  Most have sewer hookups.
Campsites have 2-4 pens for horses or mules which offers peace of mind and convenience of having your mule right there within eyesight. This is an ideal location, centrally located in the middle of the most popular trail riding area of the Shawnee, with direct access to the trails. Within a 10-mile radius of Hayes Canyon Campground there are 180 miles of Forest Service trails. (618) 672-4751, info@hayescanyon.com