When planning our trip to Utah’s National Parks, Shelly and I knew we wanted to do a horseback ride in the canyons. We stayed at Zion Mountain Ranch, and lucky for us, they offered Zion horseback riding trail rides right from the property! It was a great way to see the beautiful landscape, and I would absolutely recommend.
Horseback Riding At Zion Mountain Ranch
ZMR offers several different ride options (along with several other activities), all very reasonably priced. We did the 2-hour ride on the “Windmill Trail” to the canyon overlook, and it was $90 each. They also offer a 15-minute “Little Wrangler Ride” for young children for $15/person, a one-hour option for $55/person, and a four-hour option that includes a picnic lunch for $180/person. You can book tours at the front desk or by calling 866-648-2555.
How long of a trail ride should you choose?
Personally, I think the two-hour ride was the perfect amount of time, especially for those who don’t ride often. I don’t think I could’ve done a four-hour ride, I was pretty sore by the end of it.
Do you need to bring anything special to go horseback riding in Zion?
You don’t need to wear anything special to ride. I’d recommend jeans/pants/leggings and closed toed shoes, tennis shoes are great. I had my cowboy boots with me so I wore those and my hilariously appropriate “giddy up” shirt from Texas Humor. Also, I’d recommend leaving your camera at home. I brought mine, but it was far too dusty to use (most of my pictures are from my iPhone).
We were lucky enough to have a private ride, just us and our guide, Cassie! She was sweet and very knowledgeable about the area. She also worked in the kitchen at ZMR’s highly rated restaurant, Cordwood, and made great recommendations for dinner!
What to expect on a horseback ride in Zion Canyon
The trail took us through the open fields where the Great American Bison that call Zion Mountain Ranch home usually roam. They are beautiful animals to see up close, and I love that ZMR gives them a safe place to roam freely.
We then made our way up a hillside and enjoyed the ride as the Juniper, Pinyon, and Ponderosa Pines became denser and denser. The trail is steep and rocky at times, but the horses handled it great and I always felt safe!
Views from the trails at Zion Mountain Ranch
The overlook that our trail took us to was beautiful! We stopped for a little to take in the view and snap a few photos.
Our guide even took us down the path a little where we could see the canyon view from a different angle. The ride down was a little steeper, but still, the horses did great.
If you’re like me and occasionally like to sit back and take in the views (as versus hiking) or just really enjoy horse rides, I’d definitely recommend a trail ride when visiting Zion National Park! You can book a ride at Zion Mountain Ranch even if you aren’t staying at the property.
There are several other companies that offer trail rides in Zion National Park itself: Canyon Trail Rides and Zion Horseback Tours are just a couple companies that offer tours. Would you do a horseback ride through the canyons? Let me know your thoughts, leave a comment!
xx Chels
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That 2-hour ride on the Windmill Trail sounds like the absolute sweet spot for a Zion visit. I totally agree about the camera, the Utah dust is no joke and can really wreck a lens, so stick to the iPhone for those bison shots! I remember trying to coordinate my flight to Vegas for a similar trip and spent a whole evening doom-scrolling through TravelUP reviews to make sure my booking was solid before heading into the backcountry.
Zion looks incredible, and horseback riding through those canyons seems like such a unique way to experience the park! I love how you broke down the different ride options super helpful for planning. For anyone who enjoys exploring landscapes on horseback, adventures like this also remind me of the amazing rides you can do on New Zealand tours, with stunning views and trails that feel straight out of a movie.
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