Horseback Riding Tours In Las Vegas

Horseback riding tours in Las Vegas, Nevada, create an additional reason for visitors to return year after year. You will welcome riding along a canyon rim that is high above Fossil Ridge. You and your family can enjoy the Red Springs Ride that takes you behind a mountain and down a narrow gorge. If you long for adventure, take a horseback ride through the Las Vegas desert and canyons surrounded by mountains.

Geography

Las Vegas provides a great opportunity for a horseback riding tour. Las Vegas consists of 600 square miles of desert. It is a city in a basin that is surrounded by dry picturesque mountains. The Spring Mountain Range is located just west of Vegas. Both the popular Red Rock Canyon and Spring Mountain Ranch areas were formerly used by pack horses and wagon trains up until 1905. These are typical locations where many of the horseback riding tours start and end.

Facts

There are horseback riding packages for individuals and groups. Packages usually include a Western-style meal out on the open range. Sand and Sage Tours advertise a memorable horseback ride through desert canyons and rugged terrain, like in the cowboy movies.

Most companies provide both morning and evening combination tour-and-meal packages. The standard 5- or 6-hour tour prices vary only slightly. For example, the Eldorado Canyon morning ride is $119 for the 6-hour ride that includes a picnic lunch. The Sagebrush Ranch charges $109 for their 5-hour Doc Holliday Ride, complete with breakfast. All prices are as of 2010.

Benefits

Tour guide companies include the Sagebrush Ranch, the Cowboy Trail Rides, the Eldorado Canyon Horseback Rides or the Sand and Sage Tours. These and other tours provide ample opportunity for your adventure in the Las Vegas desert.

You are picked up and returned to your hotel. A professional staff is available to assist with horses and guide you on the trails.

Tours are kid-friendly so you can share this healthy and educational experience with the whole family. Special tours are also available, such as the Sundance Kid & Butch Cassidy Overnight Adventure, offered by Sagebrush Ranch, which costs $399 per person as of 2010.

Time Frame

According to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, "While desert conditions can be extremely hot in the height of the summer, Las Vegas has some of the most appealing weather year-around."

If you happen to be planning a Las Vegas horseback riding trip during the winter season, know that December is its coldest month, with 36.6 degrees Fahrenheit the average overnight temperature.

By contrast, average temperatures in July typically rise to 104 or more in the daytime. Special attention should be given to the need for water, sunscreen, proper clothing and other weather-related considerations.

Warning

The Wild West Breakfast Ride to Red Rock requires riders to be 12 years old or older. The Eldorado Canyon tour company requires guests to be at least 8 years old, and the Sagebrush Ranch accepts riders as young as 5 years old.

For safety reasons, the average weight maximum for a guest is usually 260 pounds. At the Cowboy Trail Rides and most other tours, "If you are a first-time rider or have little experience on horseback ..." you are still welcome on standard tours, accodring to the company's website. You are cautioned to abide by the tour company's rules and regulations.