A horseback riding day trip from Denver, Colorado, to Estes Park, Colorado is truly an escape from the ordinary and from city life into crisp mountain air and nature's most magnificent sights and sounds. At about 7,500 feet in elevation, the village of Estes Park is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and surrounded by peaks reaching to 14,000 feet. The location makes it ideal for horseback riding with numerous riding companies to show you extensive miles and varieties of trails.
Getting There
Getting to Estes Park from the Denver area takes about 90 minutes and is fairly straightforward---you do not have to travel on any mountain roads and take mostly state and U.S. highways. Get on Interstate 25 heading north until you get to CO 66. Take 66 west to Lyons, then US 36 west to Estes Park. Ask for exact directions to the horseback riding location from the company with whom you book your horseback ride.
Considerations
Before you go, gather information on the numerous Estes Park horseback riding companies, and book your ride. The longer rides, such as the eight-hour ones, are better suited to more advanced and experienced horseback riders and can include mountain and canyon riding. The horseback riding companies have horses that are good matches for people of various ages, sizes and skill levels. To really make a day of it, consider the tours that include breakfast or dinner for an additional fee. There may be some restrictions on how much you can weigh to ride a horse, so check with the horseback riding company before you go to get more details.
Guides
Your horseback riding outing is led by a guide--some of them with upwards of 25 or 30 years of experience--who points out pertinent signs along the way related to wildlife, history and the surroundings. Estes Park Outfitters' rides are notable in that they take you through areas that pioneers owned in the early 1900s. Some rides explore a 1,000-acre cattle ranch along private trails and head into the nearby national forest.
Scenery
The scenery and tranquility of the Rocky Mountains draw travelers to Estes Park. Horseback riding is one of the best ways to witness the beauty and truly immerse into nature's sights, sounds, smells and ambiance, and many of the trails are secluded from roads and noise. The timing of your horseback adventure will determine what scenery you get to absorb, but typical sights are many-hued spring wildflowers, massive evergreen trees in thick forests, mountain streams, lakes, transforming fall leaves and varieties of birds. Abundant species of wildlife include elk, deer, coyotes, porcupines and rabbits. Some tours offer sights of the Continental Divide and explore Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park. And of course, you get to view the majestic mountain peaks, which are capped in snow for much of the year.
Length & Season
For your day trip, an ideal horseback riding trip length is typically a three- or four-hour ride, which will allow you time to get to and from Denver and stop for meals. Many of the Estes Park horseback riding companies offer rides of this length. Depending on how much time you have, you can opt to do a shorter (one- or two-hour) or longer (eight-hour) ride. The three-hour ride at Sombrero Ranch leaves at 9 a.m. and returns at 1 p.m., while the four-hour outing leaves at 7:30 a.m. (8 a.m. in the fall and winter) and returns at 2 p.m. (1 p.m. in the fall and winter). Some horseback riding companies do not offer rides during the winter months.
Cost and Companies
As of October 2010, Sombrero Ranches offers a two-hour ride for $50, a three-hour ride for $65, a four-hour ride for between $75 and $85 and an eight-hour ride for $120. Other companies have comparable prices, and some offer lunch for an additional fee. Some of the horseback riding companies to contact are Sombrero Ranches, Aspen Lodge, Cowpoke Corner Corral (two Estes Park locations) and Estes Park Outfitters.
Gear
Bring drinking water, as well as lunch to enjoy along the ride. Also remember a jacket no matter what time of year it is, because temperatures can be cool in Estes Park all year and at higher elevations. Also wear clothing and shoes that are appropriate for horseback riding. Bring your camera to capture the natural wonders.
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