Capitol Reef Horse Riding: Half Day Ride
Horseback riding in southern Utah is a spectacular adventure! We started our outdoor excursion company with horses as the backbone of our vacation trips, and riding them is still one of the most popular activities for people visiting the Capitol Reef area.
Our 1/2 Day Horseback Ride
One of our best trips for seeing the area in depth is our half-day horse ride. In the spring, we head into Capitol Reef National Park, where the desert wildflowers are just beginning to bloom. Pleasant Creek Canyon is one of our favorite trails to ride with our horses.
It crosses the creek multiple times as we wind along between the towering canyon walls, keeping an eye out for shy bighorn sheep and ancient Fremont Indian petroglyphs on the walls. We stop for lunch near a wall of rock art, taking our time to explore the old depictions of bighorn sheep and more recent “cowboy graffiti” from the late 1800s.
This video of a Pleasant Creek Canyon horseback ride gives you a great idea of the stunning scenery you’ll experience on this equine adventure.
Who Will Most Enjoy This Trip
Families, couples, friends, corporate groups, church or youth groups, solo travelers joining in on a ride–really, the half day rides are a well-rounded introduction to the area for almost anyone! Absolutely no prior riding experience is required. Our lunch stop lets you shake out your muscles after being in the saddle for about an hour and a half.
What to Know About Pleasant Creek Canyon
1) On their 1872 expedition, explorer and one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell and his party were so grateful to reach the gentle water shaded by cottonwood trees that they named the stream “Pleasant Creek.”
2) Infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy likely rode his horses through this very canyon back in his stagecoach hold-up days.
3) The Capitol Reef Field Station just above the Pleasant Creek parking area is solar-powered and built to blend into its beautiful natural surroundings.
How to Book This Trip
Call us: (435) 425-2010
Email us: info@backcountryoutfitters.com
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