Orcas Island Trail Rides

We were on Orcas Island for our 5th Anniversary. We could not have been more pleased with our trail ride. We did the 2.5hr ride through Moran State Park. The guide and horses couldn't have been better or more accommodating (and fun!)

We have been on really boring trail rides and this was NOT that. It was lovely terrain and an entertaining ride. We are both beginning riders, but got to trot and do switchbacks and had a blast. I do recommend the helmet due to the branches on the trail.

We will definitely be back with our daughter in future visits to support this nice family and their business. I can't recommend this more!

Robert was a great guide - we are beginners and he made us feel really comfortable. He was a lot of fun and very personable. His horses were well trained and you can tell he takes good care of them. This was by far our favorite activity we have done on the island.. the trail is beautiful! We would definitely do it again and recommend to others.

Literally came out of this ride feeling like, we're horse people now! Robert made us feel comfortable, adventurous, & bad asses! I was giggling like a damn fool with the trotting, Maggie (my horse) was sweet, friendly, and confident! I cant say enough, is my rump a little sore? Ya damn right it is! Wouldnt change anything about it for the world! Even stole a hug or two from Robert because we are so thankful for the experience!

Great experience for a seasoned horseback rider and a first time rider. Ended up going for the 3.5 hour ride (long enough to make you feel muscles you didn't know you had) through Moran State Park equestrian trails past Cascade Falls and up to a beautiful view of the surrounding islands down Mystery Trail. Horses were calm and appeared healthy. It was mostly a follow-the-leader trail ride but not nose to tail the whole time. You are instructed how to stop and turn your horse. There were several spots that we got to trot and even canter a little, we both had an enjoyable time. Not giving it 5 stars because of difficulty making reservations and reaching them by phone. They explain where to meet in the state park but it wasn't well marked and when they showed up with horses in tow after the 10:30 meeting time, we had been waiting around nervous we weren't in the right place.

It was a great way to see the park, and I'm so glad that I signed up for the tour. We were able to cover quite a bit of ground on horseback in the 1.5. hours, and the trail goes through a beautiful section of the park. It was one of best things I did while staying in the San Juan Islands.

I hadn't ridden in several years, and I felt very comfortable with both the guides and the horses. There were several inexperienced riders that were on the tour with us, and the guides did a great job of helping them and making sure they felt at ease. Also, the guides really seemed to care for the horses and handled them very gently.

While the ride was great, I do wish that the tour would have started more promptly or been scheduled a bit differently. They were just finishing up another tour when ours started, so we needed to wait until the other group wrapped up and the guides had lunch before we started out. However, the guides more than made up for it, and we were on our tour for a bit longer than the scheduled 1.5 hours.

Tip: I've ridden for years, and this was the first time I've ever worn a helmet. It was a very smart decision. There is a lot of brush and low hanging branches on the trail, and the helmet kept them getting tangled in my hair or hitting me in the head.

We had such a good 1st time experience with Robert!

He was very educational, educating us before we even mount the horse. I had a terrible experience 3 years ago and have not been back on a horse's back since. Robert helped me gained confidence back and taught me to trust myself and be in command of the horse!

My partner also has a good experience riding a horse named Chester, I was on Pride and she was wonderful! We took a walk on a trail but unfortunately the trail was closed from some trees that fell down. Even then we still had an amazing time.

Both of our butts hurt! But we love it!

We went for a ride with my wife on our anniversary trip. The ride is pretty awesome, and the trails are exciting for a beginner - if you choose, they can take you thru some parts that are pretty steep and narrow, and the horse I had would trot if you let her :) Great fun. They are very nice.

Such a fun way to spend our morning! The 2.5 hour ride was a good length for a horseback ride and the trail had some good variety of challenge and ease. There was a short and straight forward direction when needed and we were allowed to trot at some points too!! I suggest this to anyone thinking about doing something new!!

My girlfriend and me used this company to horseback ride during our vacation on Orcas Island. It was a great experience and I highly recommend it! We did the 1 1/2 hour ride and saw the cascade waterfall which was HUGGGEEE. The forrest was beautiful and the horses were really fun to ride. I had no experience horseback riding and the ranger took his time to help me learn how to properly mount a horse and how to ride one. The ranger was really cool and didn't rush us through the trail ride to make a deadline, it was a really nice relaxing experience. The ranger also talked about volunteering to help clear the trails with the park rangers all the time which I thought was cool. The price is totally worth it, if you're on the fence I think you should go for it. Horseback riding with the peak of our vacation and it's well worth the price!

This is THE thing to do with the family while you are on Orcas. Robert did an amazing job of training our 3 kids to ride even though we have one with no experience at all who is about as intimidating as a grasshopper.
We were able to set up a ride with about 72h notice in the middle of the week and opted for the 1.5h ride with a much needed 20 minute intro class in the state park for the kids. Robert was prompt, patient and a great teacher. Even when we weren't sure that the smallest was going to be able to pull this off, Robert was able to get her confident enough to ride and enjoy herself.
We opted to skip the mountain assent but got more than our money's worth with a beautiful ride along thru Moran State Park. One of the horses given to our most experienced rider had just been re-shoed and had some strong opinions but it was totally managable and fun.
Be sure to wear long pants and a baseball hat as the branches drop low and hair tangles are no fun.