Had a great time today. I called in the morning and was able to get into a group of four others going out at 2pm for a one hour trail ride. The facility is lovely and very clean. I arrived 15 min early and hung out until everyone had arrived, using the time to browse, ask questions, meet the horses, and pet the two dogs that were lazing about in the barn. Once we were paired with a horse and helped up into the saddles, they gave us a brief speech about how to control the horses and what to expect on the ride. The horses were all very sedate and happy to play follow the leader with very little input from us. The ride took us mostly through open fields, but also through some light woods and along the side of woods. There was a good amount of elevation change, but it was nothing difficult and it provided some lovely views of the surrounding lands. Our guide frequently asked how we were all doing, kept a keen eye on the group, pausing to allow a lagging horse to catch up from time to time, and stopped at the midpoint to walk through the group making sure we were still all okay and our horses and saddles were good. When we got back, staff members came out and helped us off the horses and led them off to drink. It was a lovely experience. Very sedate and easy, though I guarantee I'll feel that in my thighs tomorrow. LOL. Going into it, I was a bit worried that I'd be bored. Today's digital age has shrunk my attention span and I knew we'd be going walking pace in a line. But at no point did I want to pull out my phone and surf social media or read a book. I just enjoyed the bouncing jolting sway of the horse, the scenery, the lovely weather, and the chit chat around me. I would totally do this again. Thanks everyone at Circle R Ranch for a lovely afternoon. read more

Circle R Ranch - Circle R Ranch from the parking area. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oakland, Maryland

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A great way to spend an afternoon riding horses. The stables were very clean and well kept and all the horses seemed healthy. The two women who helped us and guided our trail ride were great. They know all the horses personalities and were able to pair us up with a horse suitable for our riding abilities (beginners). You can tell the horses are well loved and taken care of. The trail we took gave us nice views and the horses were all well behaved. This is a small family owned business that we'd love to visit again when in the area. read more

Lovely ranch with friendly people. Horses are well kept and the trails have beautiful views. The rates are very reasonable. The "littles" got to take a hand led short trail ride for $15 each. Highly recommended! read more

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This ranch is spectacular. We highly recommend this family business. There are so many beautiful horses. Staff is extremely professional, knowledgeable and care deeply for the horses. The ranch is family friendly and we look forward to coming back in the future. Thank you again for the wonderful experience. read more

Just got back.. it was fantastic! Our guide was 3rd generation on the ranch. She was great, she always had our safety and the safety of the horses in mind. We were able to climb and descend some hills, road through som pastures and even road some single track trails. Great time!! read more

My wife and I went out for a 1hr ride. Trails are nice and well suited for beginner riders. The views are spectacular. Staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable. All the horses are in great shape and well cared for. The only drawback, though very minor, would be the length of rides available and perhaps a little more advanced skill levels, such as lope or cantering. Overall a great experience. read more

My kids surprised me with a sunset sleigh ride and everything was perfect. When we arrived we were taken to a quaint,heated room in a pavilion to sign the paperwork. We were then able to watch the driver bring a beautiful black horse out of one of the barns and hook it up to the sleigh. Once we got into the sleigh the owner, Donna, I think, covered us with beautiful velvet blankets. It was 25 degrees out, and off we went . The man driving the sleigh was Amish and quite nice. The horse had sleigh bells on and the sound of that and the swish of the snow under us was breathtaking. The best part, other than spending time with my kids was the view. We watched the beautiful sunset as we were taken over the hills. The ride itself was smooth and just the right length. This is a great winter activity that the whole family can participate in . read more

Circle R Ranch - Sleigh ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oakland, Maryland

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This was the best trail ride i've ever been on! The staff is so nice and attentive and makes sure you're fitted into your helmets correctly and paired with the perfect horse. The ride was so relaxing and not at all stressful, mostly do to the fact that the trail itself was serene, the guide "Cooley?" was so chill and the horses were beautiful. They also offer to take your pictures at the beginning and middle of the ride! 10/10 couldn't recommend this place enough! We will be back read more

Circle R Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oakland, Maryland

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We did an hour trail ride and we absolutely loved it. They were very friendly and we really had a great time. Highly recommend the circle r ranch. read more

Had a great time with my friends on the sleigh ride. The farm was very pretty and the guides were very friendly and professional. They took plenty of pics of us with the horses and the three dogs that followed the sleigh were the coolest. read more

Circle R Ranch is a beautiful, clean ranch in Oakland, MD. I had high hopes for our horseback riding 1 hour tour since it was recommended to us by the rental management company, but they did not take reservations on Memorial Day weekend and we ended up waiting 2 hours for our tour. I think that they could've easily taken our reservations and not wasted so much of our time. The fact that I had to stand in line in the sun for most of that time was really disappointing and poor customer service. When the horseback riding did begin, we went on a glacial pace and our tour guide said about 10 words for the entire hour. We were also supposed to ride in a single file line along a designated circular trail within the property which was extremely tamed. After 15 minutes, I was ready to bail. When asked if we can pick up the pace, the guide said that the weather is too hot for the horses and that they are tired which is plausible but the weather that day was about mid 70s. I am not sure if this is how all of the horseback riding facilities operate in this area or not but this riding in a single-file trail for an hour scored very low points on the fun scale. read more

I had the worst customer service experience at this place. They would not allow my three 10 year old kids to ride a horse on the trail; they wanted to put them on a hand held Pony ride. When I chose to question why my kids could not ride a horse the employee replied " What is your problem now?" She is the daughter of the owners. When I complained about how rude she was it was as if I was speaking to a brick wall. I chose not to give these rude people my money and took my kids to Western Trails instead. Once at Western Trails, my kids went on the hour long horse ride trail and they had a blast. The employees at Western Tails were very courteous and very professional. It is my opinion that we were discriminated against at Circle R Ranch because we are people of color and I would not recommend anyone to support this place of business. read more

I had a great time here! Our group rented a cabin at Herrington Manor State Park and wanted to go for a ride. We literally walked in and were accomodated! Originally, we had a reservation at another ranch, but were told this place was better. And we're glad we did. I can tell that the staff are all family and I love that. Dana was so sweet and patient with our semi-large group. She made sure to match us each with a horse that fit us well. The price wasn't bad at all. The tour was great and the horses were well behaved (for the most part haha.) Our tour guide, Jordan, was really sweet. She made sure to stop often and check back on us behind her. Even when we asked questions, no matter how ridiculous, she answered us with a "no problem at all" feeling. Love her! I recommend. Whenever I come back this way, I will be coming here! read more

What a great time! We called last minute and they accommodated us no problem. The ride was nice and our guide was friendly and professional. The view was cool. They took time to explain what to do and the horses seemed tame and kept well. read more

Circle R Ranch - What a great time. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oakland, Maryland

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Really nice ranch and a great place for beginners to go trail riding. We had two kids and three adults, and most of us very limited riding experience. The horses were very calm, and seemingly very well cared for and happy. The staff was courteous, professional, and helpful. We felt very safe. The ranch is beautiful, with our short 30 minute ride going through woods, fields, and across streams that cut through rolling hills. Highly recommended. read more

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We rented a cabin in Somerset PA and I was searching where to go horseback riding and this was the most reasonable. It was an hour drive from where we were staying but well worth the drive. The horses seemed to be well taken care off and the know their horses personally. Jim was our guide and we went on a 35 minute trail. It was an amazing experience we had a great time! There were bathroom facilities and they were clean and tidy. They encouraged us to walk around and meet the horses before our ride. The staff and the young volunteers there were all nice friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend. read more

Great experience from start to finish! This was a surprise for me, from no one other than my better half. We arrived a couple of minutes prior to our appointment. Everyone was extremely patient and friendly from start to finish. From paperwork to helmet fitting to the ride led my Patrick, everything was perfect. Very affordable. Great experience! read more

We took our almost 2 year old son here for his first pony ride. They were so great with him. They took the time to let him warm up to the pony and didn't push him to do anything he wasn't ready for. We will definitely be going back! read more

My wife and I made a reservation weeks ahead of time for a 90 minute trail ride. The morning before our ride I got a call from them to tell me that they couldn't do the ride due to not having the right staff. Very disappointing! Luckily I called "the other guys" and on a day's notice they happily took our business and we had a great ride! read more

This place was super accommodating for our group of 5 children (ages 2-7) and a grandfather unable to walk from the vehicle. All the kids were allowed to meet and greet the horses to become familiar before hopping on for the 15 min guided walk/ride. Their grandfather was able to watch from the vehicle which they allowed us to pull up for a better view! Highly recommended for first time/ inexperienced riders. read more

The staff were very helpful and patient with our group of amateur rides from 14 to 75 years old. Reasonable rates and nice views while on our 1 hour trip. read more

Very friendly, welcoming, and helpful, especially to inexperienced riders. We'll be back next year when the kids are older.

Great time horseback riding at Circle R Ranch. We had a hour long trail ride. Our guide Madison was pleasant and informative! It was a beautiful ride with beautiful views! read more

My husband and I were able to only stay one night in Deep Creek (Oct.25 - Oct.26), and the one, most important activity we wanted to do was to go for a one hour horse back riding trail ride at the Circle R Ranch before we left. After reading their site, which clearly stated that during the fall months (late August until beginning of November), walk-ins were welcome on the weekends but weekdays were by call ahead appointment only. Obligingly, I called and inquired about reserving a trail ride the next day, which was a Monday. Without a beat, she tells me there are no more rides during the weekday! I asked her why since the website indicated very differently in black and white! This is when she gives me this song and dance about making sure they "survive the winter" and there's just not enough manpower. I suggested she change the website and stop misleading customers and I'm pretty sure she would've reached through the phone and make sure that I DIDN'T SURVIVE THE WINTER! Awful, awful service and terrible attitudes. Such a shame too because I can only imagine how many people have been disappointed by this sham! read more

We had an appointment for 2pm and didn't get on our horses until 3pm. The trails were narrow and didn't seem safe. Horses trained for more advanced riders. My daughter fell off her horse, because the horse wasn't responding when she tried to get it to stop, and not one of the guides rushed to attend to her. The guides were young and high school aged. The lead guide seemed nervous after the fall, and that made the rest of our family nervous. The lead guide had issues with her horse and it just made the whole experience terrible. We ran into the owner and guides the next day at a restaurant and not one asked if my daughter was ok. Poor service and wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. There are plenty of other options in the area. read more

riders were so helpful nice ride through the deep creek area pleasant sweet horses thank you

Our novice group had a great experience. We had planned a longer ride, but they suggested we go shorter because our 8-year-old was riding for the first time. They were right - the 30 min ride was perfect. Our two littles had fun on their pony rides. There was a lot of rain the day before, so they called and asked if we'd like to move our morning reservation to the afternoon to give the fields more time to dry, which I appreciated. One of our adults has special needs, and they made sure the guide knew and that that rider was right behind the guide on the trail. I could tell they put thought into which horse was paired with which rider, and the horses seemed well cared for. Friendly staff, good service. We'll go back next year. read more

This place is a total disappointment. We were here on vacation and one of the main activities my kids wanted to do was horseback riding. After 4 DAYS of calling this place and leaving messages, we got no response. We will end up going home and finding a place there to do it. Never have I seen such an unprofessional business. The answering machine says leave a message but they don't mean it. Don't waste your time calling this place. Just don't expect horseback riding in this area while on vacation. The other place here won't answer or call back either. read more