Our family had an incredible experience horseback riding with Jackson Stables at YMCA of the Rockies! We had two adults and four kids in our group, all with some riding experience, and every one of us had an amazing time. Our trail guides, Emma and Anna, were outstanding. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and constantly attentive to everyone's safety. Anna, our back guide, spent much of the nearly two-hour ride on foot, helping the horses navigate downed trees, steep rocky hillsides, and even rock stair steps. It was obvious how much they cared about both the riders and the horses. Speaking of the horses--they were some of the best trail horses I've ever ridden. They were healthy, well cared for, beautiful, and gentle. I've been on rides elsewhere where the horses were overweight and clearly not in great condition, but these horses looked fantastic. My horse, Bacon, completely stole my heart--I wanted to take him home! The trail itself was breathtaking, with challenging terrain that showcased just how sure-footed and trustworthy these horses are. There was also a family of complete beginners riding ahead of us, and Emma and Anna made sure they felt comfortable and confident the entire time. I would recommend Jackson Stables to anyone, whether you're an experienced rider or climbing into the saddle for the very first time. It was easily one of the highlights of our Colorado trip! read more

Our ride was full of wildlife. And all worth the money. The experience would have been much more enjoyable without the cowboy named Cameron in front rambling the entire time. This was not labeled as a "guided talking tour".... They also allowed someone with special needs to ride on a 3 hour ride which is "not for beginners" and that really held up the experience. They should reserve the right to evaluate riders in the beginning and make adjustments accordingly. But all in all, a good experience. read more

Jackson's Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

What a beautiful stable to go profit. For living in Aurora it's a bit of a drive but price wise i believe it was worth it in the end. Everyone had fun and even the five year old got on his first grown horse and rode it like a champ. Everyone at the stables were impressed. Seems like someone might be getting a horse for his birthday. The handlers were very courteous and assisted our needs that we had. The only thing I wish they would do is allow time for photo ops on the horse or have an employee take photos. As we had time while waiting to get on the trails. There is no telling if we'll be back and also a lasting memory for one's first time. read more

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We were looking forward to this activity the most, but we're hugely disappointed. First, my young daughter was given a rebellious horse that kept running off the trails spontaneously. This was after telling the initial guide that she had NO riding experience. She had no idea what to do, and it wasn't just casually trotting off the path, it was a full on run. My daughter was terrified. Second, a lot of trotting was involved which was very uncomfortable. You really bounce up and down in the saddle and I was in pain for a few weeks after. Third, my horse kept tripping on grass (it seemed), so when it came time to ride along the super narrow, very high mountain path I was extremely nervous. The guide said to not look down, and just close your eyes and trust your horse if you're afraid. Umm I definitely didn't trust my poor, clumsy horse. I tried to voice my concern during the ride, at the end, and then a few weeks after. They didn't seem to care. They also advertise the trail we went on as good for young children and beginners (moraine trail), but it's terrible for beginners! I suggest really taking the above into account before booking here. I heard there are some really good horse riding companies in the area, go there instead. read more

This is the best place to book a horseback ride. The staff are very friendly and helpful. They really seem to care about the animals and guests. Please don't go anywhere else, this place is the best!! read more

This was by far one of my favorite memories and experiences I've ever had on vacation. The guides are so nice and I loved talking to them, and the horses were great (love you Otis). Shout out to Logan ( and Waldo), he made the experience 10/10 with all his fun facts and humor. read more

Jackson's Stables - Otis the horse - Horseback Riding Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Very nice! We did Moraine 2 hr ride. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. Don't be afraid to ask questions about your horse, how to ride, or truly anything that comes up before or during the ride. The horses were well trained, and super responsive to all of the directions we gave. As long as you follow the directions of the wranglers and aren't afraid to pull the reins you will have a great ride! We did trot a bit more than I thought we would, but it was just so we could get farther into the park. Our ride had people aged 4-60+ and all fo the staff made everyone feel included! read more

We had so much fun on our ride. It was a 3 hour trail ride and our guides did a great job. They were very knowledgeable and friendly. I would recommend them to anyone. Also, the horses were very sweet and tame. Beautiful views as well. read more

Glacier Basin ride was absolutely beautiful. Though I've been on a horse a few times before, I'm totally a beginner and was very pleased by how nicely we were received. Our wrangler Logan did an excellent job of maintaining a good pace for the entire group and peppering fun facts and bits of history between periods of quiet so we could take in the views. I found the ride to be very easy and would encourage anyone of any level to give it a try. read more

Jackson's Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Jackson's Stables, please update your description of the rides to state that there would be trotting on the rides. I went back and looked at the flier and your site and didn't see that information disclosed. We did the 2 hour Moraine ride on 4th of July. My group included my 72 year old parents and 6 year old son. We thought it would be a nice ride on the horse WALKING on the trail. But after we got started, the wrangler told us we would be doing some trotting today. That was a little bit too late? I also didn't know what that really means until we actually did trotting, which means the horse is jogging slowly. When the horses were trotting, I was pretty scared, and even I was really trying hard to hang on. There was also no instruction on what to do or how to baLong story short, my 72 year old mom fell down the horse in the middle of a trot. She fractured her one wrist while badly bruised the other wrist. We are still observing if she has any head injuries. She said pretty much immediately after we started that her left foot was constantly losing contact with the left stirrup, which makes me wonder if it was set up correctly to begin with. It made sense that when she fell, it was to her left side where she didn't have anything to balance with. My 6 year old son got struck by a branch across his neck in the middle of a trot, and started crying loudly only to be told by the wrangler that that's why he should be guiding his horse. I'm shocked he didn't fell off the horse too! And even after that, the wrangler has the horses trotting again, at which time my son was terrified cried loudly. I know we all signed waivers. But, I would have liked to know that this ride is not just a normal walk. read more

What an incredible place! Our family went on a three hour ride with Emma this summer. She is fantastic wrangler!! Her knowledge of the YMCA, Jackson Stables, RMNP, the trails, and the horses was great. Emma loves what she is doing and it made the trip really exciting and fun for our family. read more

Jackson's Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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I took my granddaughters out for a horseback ride today for a mountain adventure before they head back to school. We headed to Estes from Denver and it started raining when we got there. We were kinda bummed thinking our ride may be canceled, but luckily it wasn't. And riding in the rain was actually kinda fun! I loved this ride, through glacier basin. So beautiful and we even saw some deer. This is my best ride so far!! Definitely will do it again!! read more

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The scenery was beautiful . The horses are amazing !! The guides are so knowledgeable , friendly and very hardworking . This is a must do if you are in the area ! We will absolutely do this again . Thank you for a great time . read more

Booked 1.5 hr trail ride for my husband and I. We hadn't ridden in over 10 years. The tour guides were super fun and knowledgeable. We were the only ones on the tour. I'm sure it was the time of year. They said they normally have 14-17 people so we felt really lucky. My horse was the sweetest girl. Easy and knew exactly where she was going without me doing much. Scenery was beautiful. Would definitely recommend taking some time out of your day to do this! read more

Simply put, Jackson Stables hires the best people to work for them. My family and I first visited Estes Park in 1998 and rode with another stables, but didnt really feel comfortable. So we tried Jackson Stables and pretty much haven't looked back. We visit every 3-4 years and always go with them. This year my daughter and I did the Emerald Mountain ride and absolutely loved it. We've also done the Moraine several times. Our wranglers this year were Delaney at the front and Erin. Erin was one of the ones to greet us and test our helmets. Just super friendly from the beginning. Delaney has been there a while and was great about involving us in conversations and remembers most of the horses we'd been on in the past. You will absolutely not go wrong with picking them for a trail ride. read more

My husband and I had such a great time horseback riding here. I highly recommend checking this place out sometime! The staff, especially our guide Hayden, was awesome and the views of RMNP were beautiful. read more

Jackson's Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

My two boys (8 & 10) and I did the 2 hour horse riding and I really enjoyed it. The views are amazing. I think the prices are reasonable too. We paid $110 per person for the the experience. read more

While in Colorado I wanted to relive my glory days as a 10 year old and go horseback riding through Rocky Mountain National Parks, just as I did a million years ago. We were staying in a YMCA cabin, so the location of Jackson's Stables was really convenient. We were scheduled for a 2 hour ride in the early afternoon so we paid for our rides ($60 a piece) and were directed to the waiting area to pick a helmet. Helmets are optional FYI, but if I don't know the horse and area I'm not risking life and limb. I was given a great horse, Diesel. He was super mellow, maybe a little slow but a sweetheart. My boyfriend, the one with no riding experience got Tank, the horse with an independent streak. At one point, he decided he wanted to go off the trail to go where he wanted to eat. Poor wrangler had to jump off his horse and run to the back where we were. I thought it was hilarious, the boyfriend not so much. The ride was beautiful and just as I expected. Unfortunately we saw like literally no wildlife, but maybe it was better not to spook the horses. From past experience riding near a mountain lion, I wasn't too bummed. There was a fair amount of trotting during the run, so if you're unaccustomed to riding remember: BUTT OFF THE SADDLE. Otherwise, you'll be hurting the next day. If you're looking to be one with nature and experience some incredible views a horseback ride at Jackson's Stables will fit the bill. read more

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We have been riding from this stable for probably 15 years. I can't believe it took this long to write a review as this is such a great place. This is located on the YMCA property adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. I think all of the different trail rides actually go into the park. They offer many different packages, and you can spend as little as an hour ride to as much as all day. I have to say that after 2 hours my backside was screaming for relief:) The wranglers are all very nice and very experienced. It seems that a lot of them are college students that work here during the summer. Several of them brought their own horses. They do a nice job of matching horse and rider. If you don't ride much, they give you a horse that knows the trail by heart. If you are experienced, they give you a horse with some spirit. I got Stitch, and he was a great horse. I liked the fact that he kept biting my wife's horse on the rear. It kept her horse moving quite nicely. We will return for another ride on our next visit to Estes Park. read more

Our Wrangler Delaney was absolutely amazing and kept us entertained the entire time! Jackson's takes very good care of their animals and their guests, we all had a fantastic time. I highly recommend! read more

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My husband and I had a wonderful time this morning on the 4 hour ride with Ashley. The weather was perfect, the view was indescribable, the horses well taken care of, and our wrangler was so sweet and fun to ride with. A must do for anyone who wants to experience the Rockies from a different perspective! read more

Jackson's Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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I took my daughter and her friend on the 8am 2 hour trail ride on July 4th. Mary was our guide. Love her! She was very attentive to make sure we were all ok all the time. She also was very knowledgeable and shared information about places we were riding and things we saw. The ride through Moraine Park was GORGEOUS. I highly recommend. I wouldn't wear shorts... the ride does include trotting which is hard on the backside and can chaff your legs if you are wearing shorts. They paired us with the horses that were best suited for our experience level and I think they picked out just the right ones! We loved Tank, Diesel and Noodle (our horses). This is one of the best ways to see the beauty of RMNP that you can't see from the open road. read more

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Amazing 4-hour ride deep into the RMNP. Wranglers Levi and Alyssa were professional and made sure the ride was safe as we navigated the trails. There were switchbacks and narrow paths in some places, but the horses were well-trained and calm, so I always felt safe even as a beginner. Just listen to your wrangler and pay close attention not to let the horse snack during the first 30 minutes of your ride. My horse Truman was very gentle. We ran into two other riding groups along the way, and I never saw a cowboy run so fast from the back of the pack to the front, jumping across piney logs with his boots so he can intercede to make sure all the horses were calm as they passed each other. Most of the time, our group was by ourselves to enjoy the breathtaking sceneries. In some parts, we even got to trot. Unforgettable experience. Best horse riding experience ever. read more

*** Beautiful but Unnecessarily Dangerous!!! *** An otherwise great ride is ruined because of disregard for dangerous wildlife. This review is for our 9/13/15 ride on 2 hr Emerald Mountain route. GOOD: The ride was beautiful with cooperative horses. We did the 2 hr Emerald Mountain ride and the views were stunning riding around the mountain with the first part being a nice ascent, middle part was going around the mountain up high, end part was descending. It would have been the best commercial horseback riding I've ever done, but.... BAD: The guide thought it would be O.K. to pass a HUGE BULL ELK lying on the path. I yelled up from behind that it would be very dangerous, we could be gored, a horse could be gored, or the horses could get spooked and throw riders. The guide ignored warnings and proceeded to pass the elk by herself. The elk stood up and charge her and her horse, with antlers pointed downward to do damage!! Fortunately, the guide's horse quickly got out of the way, but it spooked the other horses and they wanted to jump and run. After that, the guide radioed back to the stables and ranch hands came to scare the elk off with rocks and sticks. Finally, we passed and returned safely. After returning home, I called one of the owners of Jackson Stables (Julie Jackson) to describe the incident. She said she was aware of it and said she wasn't concerned that her guide attempted to pass the huge, wild bull elk. She said it happens all the time on their rides. I found that hard to believe. I explained that I've seen and read about severe injuries resulting from close encounters with bull elk, especially during rutting season. She said that they ride passed large elk and bear. I'm dumbfounded!!! If anyone wants to take this kind of risk, please don't take your kids~! I hate rating Jackson's Stables so low. It was a fantastic ride in beautiful country with friendly staff. But, the disregard for dangerous wildlife by the trail guide and owner of Jackson's Stables makes me not recommend them. read more

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Jackson Stables is by far the most outstanding stable I have ever seen. The wranglers hustle to get your horse and engage with the rider every step of the way! My son has rode 4 times in two weeks and loved every minute of his ride. He has to have his horse she and tshirt with his horse's name. The horses are beautiful and well cared for and seem to love life at Jackson Stable. The hayride has is fantastic too. The hayride is pulled by beautiful draft horses! A trip to Estes Park is not complete without a few rides at Jackson Stables. read more

I took my grandchildren (first time riders) and their parents (novices) for an easy 1hour ride to let them have a great experience on a horse. I found the staff to be extremely helpful. They had a great system in picking horses that fit the riders experience level and gave everyone an enjoyable tour. The grand kids want to go back tomorrow!!! And I am going to let them take the mountain trail. Thanks for a memorable experience. read more

My family and I went for a trail ride while visiting Estes. My husband and kids had never been on a horse and were very nervous. Our experience was awesome!! We loved it! The horses were amazing and very calm. Rachel our Wrangler was awesome and very knowledgable. We had a great experience and would totally do it again. read more

Jackson's Stables - Starting our ride! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Out of all the activities I did in Estes, horseback riding is probably the one I wouldn't opt to do again. The stables were hard to find and we drove around in circles asking people where it's located. We were signed up for the 2 hour Moraine hike, but ended up doing a 1 hour hiking as we were late, due mostly in part having trouble trying to find the place. I've never gone horseback riding before, so the wranglers did a good job giving instruction. Views were great, but my horse, Aspen had a mind of her own and had her own idea about routes toward the end...not too fun when you've never done this before. Everyone else in my group was experienced so it was catered for them. I didn't enjoy it too much, but my boyfriend (experienced rider) had a blast, bonded with his horse and was smiling ear to ear the entire time. It was his birthday trip so seeing him have a good time made everything worth it. read more

We had a good experience here with my two young children who were first time riders. The kids loved it and kept asking when we could go back. Our guide, Levi, was very personable and great at helping the kids. read more

BEST ride I've ever had. We did the three hour that goes into the RMNP. Our guide was excellent, and the ride was beautiful and fun. We did a lot of uphill and downhill that was definitely a challenge and did some trotting! We went across a creek and up "Cardiac Hill" which was terrifying/amazing all at the same time. The horses were well behaved and didn't give anyone problems, and I loved loved loved mine. I want to come back and do another ride before winter hits! read more

My family and I had an AMAZING time horseback riding here while visiting Estes Park. The path we went on was full of tons of beautiful scenery. It was amazing. We absolutely loved it! The horses we rode were Murph, Mocha, Outlaw, Sloppy Joe, Thunder, Tanto, and Westen. They were all very great horses and beautiful. The leaders, Josh and Liz, did a fantastic job leading our group through the path and telling us very interesting information about Estes Park. Definitely recommend this place for horseback riding! read more

I'd highly recommend this experience. My friend and I did the Glacier Basin trail and it was phenomenal! The views are amazing and our guide Haley was great-more felt like a third (yet very helpful) friend on the ride, which we appreciated. We both are pretty beginning riders so Glacier Basin was perfect for us and still allowed us to have amazing views. I will definitely be back! read more

Im gonna say upfront I work here. But as some one who recently graduated with their veterinary technology degree I was looking for a wrangler job but did not want to work just anywhere due the how the animals can be treated. Here I have been shocked at the level to care taken to keep the horses happy and healthy every day. The people are great and the trails have diverse landscape. But again the big thing for me when I chose to take the job was the level of care the horses receive. I have seen a lot of places who just view there horses as a way to make money and don't care for their wellbeing. read more

Based on a high recommendation from our waitress @ The Egg & I in Estes Park, I took my granddaughters horse back riding here. It was a little confusing getting there...it is NOT run by the YMCA, however, you must drive into the YMCA grounds to get to the stables. We only rode for an hour because the 3 hour rides were booked already. Rode by the Glacier Creek and it was very pleasant and scenic! The guides were very helpful, knowledgeable about the horses, and the horses appear to be well taken care of. We will definitely go back again! read more

This is a review solely of the hayrack ride, not the horseback riding. The hayrack ride was a rip off. Despite the fact that the stable sits at the very edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, the hayrack ride took us on the paved roadways of the YMCA camp to a large construction ditch with a plastic outhouse, where a pickup truck had parked with our food. The ambiance was laughably poor given the potential. The food was disgusting; bags of chips, hotdogs, and Safeway potato salad. Barf, and so disappointing. read more