We had a great time! Perfect for novice riders. The staff was so friendly and the horses patient and gentle. The view from the lookout was amazing!! read more

My husband and daughter enjoyed a great trail ride at Sandy Bottom. The views were very pretty. My husband commented on how comfortable he was on his horse. My daughter (15) really enjoyed riding the horse named Wee-man. The guides were great. read more

My partner and I were so excited to ride horses (I'm a huge horse lover) and although I haven't ridden a ton, I was surprised by this establishment. First, we got there a half hour early like I was told to do, then waiting ANOTHER hour and half. I'm not sure what the hold up was because no one communicated it to us, we even talked to another person who was waiting to ride and they said they have been waiting so long for a solo ride and were not sure what to do. Then, we were urgently brought to the stables and had a platform to get onto the horses, almost like a conveyor belt. Once we got on, our guide showed up smoking a cigarette and my partner who doesn't ride a lot was given few instructions on how to maneuver the reins. He didn't even greet us when we were on our horses about to begin our trip. Our time was also cut short which was upsetting because we left so much later than our planned time. The views were nice, but the people who ran this establishment seemed all over the place and did not know who our guide was even supposed to be. I wouldn't have such an issue with this but they had signs posted everywhere about guides being polite and using manners but I just did not see an example of that here. My horse seemed so tired and was going very slow, then the guide gave a stick off a tree to me to hit my horse with to get her to go. The views were pretty and not too bad for a beginner rider but once we got to the point to take a picture, the guide started to hit the horses nose quite hard, repeatedly. My partner and I both said that it was okay and we didn't need a photo (we felt bad for the horses and didn't care about a photo) and the guide insisted and continued to hit them on the head until they complied. We even looked up after our trip if hitting horses like that was normal and found out it is not. On top of smoking cigarettes the entire time, our guide was almost silent unless my partner asked a question and was on his phone. I feel bad for the horses, even though I don't work in this field, it just felt off to see treatment of animals like this. I guess my impression of this business was that they wanted people to connect with the horses and nature, but I just felt rushed along and like another customer during their rush hour. read more

My wife and I decided to do a ride with Sandy Bottom because it was a part of the area we hadn't seen before and, well, horses of courses! I read a few of the reviews on here, and honestly I can't imagine why anyone would give this place a less than 3 star review. Those people just don't seem like they're happy anywhere. The staff were friendly, kind, helpful, and easy going. Some light, easy ribbing going on- since I'd never been on a horse before- but it was all in good fun and light-hearted. There are a few awesome dogs running around (Jelly took the trip with us and was just a great companion out there) to make it even better. We did the two hour ride. There's a stop at the Garnet mine for about 20 minutes to stretch your hip flexors (I needed it) and then you're off again. Through some of the most gorgeous land this country has to offer. Give these people your money, and if you end up riding Chico, he needs some extra work--he's a grazer and loved to snack along the way. Too much fun. read more

Went on a 2 hour trail ride with my wife and our mothers. We had a great time and everyone was very helpful and told us all about the different animals and horses we rode. Also major thanks to our trail guide Peanut! She greeted us when we first arrived and made sure we didn't get lost! read more

Sandy Bottom Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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The views were good. But could probably use more improvement with communication. The guides weren't all that talkative. Honestly could have been better. read more

The views from my hour tour were amazing. The downside was our guides didn't communicate, everyone was so quite. The group we were apart of was too large which made our horses too close to each other. My husband and I were out with another family of 5 which made it awkward. The experience could have been better but the employees were gracious and kind. read more

Sandy Bottom Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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I've been on quite a few trail rides in my life and this place pretty much blew all those other ones out of the water. The ride itself was excellent! The views are stunning and the trip to the gem mine was a blast! What most impressed me was their horses. I don't think I've ever had such a well behaved horse on a trail ride! All their horses appeared to be well fed and up to date with ferried visits! Our guide even mentioned they have a horse that's 42! No horse reaches that age without lots of excellent care! Would absolutely return for another ride if I ever come back to Asheville! read more

Sandy Bottom Trail Rides - Super fun finding garnets! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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Sandy Bottom was an integral part of The Lady and my anniversary trip, and it was a fantastic experience. The location is easy enough to find, with plenty of signage to help direct you which forks to take in the road (also GPS will get you there with no issues). We arrived and parked and spent a little time petting the farm dogs that were chilling out in the field. We walked in and checked in - easy enough. I've only had minor experience on a horse before, so I didn't exactly know what I was doing. Luckily, they paired me with a horse (ironically named Rowdy) and he kind of piloted himself. Seriously, these horses are so used to what they do that they won't even lead you astray. Before we set off, the gentlemen that worked there gave me basic instructions about how to maneuver the horse, and when we first got going, our guide helped me figure out how to handle going up and downhill better. The land is divided into sections by gates, and the horses can close the gates by themselves. Our guide gave me an opportunity to maneuver Rowdy to close a gate and I felt like an expert. Come at me, dressage. Halfway through we were able to stop at the mine once owned by Tiffany Company and mine for garnets. The Lady and I stuck by the riverfront and were able to find about 15 good sized gems! Can't wait to clean them up :) The actual ride itself was beautiful, although the smoke from the nearby fires made it difficult to see out too far in the distance. The horses were well taken care of (plenty of water breaks for them) and the other animals on the land seemed happy as well. We ran into several cow mamas and babies and saw several goats. Overall, our 3 hour experience was really memorable, and I'm happy to have learned a new skill. The guides were wonderful and the whole thing was very well worth the price. Highly suggest this for anybody who's interested in trail riding, and many thanks to Sandy Bottom for letting us explore on their beautiful land. read more

A. M. A. Z. I. N. G. Experience!!!!!!! Came up to Black Rock Mountain to visit family over the Thanksgiving holiday and surprised my sister for her birthday by booking a family horseback riding session for my entire family. Everyone at Sandy Bottoms was amazing, accommodating, friendly, and made sure we were all comfortable the entire time. The trail and gem mine was beautiful and the views were beyond breathtaking. All the horses were well behaved and well kept. My horse Squaw was a sweetheart and got me to and from safely. I highly recommend Sandy Bottom Trail Rides because it was all around perfection. Easy to get to, easy to book, easy to fall in love with their horses and views. I want to send a special thank you to Bruce and Peanut!!!! read more

We enjoyed a spectacular ride today with our guide. This outfit is extremely professional and well experienced. Blown away by the overall heathy appearance of the horses and the establishment. Our horses were perfect for our two boys who had no experience. The guide was great. We did the 3hr trip with garnet mining in the creek and that was great. On the way back we enjoyed a wonderful Thunderstorm that cooled things off a bit. I would highly recommend a ride with Sandy Bottom. read more

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My girlfriend and I did a 3 hour ride with these folks, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. It was a bit nerve-racking for me, because I had never been before. She hopped right on and was ready to go, but I was a little hesitant at first. This is where my only complaint lies - I didn't get much guidance or assurance despite my nervousness. I kinda just had to jump on and hope for the best. Once I got on the horse, I quickly realized that all would be fine, and I relaxed quite a bit. Our two tour guides were funny and knowledgeable about the surrounding property. They also had keen eyes for various types of wildlife - foxes, deer, rabbits, etc. - that we saw along the way. We also were accompanied by the cutest, most energetic dog named Peanut. He would disappear for several minutes at a time, only to come flying out of nowhere chasing some random animal (to no avail except for our own entertainment haha!). The stop at the mine halfway was interesting enough to hold our attention for about 20 minutes, but because it was so muddy, it was difficult to find any garnets. That said, we did find a handful. Only after I got home was I able to actually see the gems for what they were, and not just muddy rocks! The views were spectacular, and they facilitated a stop along the way for the best picturesque spot the mountain trails provided. I would highly recommend to anyone this trail ride, and I'll certainly be going back myself given the chance! read more

This was the best thing we did on our vacation. I wanted to do a trail ride through the mountains with my husband and daughter and I really wanted a place that was far away from the normal tourist stuff. Sandy bottom was exactly what I was looking for. The drive from the gatlinburg area wasn't bad at all. I was grateful that my husband was driving when we hit the mountain road that leads to sandy bottom though. It made me so dizzy! A word of advice. Take an actual map. You know the ones with writing and stuff on them. You still remember how to use those? No wifi,4g or even 1x coverage. So if you don't know where you are going you will probably get lost. We did. Our tour guides weren't big talkers and that was ok with us. We felt comfortable in their capable hands. The staff was friendly and professional. We didn't feel rushed at all. Be prepared to leave a good tip. They deserve it. read more

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We had a terrific time. Would be 6 stars if it would let me. We did the 2hour ride, which is the option that gives you the most time on horseback. We really werent interested in the mine, which is really just a cave in the woods. Kids might like it tho. We had a nice young man as a guide, who was very friendly and conscientious. The land is beautiful, we even spoke with the owner before our ride. He does own all the land, cattle, sheep, and horses. He was very nice. I asked him which horse was his favorite. He said all of them :). Our horses were great and i didnt even have to use the stairs to get on him. Those helper hands and guides are strong lol, we arent small people! We WILL come again when in nc and likely will schedule to do two rides next time. Might save a day in between to let my bottom recover. A++++++ read more

Sandy Bottom Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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This place sucks. If you pay for a 2-hour trail ride, you do a 1-hour ride, and spend 1 hour at an old garnet mine. If you do the 3-hour ride, you ride for the same hour, but you spend TWO HOURS at the same stupid mine. Do you pay more? Of course! The guides are grumpy old men (I don't mean sixty-something, I mean NINETY-something); they put me on an unruly mare that responded to gentle reining by throwing her head around, then told me not to "jerk her around" when she did it. I'm not an expert rider, but I've been riding long enough to know a few things. I had to get off my horse at a stopping point and adjust my girlfriend's stirrups, because the morons didn't do it before we took off, and her legs were killing her. In summary, this place is boring and overpriced. I'll not go back. read more

Love Love Love Sandy Bottom Trails! My boyfriend and I did the three hour ride. In my opinion, a little too much time was spent at the Gem Mine, but my boyfriend had a blast digging up and mining garnets and it was fun seeing the younger him come out every time he found a garnet. We had a very nice trail guide and everyone was very friendly. The wife of the owner was an absolute delight and we enjoyed chatting with her after our trip. We got there about 30 minutes early, we waited for a bit. And since it was just is there they took us right on out. So my boyfriend and I got our own little private ride. It was lovely. I definitely recommend Sandy Bottom Trails. The views are amazing and it's not your average ride, that's for sure. read more

So much fun! The views are so amazing. The horses are taken care of well. And everyone is so friendly. We did the 2 hour guided tour. It was the ideal amount of time to spend riding. Any longer may had been overkill. read more

What an incredible experience! My husband and I went here for a honeymoon day trip and everyone we encountered was absolutely wonderful. Extremely friendly, very helpful and genuinely invested in us enjoying our ride, and we certainly did. We called several surrounding trails before finding Sandy Bottom asking if they had views of the mountains on their trail and 2 of the different companies recommended Sandy Bottom. Boy were they right! We did a 2 hour trail ride and the pictures we took of the Blue Ridge mountains are absolutely breathtaking. Our guide, Slim, was wonderful, telling us stories about the history of the trails and what other nearby attractions we could visit during our stay. It was also clear that he not only cares greatly about Sandy Bottom Trails but also genuinely loves and cares for those horses. I've been on many trail rides in different states before and never have I been on a trail that included multiple water breaks and a rest break for the horses. It was so refreshing to see a trail that took such wonderful care of the horses. It was a very memorable experience for my husband and I. We'll definitely be back next time we're in town. read more

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Very good experience, other than we started half an hour late. Troy and Bruce were tremendous guides, but Peanut the dog was the star of the show! read more

Sandy Bottom Trail Rides - Peanut - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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The BEST time of our trip! We reserved our spots for the 12:00pm, 3 hour horse ride. Our tour guide led us to the little gem mine where we dug up some cool garnet gem stones! We can't wait to take them home and polish them up! Our guide was really friendly and helpful. My 3 year old, who is very particular, enjoyed his company :) The horses know right where to go and are well trained. My little one wanted to take our horse "Cotton" home! I definitely recommend Sandy Bottom Trail Rides...especially if you have kids :) read more

My boyfriend and I went here for a one hour ride. My boyfriend has never been horse back riding before and I am a bit more experienced. We loved this place. It had a very homie feel and looks to be family run. Everyone was very nice, great service. Kelly was our guide. She was wonderful and the trail was beautiful. read more

What a beautiful part of North Carolina we explored on this adventure! The staff here were great, and the scenery was wonderful. Would definitely recommend to anyone in the Asheville area. read more

The best of the best! Nice people, beautiful trails, horses oooohhhh the gorgeous horses! This trip was an unforgettable experience. Thanks to the people of Sandy Bottom Trails for let us have this amazing day! read more

We did this trail ride on our honeymoon. We were the only two on it other then our guide. The horses were very quiet and knew exactly where to go. We road right passed cows, saw lots of wildlife and beautiful views. The mountains are just gorgeous! Our guides were very friendly! Great experience. read more

What a beautiful experience. Very friendly staff. I think overall the price was right. We did a 2 hour ride. Stopped half way to a mine and looked around and continued the next hour on the trail. Our kids wanted to come back the next day. read more

We enjoyed a two hour train ride with our three sons ages 12, 10 and 7. It was a very nice ride with a stop halfway to look into a small cave. The guides were friendly and very helpful. Views were beautiful. read more

My husband and I went here on our honeymoon! We had a blast! Did the 2 hour ride, and our tour guide was Ben! Highly recommended! We will be back! read more

Very nice riding, feel the natural with horses, the view is so Beautiful! I will do 4 hours in stand of 2 hours next time. Love myself in the mid of forest! This is the best we find out in this trip!!! read more

Sandy Bottom Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

Upon arriving, the person manning the front desk was very rude and aggressive. He charged us $25 a person, which neither agrees with the information online or anything I had found on the website. When my group was deciding if this price was too high, we mentioned that we were probably going to pass, and the man showed us the map to the site in an effort to convince us otherwise. He was later mad and said that we owed him for the map alone, even though we were clear that we were still making up our minds when he showed it to us. Very rude and aggressive. I can't speak to the horseback riding side, but the fee mining was very expensive and seemed like entrapment. The tactic of showing the map and then demanding payment seems almost scammy. They could have easily checked the mine a few minutes later and seen that we didn't go instead of acting like showing us the map was some form of binding contract. read more

Great experience, start to finish! Very well cared for horses. Patient and attentive guides made me feel secure taking my daughter for her first ride. Amazing views! read more

My mother and I went on a 'girls weekend' trip and we decided to go for a horseback ride - my mother didn't feel comfortable getting on a horse @ age 67, she was willing to go for me, because it was what I wanted to do for my Birthday. It was ok, because they could take her for a ride in a Polaris, right behind us, if there is more than 2 people going, they will hitch up a wagon & take you out as well. This place was so BEAUTIFUL and the people were so NICE!! It truely is for people of ALL AGES & they have no weight limits for riding the horses. Jack & several others came out and greeted us as soon as we arrived. The ranch is run by 4 generations of the same family & has more than 350 acres. They have around 65 horses. There are clean bathrooms, water bottles for you to purchase & a small vending machine, as well as a porta-potty out @ the Garnet Mine. They have helmets for the children. Slim was my guide and he talked about the ranch and the history and even a little about himself. Shoney drove my mom & was so good with her. The land was so beautiful, there were cows, sheep, dogs and plenty of beautiful wild flowers to look at along the way. When we got out to the gem mine, they helped us fine garnets, took pictures of us & even let my mother take some rock back for her garden & loaded it up for her. Overall it was an AWESOME day....till my Mother accidentally locked her keys in the trunk of the car. At this point you would've thought the day had taken a bad turn, but it didn't, it became part of the adventure. 5 different people including the owner (Jack), started getting on their phones to try and find us a locksmith (which was difficult to do, because we were in the middle of the country, and 45 minutes outside of Asheville). These people were so awesome!! They normally dont serve lunch, but they had a large bus of kids on the trails & they had served lunch that day. They told us not to worry they'd find us a locksmith & then told us to go have some lunch, on the house. We were served BBQ sandwiches, corn on the cob, baked beans, blackberry wine cake & peach cobbler. It was a HUGE lunch & they were apologizing for running out of potato salad & coleslaw (REALLY not necessary! :)). While waiting, we found out that the meal was made by Jacqueline (the granddaughter) & her mother that day & the women take turns on who is going to cook. The ladies working in the kitchen were super sweet, served us & sat and talked with us while we waited & Jacqueline and I even swapped recipes. Random acts of kindness come in all shapes and sizes. Meeting the folks that run Sandy Bottom Trails was one of those times. We were truely blessed that day & we'll be back to this place, with all of our family to ride the horses and have more adventures with these WONDERFUL PEOPLE!! read more

I have been riding for many years and told the staff. Nevertheless I was put on Candy- I found out later was a horse they used for children. Not to mention the horse had just come back from an earlier trail ride. Needless to say, the poor thing was tired and , exhausted. My experience on the 3 hour ride was awful. The only reason I gave Sandy Bottom one star was that the views were good. Beware experience riders! read more

This was a great expierience for some family fun, even for hard to please teens! The experienced guids picked horses to match the size and abilities of each rider. The horses were well cared for, fat & happy! Our guide was kind and helpful & patient with the variety of skills in our group. Excellent family run business. It was a pleasure & we plan on being back! read more

Great experience for the whole family. We went on the 2 hour trail ride with Ben and Bruce as our guides. It was nice to be able to get down from the horses, explore the mine and have a snack. Ben took a photo of our group on the ride back to the barn in front of the beautiful NC countryside. Highly recommend! read more

We took a three hour ride with this company on Sunday. We had 3 adults and 3 kids ages 11, 7, and 5. They were GREAT! The guide was friendly and made the kids comfortable. The horses were well cared for and beautiful. The trail offers beautiful, peaceful views. The kids and adults enjoyed the gem mine. We will absolutely return. And ask for Peanut- she is the best guide! read more

Took a 1 hour trail ride with my wife, daughter, and two granddaughters (2 & 4). Our guide, James, was great, the staff was great, horses were great and the ride was fun. We all enjoyed it and will be back again. read more