This is the real thing! We rode for 3 hours. Our guide/owner was laid back, informative and really…read morewanted us to have a great experience. We went through a beautiful trail and saw amazing Mountain View's. It was difficult to find and there is absolutely no cell phone service but once you do find your meeting place...the fun begins! We were beginners and it was definitely a great time and worth every penny!

This was an awesome ride. We took the 1 1/2 hour ride thru woods. Kelly was so good first time in a…read morelong time riding for me and husband. She was patience and very kind. We so enjoyed it and will be back. I highly recommend this place and have already told people to come. It not your everyday ride in single file place where the horse are just wore out. This is truly ride you horse and enjoy the view of the mountains.

We had a very pleasant 2-hour trail ride with Karen and her assistant. Myself and my three kids…read morehave ridden before, but not often enough to call ourselves "expert" riders. We got an instructional before riding that made everyone feel more confident. They provide the horses, all the equipment (safety helmets upon request) and Karen even offered to take pictures of the group to be send by email after our ride was complete. They offer 60, 90 and 120 minute tours. We wanted the full 2 hour experience, but novice riders or families with smaller children may wish to consider a shorter 60, maybe 90 minute ride.

The staff are friendly, detailed, knowledgeable and very experienced. The scenery is incredible!…read moreThe horses were well trained, and easy to direct as needed. Much of the time they just played follow the leader, which was fine with me! Abigail had the perfect mix of some interesting details with lots of peaceful time to enjoy the mountains, forest and horses.

Fantastic experience! Karyn is kind and accommodating. She caters to different experience levels…read moreand gives very clear, explicit instructions. Her horses are clearly very loved. My husband and I had a fantastic time getting to know the horses, seeing absolutely stunning scenery, and chatting with Karyn. I highly recommend!

My family and our sons' friends thoroughly enjoyed our ride with Karyn and Allie. Friendly folks,…read morebeautiful scenery and wonderful ride. We all had such a fantastic time, it was the topic of conversation hours later, and a "friendly" argument arose over whose horse was the best. Some bonds were definitely made on the trail. Karyn was super nice and very accommodating. We would definitely recommend to our friends and will plan to ride again when we're in the area.

0:21…read more 0:11 View all Smokemont Riding Stables 4.9 (585) Horse riding in Swain County, North CarolinaOpen OVERVIEW REVIEWS PHOTOS BY OWNER ABOUT Google review summary 54321 4.9 (585) Reviews All guide101 waterfall79 trip36 trail ride35 +6 Sort by Most relevant Newest Highest Lowest Tracy Sankbeil Local Guide·78 reviews·8 photos just now NEW My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting the stables on September 23rd. We were one of three couples embarking on the 9am ride (it became notably busier upon our return). The decision to rise early and undertake the 90-minute drive was ... More Lara Atherton 2 reviews·4 photos a month ago These were the best cared for, healthiest horses that I have ever seen on a trail ride. Absolutely gorgeous! Our guides Heather & Asiah were awesome. It was really nice that they had plenty of staff to help people mount & dismount both at ... More suzanne ridenour 3 reviews·8 photos 3 months ago Excellent trail ride our guide Bubba was great. Small group which helped us get to know each other which made for a great time. Went to a beautiful little waterfall which added to the overall experience. I highly recommend Smokemont ... More Savannah L 3 reviews·4 photos 5 days ago NEW Beautiful scenery, horses were exceptional, and I really enjoyed our guide because he was very respectful and nice. I think his name was Buck. Tracy Sankbeil Local Guide·78 reviews·8 photos just now NEW My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting the stables on September 23rd. We were one of three couples embarking on the 9am ride (it became notably busier upon our return). The decision to rise early and undertake the 90-minute drive was certainly worth it! This tranquil morning ride leading to the waterfall provided a breathtaking introduction to the Smoky Mountains. This adventure was my first horseback riding experience (my husband's second), and the staff handled our initiation well. They provided sturdy stands for us to mount our horses, conveniently positioned both at the outset and within the woods. The staff took care to pair each rider with a suitable horse. Although I had reservations about venturing out, our knowledgeable guide, Holly (my apologies if I've momentarily forgotten your name), possessed a deep understanding of the horses' personalities and area. She offered valuable insights, such as highlighting Walkers' preferred snack stops and Appache's spots for quick gallops. These insights greatly enhanced our journey (and soothed my nerves). The 2.5-hour ride felt perfectly timed, and the group efficiently assisted us in dismounting at the conclusion. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to everyone. Thank you for the memorable adventure.

My husband and I was visiting Gatlinburg Tennessee for my birthday weekend. We booked a birthday…read morehorseback ride with Smokemont in Cherokee NC a month before for Oct 17 2026, my birthday. We own horses (4) We have been all over the world riding horses cross country on 5 day treks. We have NEVER had someone whip out a scale and ask us to weigh in!!!! My husband is 6 foot and looks like a quarterback. He is not fat!! The lady behind counter already had a resting bitch face when we walked up. It was chilly so my husband had on 3 layers including thick sweater, jeans breeches and boots and half chaps . He weighed in at 246. She informed us , no ride for us cause he was over the 240 pound never taking consideration on height, clothing which she could not see as she was sitting in a box behind a counter. We just stood there in disbelief for a minute not believing she was basically saying he was too fat to ride a horse. He is not fat. There was no sorry. No well we will make sure we give you a bigger horse. There was nothing!!!! A blank fuckin stare. We drove an hour and half from Tennessee to ride on my birthday and we get this treatment over 6 pounds that was clothes . I let her know what a miserable biatch she was and we left. Ruined most of my whole day as ride was booked for 1 p.m. She is a total biatch. Unprofessional pos Do not waste your time or money!!!!!!!!

We had a great experience on the Fern Forrest Trail. Joshua was our guide and was very informative…read moreand attentive. The safety video we watched prior to the ride was the most information I've ever gotten before a trail ride. I learned a lot. The horses are very well tempered even for a beginner. I took my 10 year old and he had a great time. The people here are very kind and experienced. Great experience and we will come back!

If you're visiting Highlands or Cashiers and considering horseback riding with your family, I would…read morestrongly recommend looking elsewhere. We scheduled a 45-minute horseback ride during a 2:00-3:30 p.m. visit. Instead, we spent approximately 30 minutes watching an outdated instructional video that felt more like a way to occupy guests while staff prepared the horses than an effective safety briefing. By 3:00 p.m., the horses were STILL being saddled. We ultimately had to leave without riding, yet were charged the full amount anyway. Even more concerning was the appearance of the horses. Several looked noticeably underweight, and many had such an accumulation of burrs, stickers, and thorns tangled throughout their manes and around their faces that their hair appeared badly matted. I'm no expert in horse care, but their condition was troubling. To be fair, the staff seemed friendly, and the scenic drive from Highlands was beautiful. Unfortunately, friendliness doesn't make up for poor planning, questionable grooming, and charging customers for an experience they never received. Vacation time is valuable, especially with kids. This experience consumed a significant portion of ours without delivering the service we paid for. I genuinely hope the owners take a serious look at their scheduling, customer service, and the appearance and grooming of their horses. My recommendation: Spend your money and valuable mountain time elsewhere. On a positive note, Zelda the cat was absolutely awesome and easily the highlight of our visit!

Great river ride with guides Lexie and John. I'm a horse rider and was worried the head to tail…read moreslow walk would be boring. Beautiful scenery, awesome horses and a nice peaceful ride thru walking thru and in the Little Tennessee River. Perfect relaxing stroll on horseback with well informed, caring guides. Thanks Lexie and John.

These are stables about 2 hours away from Atlanta. Super…read morefun for a family, girls, solo trip. You can call them and make a reservation for 1-2 hour horseback rides, with some portions in the river. I chose to do a 1 hour ride with the river. The stables themselves are light and airy, with multiple horses. About 8 people to a group if you choose to go without a private package. They teach you a little basics about steering and then you're on your way. If you do the river ride make sure you wear shoes you don't mind getting wet. My horse went a bit to the right in the river where it was deeper and my feet got soaked. All good though. Guides are great and they love chatting. They will help take photos if you'd like as well. Highly recommend!

We had a great time at Equus Mountain Meadow Riding Stables, just remember to ask for the new…read moreaddress (same street, just a little down the road). I rode Tripoli, he was super friendly and wanted scratches and snuggles after the ride. My mom rode Rocket, he was slow and stable (good for her). This is very informal, and you can tell that these horses do not have to do the same thing over and over. Very customizable, and you will be the only group riding. Very Nice!

This was one of the most amazing and memorable trail rides I ever had. I was so sad to see them…read moregone from the Tampa Bay location. But when they moved to Georgia, I was so elated that I had to go and do another trail ride with them. The drive to Clayton was quite scenic, with lush greens and beautiful mountains to look at. It is about a 2 hour drive from Atlanta, but definitely worth it! Their new barn is in a residential area, with some beautiful trails heading to the mountains. The ride to the mountains was so peaceful and relaxing, and ability to trot and canter the horses was amazing, giving some added thrill to the ride. I was so happy to ride Tripoli again, who is a very beautiful and sweet white Arabian gelding. He was responsive to my commands, and was quite forgiving when making a mistake. While Tripoli's trots are a little bouncy (though, can be posted pretty easily), his canters are as smooth as a rocking horse. Ken is such a friendly and amazing guide. He really helps you learn how to control the horses correctly and helps the timid riders gain their confidence on the horses. While he makes safety of the horses and riders his highest priority, as long as the horses are up for it, and he find it safe to do so, he lets you trot and canter almost anytime you want (the only time when he suggested against it was going downhill for obvious reasons ;) ). The horses here very sweet, friendly, and well taken care of. They get fed twice per day, and get plenty of breaks during and in between the rides. They all love having treats, so be sure to bring carrots and peppermints. They will treat you even extra nice if you bring those. :) The cost of the ride is $50 for a 1.5 hour ride if only a single person is riding, or $40 per person if 2 - 4 people are riding. The ride is indeed private, with no other strangers riding with you. It is worth every penny and I can't wait to go back to Georgia and ride with them again soon!

Cash is king for discount. Paid individually when we got there with an appointment time. Our host…read morewas amazing and got us on the trail quickly. All the horses had their own quirks which I loved. Had a good time on the trail just wish we went a bit faster but too many mixed riders. Property was beautiful. Mainly flat land good for beginner riders horses know what they are doing but you do know the few basics.

We had an amazing ride. All staff were very nice and informative. The landscape is so beautiful. We…read morewill be back for many more rides!

Robb the owner was great and very accommodating! We had an awesome ride - basically a private tour…read morefor our family and we had the best time. We did the 1 1/2 hour ride which was beautiful & stopped a few times along the way for stories from Robb. Horses all looked healthy and you could tell they were well treated. 10/10 recommend :)

I can't understand how you could give Rob and Lacey anything less than 5 stars. They are…read morecourteous, helpful, and have a great variety of Quarter horses, and a few Tennessee Walkers. This is our second year in a row riding with them on our family vacation, and we will be back next year. 5 stars all day.

A few bumps when we first got there, but they immediately attended and fixed everything. The…read morepersonal service was great meals were fantastic and Cara de Somalia is a wonderful addition to their staff. We enjoyed horseback riding a wine tour ut ride.

Loved our stay here. Recently underwent renovations and joined the luxury chain Relais and Chateau…read more We stayed in the Haywood cabin which was perfect for our group of 5. Two king bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, porches, living area with pull out couch, and fireplace. Modern decor and comfy touches throughout like the heated floors in the bathroom. We also had an amazing view of the mountains. We had the pleasure of trying all the menus at Switchback Restaurant - breakfast, brunch, and dinner. Food was local and tasty. Vibe was lodge chic. Took advantage of the hiking trails as well. Did the Salamander Falls and Meadow trails. Great scenery and went right past the pasture with horses, which were so sweet. Most importantly, the staff were all incredible. Everyone was pleasant and accommodating. They made it so easy to communicate requests both before and during our stay. Thanks for a great time!