My mother and I recently went to Hell's A-Roarin and we had a blast! When we first walked in the…read moreranch, we were greeted by four friendly dogs. There were also a plethora of horses in their stables and baby horses. The wranglers were hospitable and gave us forms to sign which gave us an overview of what horseback riding rules and safety regulations. As we were guided to our horses, they introduced us to them and told us how to control our horses. At first, I was skeptical because there was no harness involved and I felt that I was gonna fall off. But as we continued riding, I felt much more relaxed and confident in controlling my horse. We were riding in the hills and saw beautiful scenery. It was my very first time riding a horse and I truly loved every bit of it!

Such a beautiful ride, with such kind and considerate staff and leaders! I stupidly locked my keys…read morein my truck, which I realized I had done after my horseback ride, and the whole team (especially Jay R. and Sue) were so kind and helpful to me whilst they had a million other things to do that day. I will be returning with the whole family and hopefully booking an overnight adventure soon. I like to take horse rides wherever I travel to (if it is accommodating to do so) and this was absolutely one the best experiences I have ever had!! This ranch and experience felt special, careful, and I felt personally cared for. Couldn't recommend more!!

You know I have to shout out Rhodes Josie and Josie. Would ride here again. Perfect for a family…read more EnTItY recommends...

We recently completed a tour with this group. We were are part of the saddle and paddle. Horseback…read moreriding in the morning with lunch in between and rafting 8 miles in the afternoon. Check in and directions were easy and every single person was delightful. Once we made our way up to the horseback riding ranch we were ready to ride. It was fun. However the guides for at the ranch were not very friendly. They did not really give great instructions prior to riding. There were several inexperienced riders who could have benefited from a few extra minutes of support and directions. Another negative was the group of riders was way too large. They should break up the large groups into smaller ones. Our group had over 30ppl. Got separated from my spouse during horse selection. It was chaos. They should consider breaking the groups up into experience and who cam together. Felt bad my spouse was chosen last and I had been on my horse for a good 10 minutes. Overall I would not suggest this portion of the tour unless they committed to making groups smaller and more interactive with guides. They didnt really talk to us or give and local facts or interesting things about the area. Disappointing. The older lady at the ranch also got sparky when I asked if I could take my water with me. Her response "why do you need water it's only a hour ride, jeez just grab a saddle bag I guess. Just rude. Then when getting off the horse she was smacking it in the face while I was still on it. Just not the greatest experience.

Will took our small group on a fantastic ride down the Yellowstone - despite the 49° overcast day!…read moreHighly recommend this outfit and the trip!

We chose the easiest route, mostly calm with a little woohoo, perfect for my daughter (5 yr-old)…read more Although my son (10) was dying for more waves, it is a very entertaining and worry free ride. We spotted few antelopes, 2 bold eagles several Canadian geese, and of course the beautiful view. Special shout out to our guide Austin. He made the tour even more fun and interesting. He is very informative and made his explanation so understandable for my 5 yr-old. On top of that he was answering 1000 questions from my son, and super patient with the kids. On our way back, we got Nisha as our driver. She was fun and very playful with the kids. Actually both Nisha and her brother, driver to the river, are interesting to talk to, but we were too excited and forgot to ask his name. Thank you guys for such a great experience

Wonderful 3 generation trip with Wild West Rafting. For the 8 of us, we had a private all day…read morerafting trip. Going in late summer, the rapids and water levels were perfect for the grandkids ages 7-11. They were able to paddle and "ride the bull" in front of the boat. We had water fights with the other boats in the group, pass the football from boat to boat and float in the water with our life jackets in calm water. Lunch was plentiful and delicious. Wild West Rafting is organized. Our rafting guide was terrific! Scenery was beautiful.

Thank you Chiara! A well organized rafting trip led by a badass guide. She had a smile on her face…read morefrom beginning to end and made sure each of us were properly outfitted and informed. She shared her knowledge about the river systems and mountains and kept us entertained throughout. My 10 year old was nervous in the beginning but Chiara's skills were reassuring so she moved to the edge of the boat and felt confident enough help to paddle a few times. The highlight of our whole trip down the river was watching a large group of elk cross right before us. Amazing! Oh, and a big shout out to the sweetest dogs who greeted us at the end and joined us on the bus back. Thank you all!

Had a great time on the river! Brian was a great guide and very knowledgeable. Definitely would do…read moreagain

OMG, so much fun! Colby and Gray were awesome!!!!! Beautiful day, knowledgeable guides, and a…read morewhole lot of fun!

Horseback riding with Wilderness Connection was easily one of the best parts of our trip. A…read morefamily-owned business that has been passed down through 5 generations - you can feel the pride and passion behind everything they do. Our guide, Tyler, made the ride unforgettable. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the area and also had an unbelievable ability to spot wildlife along the trail. The views were gorgeous the entire ride. The horses were wonderful, healthy, well cared for, and matched thoughtfully to each rider's comfort and experience level. The whole team created such a welcoming and safe environment. Highly recommend.

Had a wonderful time at The Wilderness Connection! The…read morecustomer service was fantastic--everyone was so patient and kind, especially with our 7-year-old who was very scared at first. Thanks to Tylers calm and encouraging approach, she ended up having an amazing time and now says she wants to come back and work there when she grows up! Truly a memorable experience. What an amazing family we will definitely be back to hunt in the winter.

My son and I traveled with ABO in July 2021. We took the weeklong trip to Bullmoose Meadow and…read morefished on Hellroaring Creek. The primary camp is in a designated Wilderness Area: Picture Yellowstone without the roads, trail markers, rangers, vehicles, power lines, crowds. Our team was completely prepared to get us into and out of the woods safely on horseback, and to help us enjoy the backcountry. The scenery was unmatched and the fishing was fantastic. Hellroaring Creek is crowded with Yellowstone cutthroat that get very little pressure and are a blast to fish on dry flies. The growing season is brief at that elevation, so those fish want to eat. The stream is adjacent to camp, so there is no traveling or waiting on fishing days, except for waiting for the mornings to warm up. The water is varied enough to keep anyone entertained, and the fish stay busy. We were very impressed by the comfort and organization in the camps, the beautiful setting, the help on travel days, and the excellent food. We would be excited to travel with Cameron and the crew from ABO again.

Let me start by saying this is back country camping at it's best. My husband and I had a great…read moretime with Cameron, Patrick and all the gang. Everyone was very helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating. Pat, the cook, made the most delicious meals. Yes the horseback ride is long, but the views are beautiful. Fishing was fantastic. I never caught so many fish. The logistics of setting up this camp is mind blowing. You appreciate it so much more. I would definitely recommend them for a great adventure!!!

Wonderful experience! Our ride was in the most beautiful area that we saw the entire time we were…read morein Montana and Yellowstone! Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and shared lots of history. Would highly recommend this ride.

I believe this place is out of business? Their website has old dates(example Now Booking 2017), the…read morereviews on website are old (2014), they do not respond to email and they do not answer or return phone calls.

ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES IN MONTANA!!! I cannot recommend this place enough!!! Do not look…read moreanywhere else! Choose this place! Long review below but the highlights: amazing views and scenery, great animals all around, very sweet owner, great pricing, and some autonomy with the horses My group of 3 decided day of that we wanted to go horseback riding. Everywhere we looked or called was booked. One location that we called recommended Specimen Creek. I looked it up online and saw a number to call (or text) for reservations. I gave them a call and spoke with Ralph. He said he had availability that day for the afternoon and said we were booked for three people. He didn't take my name, number, or email so I was a little worried about confirming that we had the reservation. To get to specimen creek, it was going to be a 1.5 hour drive so I didn't want to show up and there be no reservation. We made the drive from Bozeman and showed up 30-ish minutes before our reservation. The last 15 min of the drive was on a dirt road that could be quite uneven at times. I would recommend an SUV but it is manageable with a smaller car. There's enough signage to get where you need to go but pulling up, we realized we pulled up to Ralph's home. This was where we were supposed to be but we were a little nervous at first incase we got the wrong place. Ralph welcomed up and even introduced us to some of his animals. He has animals of all type that just roam the property freely, and these animals want to be there. He has a turkey that was friendly enough to let us pet him and just chilled by Ralph's front porch. We met a mule named Joy that wanted ALL the attention and would make sure you were aware of her presence so she could get some pets. It was wonderful seeing Ralph interact with his animals because you could tell he cared about them and they cared about him. Ralph gave us a very brief education on how to ride (all 3 of us had maybe ridden a horse once every 5-ish years, so we're basically beginners). And then we set off with him in the lead. We rode on Whiskey, Blue, and Sunny and every horse was amazing. They were so calm and comfortable with us. These horses know the trail and what is expected of them so if you're looking to just sit on a horse and go along for a ride, you could get by. But, if you go in wanting to ride, you will get the BEST experience. Our horses walked majority of the trail, however they would occasionally trot and one horse got into a gallop to catch up to the others (after a quick snack break). So yes these horses can manage without any guidance from the riders, but they will let you ride and control them. We booked the 1 hour ride and the trail we took was AMAZING. We walked through creeks that the horses would drink from, we went over a wooden bridge, there were beautiful views of trees and the mountains of Yellowstone national park in the distance, beautiful wild flowers (even in June), and we even saw a deer frolicking through the tall grass. Majority of the trail was shaded and clear except for an occasional branch that was easy to dodge. The trail has plenty to see and enjoy but even the riding itself was enjoyable. Ralph also stopped to get a photo of us all. Ralph was very nice to us and told us a little more about what he does. He runs the place by himself and said he had been doing this his entire life. He looked very comfortable on his horse and around his animals so there was no concern there. Our 1 hour ride ended a little later than 1 hour but we didn't feel rushed by Ralph. Once we were done, we were able to pay for the experience with a card. Everyone on the ride had an absolute BLAST! I have maybe written one or two reviews but I knew I just had to write one for Specimen Creek. I cannot recommend this place enough. The drive was so worth it for the experience. All of us left so happy with the ride and smiles all around. Thank you Ralph for making it such a wonderful experience!

Soooo, I made reservations for horseback riding for 6 people a month and a half in advance of our…read morefamily reunion at Yellowstone. Two days before our ride, I received a call from Specimen Creek telling me they were canceling our reservation. No explanation was given. Then, as I pressed further, they told me they didn't have enough horses. They also offered no alternatives or other outfitters to call. If I could give them zero stars, I would.

Extremely sad. These people should not be allowed to own horses. This is animal abuse. Horses…read moreforced to lay in their own waste and drink disgusting water. not a single area of ground that isn't half a foot high in horse poop. The horses were sinking into it and slipping in it. I've never seen anything this horrendous at a stable in my entire life and I've been to many. This place is disgusting and these people should not be allowed to own animals.

Highly recommend this experienced outfitter for pack trips into the Yellowstone. They take great…read morecare of you, and they're a great team. I learned a bit about how it works from them, from the gear to the horse pens, the mule bells, and how to order your group. We spent 3 days in the beautiful mountains, riding up 9,000 feet to a lake, saw wildflowers, gorgeous views and even a bison. Trip of a lifetime.