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Zephyr Cove Stables

4.6 (215 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

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Ally & Tamale
Alexander N.

Can't believe this was our first time here. Everyone here was super friendly and welcoming. The horses were beautiful and the scenery was amazing. Our guide was super cool and well experienced Cow Boy! We're definitely gonna come back and do the dinner ride cause we saw them preparing and it smelt so good. But this spot we will definitely be back. Thank you all for this experience.

johnny ringo!
Giuliana S.

awesome stables! they make you sign waivers, take cash or card, have restrooms onsite, and have helmets. we did the 90 hour trail ride and the views were gorgeous. our horses were johnny ringo and richard. our guide was quiet but funny. i didnt mind the quietness because the views were breathtaking and the experience itself was surreal. i would recommend!

Mounting
Jenn J.

Many years have we been customers. My husband has been coming to the lake each summer for over 40 years. We often get the same horses each year, which is fine. The horses are gentle and walk slowly. They know this trail so well, they are on auto-pilot. Only deviations from plan are if the horse decides to munch on a bush or stop mid trail for their bathroom break(s). Prompted or not, they then get back to work not long after. They catch right back up to be tail to nose in their queue. The trail itself is largely shaded - that's helpful in summer months. The trail is very defined - It's like the horses know how to queue up like the British. No hoof is out of line. As such, the trail is often quite narrow. At places, the trail is so worn by horse foot traffic that the path is cut a foot or so deep. Brush, at points, is cleared exactly the width of one horse so wear pants to avoid scratches. Combine the auto-pilot horse and the deep worn path, there isn't any steering necessary. No need to drive. Autonomous horse back riding like the pony around a pole. This is good for little kiddos - the establishment will take kids 6 years or older. There is nothing tying the kiddo to the horse but there isn't any need given the languorous pace and predictable path. Low risk of falling off. For adults and older kids, I wish there was an opportunity to practice the horseback riding instructions they describe at the intro: - Spread us out more to allow for some different pacing. I'd like to give trotting a go - Provide an open field to allow us left and right turns, stop and go command practice The ride could use some commentary. Tell me about the trail, local history, topography, etc. Tell me a bit about the horses and animal husbandry. Tell me a bit about the history of your ranch. Heck, tell me you've this job because you're off school for the summer. Talk to me please. Kids are the same price as adults. $75/hr if cash and $77/hr with credit card. Wish there was a child discount or a group discount as we sometimes have 7 kids with my boys plus cousins. Disappointingly, they did not offer us a family photo at the summit of the trail this year. That was the best part of prior years' visits. We get to see how the boys have grown year over year. But no group photo this year. I asked about it as we were getting ready to return the horses and got a half ass photo of us all spread out on a weird part of a path, with half of us in the shade and half of us in the sun. And none of our faces really visible as the picture was taken from too far. So sad. We may not come back after all these years...

Top of the trail
Nick R.

Absolutely 5 star, best experience I've had in Tahoe! Very calm and easy to ride horses, expert and caring guide who rides with you, drop dead gorgeous trails and lake views. Connect with nature in a way that will leave you wanting to do it again. We did the 1 hour ride, more than enough for inexperienced riders. I hadn't been on a horse for 15 years since my childhood.

Melissa V.

Shout out to Samantha our tour guide for giving us a fun and welcoming experience!! Super glad we chose this spot to horse ride really relaxing and peaceful! Beautiful scenery horses did great as well!

Horses
Divya K.

We had a great time here on our trip to Tahoe. Enjoying the views as part of a horse ride was a really nice experience. We called in for a reservation about a week in advance for an hour long ride, most people have timely made reservations but they do seem pretty accommodating. We checked in about 5-10 mins before time and signed a waiver and made our payment. The hour long slot worked out perfectly. As a first time horse rider I was nervous, but the horses were really tame and friendly. We went with a group of a few other people to talking to about 6 plus the guide. As you hop on, you'll get some simple on the reigns and posture and then you go along the trail in a single file line with the guide leading the way, the horses kinda automatically just follow each other without any prompts. You can tell the guides are experienced and you're in safe hands. Horse riding at Zephyr cove stables is just another great way to enjoy the Tahoe views, be sure to check it out and tip your guide :)

Yvon Y.

My boyfriend and I came here on our last day of our weekend getaway. Our guide, Peyton was AMAZING and made our first horseback riding experience enjoyable. She was friendly, talkative and EXTREMELY helpful with how to guide our horses with turning, how to posture ourselves while going up and down the trails. Peyton also gave us a heads up when there were a few obstacles coming up; such as going in between a few boulders we would have to squeeze through, tree branches to avoid and taking a few big steps downhill. We came across a group of others that were on a guide and she assisted some of the other hosts' guests with how to steer the horse and to get them moving again. Peyton was more than willing to help others! She was also more than willing to answer any questions that we had about riding our horses. She also stopped for a bit to make sure my feet were positioned properly and adjusted my stirrups for safety. Thank you for checking on us every now and then and for taking our pictures! For that day being her second day, we're happy to have had the pleasure of meeting her.

Horse
Rose G.

Everyone was super helpful and friendly getting me on and off my horse and guiding us around the woods. It was a neat perspective of seeing the lake and the woods. There was a lovely spot where our guide nicely stopped to take pictures of us. And my horse was so sweet and smart, stopping when I wanted her to (to readjust or stay a bit further back from the dust being kicked by the horse in front of me) even though she knew she was supposed to follow the line. Since it was my first time riding a horse, it was a bit painful for me. I awkwardly had to get some extra help to get off my horse at the end because my legs were like jello and my butt really hurt lol. Shout out to the nice man that helped me down. I pretty much just went limp noodle and he had to set me down...so sorry, dude! Fair warning, the inside of your nose will have black boogers coming out all day because of all the dust that the horses kick up lol. Def recommend heading back to your hotel for a shower afterwards!

The stables are right across from Zephyr Cove Marina.
Navin K.

We decided to end our week in Lake Tahoe by treating our family to a horseback ride on the 4th of July. A quick scan of Yelp revealed that Zephyr Cove Stables offered a good experience at a reasonable price, so we made a 4 pm appointment. As we pulled up, they made sure we had signed up, and after paying ($55 per person) and signing the usual waivers, we were led to our horses. Cat was our guide, and she explained the basics and helped us climb on. I was the least experienced in our party, so they gave me a smart, gentle black horse named Smokey, and allowed me to bring up the rear. After a quick check of our saddles, we were off into the pine forest above Zephyr Cove. I was quite nervous at first, but Smokey was very easygoing and responsive. In turn, I made sure to keep his reins loose and stay balanced in the stirrups. I also leaned forward when we were climbing up, and backward when the trail sloped down, so my center of gravity shifted to help him. Before I realized it, I was feeling relaxed enough to enjoy the beautiful scenery and listen to the birds and squirrels around us. The ride lasted an hour, with one stop to re-adjust our saddles and another at a scenic overlook to take some pictures of our group. The time went by quickly - we got back to the stables dusty and happy! Thank you, Cat and Zephyr Cove Stables, for a memorable experience we will cherish forever.

Cyndy C.

Great experience from start to finish. We arrived 10 minutes before the appointed time, signed waivers, and were on our horses within minutes. Our guide, Troy, was a delight - friendly and fun. But he also kept a constant watchful eye on our horses, vigilant to any behaviors that could have signaled trouble. We could tell that he cared very much about two things: that we had a fun ride, and the health and well-being of the animals. Gorgeous mountain trail with beautiful views of the lake from the upper ridges. Definitely recommend.

Jason S.

Really fun ride through the area. The guide wasn't very talkative but the scenery more than made up for it. The horses were great as well. Really nice views of the water. The staff was friendly as well.

Julie K.

Easy peasy, enjoyable afternoon ride into the woods w/ amazing views. Horses were well-behaved and needed minimal guidance while the staff was really helpful. Beautiful hour spent exploring the woods without having to clock in those steps in the heat. It was my boyfriend's first time horseback riding and he had a good time - priceless.

Horses
Hailey R.

I loved this experience! My boyfriend and I did the 1 hour horse back riding and wow it was so fun and nothing like ive ever experienced, the views were incredible! This was my first time on a horse so I was a little nervous but I got the hang of it quickly! I highly recommend this place! Also please wear jeans or thick pants, was my mistake haha.

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2 years ago

We had a great time. Wonderful people. Their dinner is top notch. We would go there again!!

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2 years ago

Perfect one hour ride. Very well behaved horses. Great guide. Would highly recommend!

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3 years ago

Gorgeous setting! Horses are well taken care of and staff friendly! Highly recommend taking your family- Dinner ride is well worth it

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Ask the Community - Zephyr Cove Stables

Is this business still open? We tried calling the business number and no voicemail with details and it just keeps ringing. No email address also on their website.. No details on specific dates when they are open..

I was able to contact them and they are having issues from all the snow. They'll be open hopefully late April 2023.

Will you be open the last week in October?

Yes

Are you open now (April 1 2021), yelp is saying "No", and no one is answering your phone?

Sorry I missed this. We are open now. Opened on the third of April

Can you trot on the trail if you are good with horses?

Sorry no

Do you have to wear a mask while riding?

No you are outside and six feet apart

Hello, what is the age requirement or most appropriate age to ride?

Minimum age is 7 yrs.

View All 8 Questions

Review Highlights - Zephyr Cove Stables

We had the most beautiful ride to the top of the mountain where we could see so much of beautiful Lake Tahoe.

Mentioned in 26 reviews

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Zephyr Cove Stables - horsebackriding - Updated May 2026

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