Horseback Riding in Durango
Mountain Trip Details
The Rocky Mountain scenery is truly spectacular, and the ideal way to experience it is with Rimrock Outfitters on a horseback camp trip! You will ride trails bordered by wildflowers, through forests of aspen and pine, across tumbling creeks, and see Rocky Mountain wildlife. We are located a short drive from the Durango and Cortez airports in Mesa Verde Country.
Some of the country is rugged and steep, but your sure-footed mount will take you carefully through so you can experience the beauty of the wilderness. Our camps are primitive but comfortable. We provide tents, cots, grub, and all but your personal items. Guests usually bring their own bedrolls, but if that is not possible, we can provide one for a small rental fee. We specialize in campfire meals. You will be served , for example, steaks grilled over a bed of coals, cowboy beans, Dutch oven biscuits, campfire stews, and fruit cobblers all cooked to whet the appetite and then satisfy it! Lynne has developed special homemade pancake and syrup recipes, and Perry’s cowboy coffee is always in demand.
SAMPLE ITENERARY FOR A 4DAY TRIP:
Day 1: Meet at Rimrock Outfitters corrals at 9 a.m. Following horse selection, a talk on safety and mountain horseback riding, we will leave the ranch for the first day’s ride through tall pines and aspens, up past the Rimrocks, and on into the West Mancos River drainage. We will enjoy lunch on the trail and arrive at camp in the late afternoon. The tents and camp kitchen will already be in place so we can start on the campfire feast for the evening. Big stories get told and cowboy songs played around the campfire of an evening.
Day 2: After a hearty breakfast, we will ride along Deer Lick Creek and view a series of beaver dams, then into the old mining ghost town of Golconda, along a cliff trail overlooking the West Mancos River, across several creeks, and back to camp for another campfire supper. We might even roast marshmallows over the campfire tonight.
Day 3: Today we ride through Horsefly Flat, along the North Fork of the West Mancos River, through dark fir forests, under the towering Mt. Hesperus, up to Sharkstooth Pass at 11,900′, and back to camp for a steak fry and a good night’s sleep. Undescribably fantastic views await us at every turn on this ride.
Day 4: The kitchen closes at 8:30 a.m. and camp is packed. We ride up to Lou’s Point, down the switchbacks of Box Canyon Trail, and along the West Mancos River, arriving back at the ranch by late afternoon.
This sample itinerary may vary due to weather, trail conditions, and other factors. Remember, there are no kinds of bad weather, just different types of good weather!
Ute Tribal Park
Minimum Age for Trail Riders is 6 years
PER PERSON RATE:
4 DAY 3 NIGHTS - $2000.00
[25% Deposit Required to Book]
For Your Safety, Weight Limit is 250#
+++This is a relatively strenuous adventure+++
Considerable horseback riding and steep hiking. Participants should be in good physical condition and should be aware that the elevation will be as high as 7000′.
Ute Tribal Park Trip Details
Rimrock Outfitters invites you along to experience what it was like back in the days when the Wetherills first discovered the cliff dwelings in the 1800s. Our outfit includes a chuckwagon, cook tent, and wall tents. Our camp is set in a beautiful spot below Soda Point and the cliff dwelling of Two-Story House. Rimrock’s guests eat in classic western style with hearty meals prepared over an open fire and in dutch ovens.
SAMPLE ITENERARY FOR A 4DAY TRIP:
Day 1: With special permission we will explore Cliff Dwellings on the Ute Mountain Tribal Park. The first day’s ride follows the river and the old trail that the Wetherill brothers took down the Mancos Canyon through magnificent scenery. Our riders stop for lunch at Sandal House Cliff Dwelling, which got its name from the large quantity of yucca sandals found there. It’s not unusual to cross paths with the wild horses that roam the area. Continuing on down the canyon, we arrive at camp below Soda Point, enjoy a delicious chuckwagon supper, and listen to cowboy singing & yodeling by the campfire.
Day 2: After a good hot cup of coffee and breakfast we will explore a side canyon by horseback. We will hike to the cliff dwelling “Two-Story House” under the canyon rim, where camp looks like a miniature village way below. We will view both Ute and Ancient Puebloan petroglyphs and pictographs carved into the desert patina and rocks along the canyon walls.
Day 3: Our group will travel to the trail head at Lion Canyon. Our Ute Tribal Park guide will lend us his insights to both the Ute and Ancient Puebloan cultures and history as we tour these little known sites. We will hike to four more cliff dwellings, including the Eagle’s Nest. Be prepared to climb up and down the ladders to the fascinating Cliff Dwellings just like the ancient ones did.
Day 4: We break camp and follow the Mancos River back to the “New West” with memories of a very special Old West Adventure with the friendly folks at Rimrock Outfitters.
This sample itinerary may vary due to weather, trail conditions, and other factors. Remember, there are no kinds of bad weather, just different types of good weather!