After almost 20 years of traveling and riding our horses around this beautiful country of ours, my husband, Jim, and I have seen some of the best trails the United States has to offer. We’ve traveled from east to west, north to south, and everywhere in between. Our love of traveling and our passion for trail riding even led us to sell our home, store our belongings, and explore the country for more than five years in a recreational vehicle. What a life we have!

Starting with the top picture: Taking in the view in the Lizard Head Wilderness near Telluride, Colorado; heading down the trail in Lizard Head; pausing near a mountain lake in the Flat-Top Wilderness near Meeker, Colorado; and riding in the red rocks of Canyonlands, Utah.

Folks frequently ask us, "Where’s the most beautiful place you’ve ridden?" That’s hard to answer, since there are so many interesting, unique, and wonderful places for the adventurous horseman. Each state has a hidden treasure for the enjoyment of the trail rider and his or her equine partner.

I’ll start with the Pacific Coast. For a feel of the magnificent, head for Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The park — and even the drive to the horse camp — gave us an opportunity of a lifetime. It contains more coastal redwood trees than any other California state park, giving the horseman a rare opportunity to enjoy an American heritage that’s thousands of years old.

Travel up the coast to Oregon, and you’ll find another gem: White Mare Horse Camp in the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area. Here, you stay in a developed horse camp, then ride your horse along miles of Pacific coastline. There are also wonderful trails in sand dunes set aside for equestrians only. To get a taste of the state’s famous rocky shoreline, stop at Baker Beach near the town of Florence.

Another Oregon treat is the Cascade Mountain Range. In this range, you’ll find Three Sisters Wilderness, a trail-rider’s paradise. The Three Creeks Meadow horseman’s camp gives you a great starting point into a land of trails, glaciers, and mountains. Oregon offers a large number of developed horse camps for your camping adventures.

In Idaho, you’ll enjoy beautiful mountain ranges. But don’t miss the state’s little secret nestled in its southwestern region. Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park offers a chance to ride in an area unique to this area of the country. The huge sand dune located in the small state park has a big heart for the horseman.

Utah’s unsurpassed beauty and special history give trail riders a rare opportunity. The southeastern section alone offers mountains, canyons, unique rock formations, and desert. It’s an unforgettable experience to ride through a canyon with ancient Indian ruins clinging to its towering red-rock walls. It’s hard to find words that can express the beauty of this enchanting country.

Probably the hardest place to single out a special riding spot is the Rocky Mountains. This range runs from the Canadian Rockies through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. If your passion is mountain riding, head for the Rockies.

Montana’s Glacier National Park is spectacular. The state’s Bob Marshall Wilderness is a horse-packer’s dream and the essence of wilderness. Here, you’ll find nature at its wildest. In fact, if you’re not careful, a grizzly will have you for lunch.

There’s no way that I can mention the great Rocky Mountains without mentioning Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Teton National Park, and the Bridger-Teton Wilderness of Wyoming.

If you’re looking for "the" mountain-riding experience, it’s hard to beat the Colorado Rockies. Colorado offers more mountain peaks higher than 14,000 feet than any other Rocky Mountain state. Rocky Mountain National Park extends down into the Indian Peaks Wilderness located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area.

Other wilderness areas to explore are the Weminuche Wilderness near Durango, Lizard Head Wilderness near Telluride, the Flat-Top Wilderness near Meeker, and the La Garita Wilderness near Creede, to name only a few. Our Western states offer such vast opportunities. Their mere acreage promises wonderful adventure for the intrepid trail rider.

If you find yourself traveling into the north-central section of the United States, there are some very nice places to explore. The most popular, of course, is the Black Hills of South Dakota. However, little-known areas also offer the trail rider a real treat. The next time you’re in the area, why not try the Sica (She-cha) Hollow State Park in the southeastern section of the state? This park offers a variety of scenery and some great views of the flats below.

Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes, also has a plethora of trail-riding opportunities. One prime destination is the Maplewood State Park near Pelican Rapids. You’ll find a horse camp nestled among miles of trails, forests, meadows, and beautiful lakes. You can also ride on the Cut-Foot-Sioux horse trails and camp in the Chippewa National Forest. This new†camp is the gateway to some very nice wooded trails.

As you travel the Midwest, you’ll discover the famous trails in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. For a unique experience, ferry your horse rig across the Green River on your way to ride the trails at Mammoth Cave National Park. The horse trails are beautiful, and you ride through some great scenery.

A "must ride" in this part of the country is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a magnificent mountain range located on the Tennessee/North Carolina border. Cataloochee horse camp, although primitive and a bit of a challenge to get to, is†well worth the trip. You’ll find 100-year-old trees, pristine streams, unbelievable†views, and 550 miles of trails.

Ohio offers more than meets the eye for the trail rider. Hocking Hills State Forest is one of the many Ohio parks that offer†something special for the rider. Located in a geological wonder, it sports a superb trail system unique to this part of the country.

I couldn’t possibly cover all of the beautiful and scenic places that this country holds for the trail rider. However, I hope that this sneak preview will entice you and your mount to venture out and see this beautiful country of ours. So, why not load your horse in your trailer, and hit the road to discover America?

Destination Directory

Baker Beach
Florence Chamber of Commerce
290 Hwy. 101
Florence, OR 97439
(800) 524-4864; wwwwflorencechamber.com

Black Hills National Forest
25041 N. Hwy. 16
Custer, SD 57730
(605) 673-9200; www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/

Bob Marshall Wilderness
Rocky Mountain Ranger District
P.O. Box 340
Choteau, MT 59422
(406) 466-5341; www.wilderness.net

Bridger-Teton Wilderness/National Forest
P.O. Box 1888
Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 739-5500; www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf/teton/wilderness/index.shtml

Bruneau Dunes State Park
HC 85 Box 41
Mountain Home, ID 83647
(208) 366-7919; www.idahoparks.org

Cut-Foot-Sioux horse trails
Chippewa National Forest
200 Ash Ave.
Cass Lake, MN 56633
(218) 335-8600; www.fs.fed.us/r9/chippewa/flyer/cfhorse.htm

Flat-Top Wilderness
White River National Forest, Blanco Ranger District
317 East Market St.
Meeker, CO 81641
(970) 878-4039; www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver/recreation/wilderness/flattops/index.shtml

Glacier National Park
P.O. Box 128
West Glacier, MT 59936
(406) 888-7800; www.nps.gov/glac/activities/horses.htm

Grand Teton National Park
P.O. Drawer 170
Moose, WY 83012-0170
(307) 739-3300; www.nps.gov/grte/pphtml/activities.html

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Rd.
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-1200; www.nps.gov/grsm/

Hocking Hills State Forest
19275 State Rte. 374
Rockbridge, OH 43149
(877) 247-8733; www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/forests/stateforests/hockingbridle.htm

Humboldt Redwoods State Park
P.O. Box 100
Weott, CA 95571
(707) 946-1817; www.humboldtredwoods.org

Indian Peaks Wilderness
Arapaho National Recreation Area
240 West Prospect Rd.
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 498-1100; www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/recreation/wilderness/indianpeaks/index.shtml

La Garita Wilderness Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests
2250 Highway 50
Delta, CO 81416
(970) 874-6600; www.fs.fed.us/r2/gmug/

Lizard Head Wilderness
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests
2250 Highway 50
Delta, CO 81416
(970) 874-6600; www.fs.fed.us/r2/gmug/recreation/wilderness.shtml

Mammoth Cave National Park
P.O. Box 7
Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
(270) 758-2180; www.mammoth.cave.national-park.com/

Maplewood State Park
39721 Park Entrance Rd.
Pelican Rapids, MN 56572-7723
(218) 863-8383; www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/maplewood/index.html

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
Siuslaw National Forest
P.O. Box 1148
Corvallis, OR 97339
(541) 750-7000; www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/oregondunes/index.shtml

Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Highway 36
Estes Park, CO 80517-8397
(970) 586-1206; www.nps.gov/romo/

Sica Hollow State Park
11545 Northside Dr.
Lake City, SD 57247
(605) 448-5701; www.sdgfp.info/parks/regions/glaciallakes/sicahollow.htm

Southeastern Utah Bureau of Land Management
Monticello Field Office
P.O. Box 7
Monticello, UT 84535
(435) 587-1500; www.blm.gov/utah/monticello/index.html

Southeastern Utah
Manti-La Sal National Forest
133 Pinon Dr.
Monticello, UT 84535
(435) 587-3330; www.fs.fed.us/r4/mantilasal/

Three Sisters Wilderness/Three Creeks Meadow
Deschutes National Forest,
Sisters Ranger District
P.O. Box 249
Sisters, OR 97759
(541) 549-7700; www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/

Weminuche Wilderness
San Juan National Forest,
Columbine Ranger District
P.O. Box 439
Bayfield, CO 81122
(970) 884-2512; www.fs.fed.us/r2/sanjuan/recreation/trails/coltrails/columbine-trails.shtml

Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168
(307) 344-2160; www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit/services/horsride.htm