Yosemite Trails
Guided by a real Yosemite Cowboy, you and your American Quarter Horse will travel mountain trails, surrounded by towering pines, lush alpine meadows, and the bluest sky you have ever seen.
One and two-hour horseback trail rides depart daily roughly May through October, depending on weather and trail conditions. No previous horseback riding experience is necessary. Our riding stock is ranch-raised American Quarter Horses, not mules, and all trail rides start with a hands-on horseback riding lesson in an arena before you depart. This gives you a chance to get to know your trusty mount before heading out along scenic, winding forest trails. You’ll even get to experience the exhilaration of splashing through mountain streams astride your horse.
Experienced riders may wish to join us for an exclusive day ride into Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. In addition to being scenic, this five-hour ride will give you a chance to visit these 2,000-year-old trees the way John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt did – from the back of a good horse. Note that unless you ride regularly, you should expect to be saddle-sore after 5 hours.
Yosemite Trails is a small, family-run business that takes pride in providing a personalized horse riding experience. For more than 50 years, the Knapps have been taking their American Quarter Horses and Black Angus cattle up into the mountains in spring and then back down to the Lazy K Ranch in the central San Joaquin Valley each autumn. With that kind of experience, you know your guides will be true experts with a strong connection to the land.
Offered daily May through October, depending on weather conditions. Please arrive 30 min before your ride’s scheduled departure time.
Wawona Stables
Even closer to your Wawona basecamp, the Wawona stables offer 2-hour rides along the Meadow Loop Trail behind Wawona’s golf course. Riding this flat and gentle trail offers a comfortable introduction to horseback riding for adults and kids aged 7 and older.
On Thursdays, experienced riders in good physical condition can also sign up for an all-day ride from Wawona Stables to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. (Riders must be at least 10 years old.)