sombrero ranch

Booking online did not work. Instead, we called and booking was easy. The $50 per person seemed a good value vs. other past rides. At arrival they seemed organized and got us all on appropriate horses. The horses seem in good shape. There are many horses so I am guessing each only does a ride a day. I did not think they looked overworked liked other reviewers mentioned. The ride includes our 8 year old daughter and 5 year old son. Rachael, our guide, was very patient with kids. She was very enjoyable. The ride is pretty. 15 minutes on a road with about 3 cars passing the riders. The views of Grand Lake are pretty and walking through the NP is beautiful. It is good to remember the 2 hour tour is a trail ride. The horses go butt to head. If you are looking for something more adventurous you may not want to book this ride.

We booked a morning 2 hour ride and it was wonderful. The horses were ready when we got there. Everyone was very friendly and helpful and even though all of us were beginners, we never felt uneasy before, during, or after the ride. The scenery in the Rockies was incredible and our guide was excellent. I liked that she didn't talk overly much because it allowed us to just enjoy the beauty and solitude of being in the mountains.

Our group of three thoroughly enjoyed our ride over the continental divide. What an absolutely gorgeous day! Not only did we luck out with the weather to make it over the divide ; ) but our guide, Chris, made us feel safe and confident throughout the trip. Our horses were strong, sure-footed and well trained. I will ask for Jimmy, my horse, the next ride I take. We were well paired and I trust him. Overall, the continental divide ride is not for beginners, nor is it a stop-to-take-pictures kind of ride. If you want an authentic western destination ride as we did, this is the ride for you! We will never forget this day!

Took a 2 hour horse ride recently on our trip to Grand Lake. Had a few concerns, and this is coming from someone that has never rode a horse before. The horses were dirty and did not look groomed. They were standing in a lot of manure and did not look as though they got much attention. The guide said it was mud, but you could see the piles of manure in their pin that has not been removed. Signing in we were told to sign their form and I didn't see the check box about refusing helmets. It said something to the effect of we were advised about helmets and refused. They didn't say a word about helmets and when I asked all they said was it was a walking tour and they cannot say one way or the other. I understand that, but it would have been nice for them to at least explain that they had helmets available if we have to sign off on being informed. The trail itself was nice, the guide was good and kept all involved. The biggest concern that I had was at the very end of the ride, the trail was literally on the 2 way highway with cars driving both ways. Most cars slowed down but there were a couple that didn't and the horses seemed to spook easily. This would probably be fine for more experienced riders but we had kids that were 7 and 8 and never on a horse walking along a highway. Just didn't seem very wise, this was after our guide told us that recently a horse was hit by a car with a 6 year old that had never rode before. This stretch of the trail is only 3/4 of a mile long, but on a horse it seemed like it was neverending. All in all, for $50 a head I would probably not recommend this particular company, and for sure would ask next time where the trail takes you. Just didn't feel safe along the highway.

I really enjoyed the two hour horse back ride through the mountains. The view was amazing over Grand Lake and the babble of the creek was so peaceful. The horses were SO WELL BEHAVED. We had small children aged 6-12 years old riding alone and there was no problems. Megan was our lead guide and presented herself very professionally as well as provided fun facts about the area and a small comedy routine just by being herself. The price is a little high at around $50/rider for the 1/2 day trip, but I promise after 2 hours you will be happy to stand up again. Enjoy!

Our tour guide, Sabrina, was amazing! She was funny and easy to talk too. She was also very helpful in teaching one of our daughters how to ride better. The trail was pretty along a stream. Highly recommended!

Great way to see trails in park without foot hiking. Guides were very attentive to safety. Location was easy to get to from Winter Park.

We had a great experience today on our two horseback riding trip. Our guide, Megan, was very knowledgable and friendly. The horses were well trained and well behaved. We were able to reserve a time the same day. The trails we followed offered great views of Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake. Our return trip was along the North Inlet with beautiful wild flowers and forest. We would recommend this experience for a different look At Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park.

We just returned from a 6 hour ride with Sombrero out of their Grand Lake location. The horses were wonderful, the ride offered much more than we had expected, and our guide "Q" was the perfect ride companion. Although this was a long ride, the trail/terrain and the horses made it relatively easy. It was a spectacularly beautiful forest ride offering everything from dense pine, mountain streams, meadows and aspen copse.We would highly recommend this operation, guide, and location for anything from a 2 hr. to an all day and for any level of rider. We intend to come back with our family (who are not riders) and do the 4 hr. ride. Thanks to all for an truly awesome ride!Jim and Donna

Beautiful weather and a great ride with Vince. We have experience but trails were still interesting and sights were beautiful.

We recently went on a horseback riding trip at Sombrero Stables in Grand Lake, CO. First off, we called and were able to reserve the same day. Staff at the stable is super nice and helpfull. They were able to accomodate us with all of the requests we had. Vince was our tour guide. Very knowledgable and fun to be around person. He took us on a scienic ride thru the mountains, pointing out wild life and telling us stories. We had an amazing time!!! Thank you Sombrero stable and a special thank you to our guide, Vince !!!!!!!!

I'm a single dad of two teenagers (15 & 18). We thought it would be fun to ride horses while we were in the area. I'm not a rider, so I was a bit wary. All of the help at the ranch put my mind at ease and were very helpful throughout the ride. There were a few "scary" parts of the trail ride (steep inclines), but our wrangler (Sabrina) gave us great instruction and everything was just fine. The only reason I didn't give the ride a "5" was that it was a bit slow for two teenagers. It seems that if they were engaged more throughout the ride it would have held their attention better. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

We had a very enjoyable ride through the mountains and meadows. Saw a few deer and checked out some of the forest wildflowers. Very scenic and relaxing. We had a wonderful guide (although his name escapes me) and another "guide in training" that was from Indiana (where we're from) so that was nice. In the past I'd had a bad experience horseback riding so this was awesome to go from a horse that wanted to kick to Betty who was very tame and responded to direction well. I will return if I visit Colorado again!

This was a great activity! Guides were great. A lot of fun and beautiful scenery. 4 stars because I always worry the horses aren't given the best care. The wranglers do great, but the wrangler to horse ratio was not great. But, a great great experience!

Fun ride and Brittany was great...we saw deer, elk, moose and even bear on our ride. Highly recommended. Horse were great too for the experienced riders in our group and for the beginners.