Super friendly support while reserving trip, and the trip itself was phenomenal! At first, my 8-yr old son was hoping he'd have to direct the horse more, but the occasional trotting and the more frequent steep ascents and descents made us both happy the horses are pros and know the trail, and still gave us a thoroughly enjoyable ride. Our guide Abigail was also key to our incredible trip--super friendly and knowledgeable about ranching and outfitting, and added so much to our experience reciting cowboy poetry. We will definitely be back! read more

we booked an elk guided hunt approximately 3 years out, because owner Tom stated it's all they had left was 2 rifle season. Finally our trip came through and headed to Leadville, Colorado , it was an awesome trip to the Rockies, weather was very cold coming from California and the elevation was tough!! Our guide Jerry was supercool and we enjoyed his company with great stories, and cook/wrangler, Madeline was supercool and enjoyed her cooking and great spices in the food, tough wrangler. great company . great experience!!! read more

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Great ride!! Mark was fantastic and very knowledgeable. Views were great and ride was perfect! read more

Halfmoon Packing & Outfitting - Horseback Riding Near Me - Leadville, Colorado

My wife and I booked a 4 hour trip and we were blown away by the outstanding horses, the trail and route, and Jerry our wrangler. We highly recommend the 4 hour trip, but be prepared for some steeper and rough sections. Bring water and some food. The horses were super well trained. And our wrangler was extremely knowledgable. This adventure was the highlight of our trip in Leadville and we will be returning next year. read more

Great ride today! LOVED our guides-amazing views even on the 1 hour ride!! Our 8 yr old was a very nervous first time rider and our guide took great care of him. BEST trail riding experience we've ever had!! read more

Halfmoon Packing & Outfitting - Horseback riding - Horseback Riding Near Me - Leadville, Colorado

Our guide Jerry was fantastic. We crisscrossed up the mountain covering some amazing terrain with some nice challenging spots through aspens and pines to the most beautiful overlook in Colorado. We will be heading back for more adventures. read more

Halfmoon Packing & Outfitting - Horseback Riding Near Me - Leadville, Colorado

Unbelievable ride today! Rick was a fantastic guide and made sure to cater to every skill level in our group. The scenery was breathtaking and the horses were fantastic...very responsive! 1000% will be back! read more

Did a half day ride today at Half Moon. Looked online for a couple of weeks trying g to find a place to go for a ride, honestly picked them as they had availability for my limited schedule. So happy they were available. Booking was easy, and price was the best I found out of all the ones I tried. The ride was fantastic, our guide "CHICKEN WING", was the right mix of authentic cowboy and pleasant guide. Had a couple of issues that were a bit nerve racking thanks to nature, (ground hornets spooked the horses and even stung my girlfriend) but Chicken Wing handled it well and calmed everyone's nerves. Didn't affect the trip at all surprisingly. A++. read more

Was charged for a booking that was never confirmed over email or text. I called to get a refund, and the staff was rude and did not help me at all. I never received a confirmation email and they were rude and just thought I was lying. Never booking with them again. read more

I brought my 2 daughters with high expectations for our 2.5 hour horseback ride. There were both positives and negatives to our experience. First, the area is beautiful with very nice views. And, from my limited experience, the horses looked well taken care of. Now, I had the expectation that this was not a strict nose to tail ride - but it was. After our ride, I went back and re-read the literature and the reviews. Well, nothing indicated one way or the other whether it was a strict nose to tail ride or not. Just know, if you choose to go horseback riding with Halfmoon, at least for the 2.5 hour ride, it is a nose to tail ride. Let me add, after having taken the ride, it would be hard for this ride to be anything but nose to tail for much of the trail as it is so narrow in many places. My mistake for not investigating this prior to reserving our ride. Now, my really big negative. Along with me and my two daughters was another father and his daughter. As they started having us mount our horses, they kept us in that order: first, the guide (a younger man, I don't remember his name), then the other father's daughter, then my oldest daughter, then the other father, then myself, then my youngest daughter. As we started to leave I yelled out to my oldest daughter to move over so that the other father could pass her and be right behind his daughter and I could be with my daughters. The guide said "No, we need to stay in order." Not yet realizing that we were going to be nose to tail the entire time, I just replied "ok" - I figured there would be more flexibility after a short bit. Well, after a little more than an hour, we reached a large open meadow where we took our only break before going back down the mountain. I asked the guide if we could now change the order. He said "No, unfortunately we cannot." I did not ask why. So, even though it was obvious who my daughters were, they did not think it important to put us in order so that we would be together. Yes, I could still talk to my oldest daughter (by talking rather loudly) - but it just was not the same. If anyone reads this from Half Moon - it should be a priority to keep families together! Another negative: this was a really big issue for my daughter. Before we left, the horse she was on bit one of the horse ranglers (don't know what his correct title is). He yelled and hit the horse once. I can understand his being upset with a horse biting him. But, is hitting the horse the right way to respond? I know so little about horses, so I won't comment anymore than just stating the fact that this happened. My daughter was not happy that he had hit her horse, though! Not at all! If we ever go horseback riding in Colorado again, it will not be with Halfmoon. Also, I should mention, we all agreed that 2 1/2 hours was too long. A shorter ride, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours would have been more enjoyable for us. read more

Halfmoon Packing & Outfitting - Why not keep families / groups together? - Horseback Riding Near Me - Leadville, Colorado

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What a great experience! We took the 1 hour horseback ride and our guide was Guy. The horses are very healthy and sweet. The views are breathtaking. We will definitely be back! read more

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The 2 1/2 hour trail ride was such a great experience! I have a lot of experience riding horses but my boyfriend had never rode before. It was a great experience for both of us. The trails were not boring for me but easy enough that he was still comfortable. The views were incredible! Don't expect a big fancy business when arriving. It's a very small building sort of off the beaten path. But don't let that deter you from using this business! They offered the best prices I found anywhere in the general area. The horses were so calm and easy going. We called same day and they were able to squeeze us in! It ended up being just my boyfriend and I... such a peaceful and relaxing experience! read more

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By far the best horseback ride I've been on! The views were amazing, everything from meadows filled with wildflowers to Mountain Views to aspen groves. Jerry was our guide and he was easy to talk to (even 4 hours in haha). The Horses were very well trained and a joy to be on. And the cherry on top was that we had car trouble and we're going to have to take a 4 mile walk home, but Jerry saved the day and gave us a ride back into town. So generous. We will always recommend this spot and will definitely be coming back. read more

I needed to take the daughter horseback riding. Everyone around Aspen was charging about $100 for an hour ride. Halfmoon was only charging $35. It was an easy decision to come here because they were half the price of all the other horseback riding places around Aspen, and on the map, they were only an hour away. I called them up and reserved our spot for a 1PM ride and was told that Leadville was about an hour away from Aspen. After arriving, we checked in, and signed all the insurance waivers, they gave us instructions and matched us up with horses. Our guide was a young woman from the Leadville area. Our ride took us through the forests of Leadville. The scenery was nice. The horses were gentle. They had a insurance rule that cameras (SLR's) had to be stowed away. If photos were to be taken during the ride, the guide was take it for you. Our guide was very friendly and kept both my daughter and I entertained. The ride lasted for a little more than an hour. Their location was wrong on Yelp. The real address is 1100 E County Road 18. Although it may be 66 miles from Aspen to Leadville, there is no way that anyone can get to Leadville in a little over an hour. In between Leadville and Aspen is the Independence Pass, where a two lane highway becomes a one lane road as you drive next to a a cliff. Even Tom, the cowboy in charge, told us that the drive would be a little over an hour. It took us almost 2 hours to get to Leadville. By the time we got back to our hotel, the day was almost over. It was a good experience. It took way too long to drive to Leadville from Aspen. The people were friendly. The ride was good. But, I had my wife yelling in my ear the whole day as she thought I was going to drive over the cliff on the Independence Pas. Time is money when on vacation. 4 stars, but, I would've preferred something closer to Aspen. read more

4.5 in our book... My husband and I took a long weekend trip to Vail to celebrate my 40th birthday. With social distancing we thought that would be a good choice to do activities not being around a lot of people. After researching several companies, we decided on Halfmoon for a half-day ride. This is not an easy ride, (granted neither my husband or I ride often). The hills are steep and rocky, you have to trust your horse. There are parts of the trail that definitely raised our heart rates. But the views were incredible! And view from the top of the mountain was amazing. And on the way down, more gorgeous scenery. Absolutely breathtaking. I take away a half star because it was much more "rugged" than I possibly could have thought. The facility is literally an old bus, a small barn, and an outhouse. My husband and I hadn't brought water because we figured we'd just buy a couple of bottles there- not an option. If you're looking for a more luxury and attentive experience, I would go with one of the stables closer to Vail. But if you want an amazing experience with a little bit of challenge, definitely choose Halfmoon. read more

Awful experience. our instructor was rude and demeaning. He was frustrated that our group had never been horseback riding and said that "children are smarter than you all." He continued to insult us the entire time, making several comments that we were fat, stupid and ugly. We had to terminate the experience early because of how frightened we were by the instructor. I caution everyone NOT to go here, especially if it's a female only group. read more

We booked a weeklong drop camp for 8 people. We were offered the choice of either a 2- or 4-hour horseback ride to camp. Wanting to see as much of the back country as we could we chose the 4-hour trip. As instructed, we met at the Halfmoon offices at 9am Monday morning. After almost 3 hours of loading the animals, we took off for the ride to camp. The ride to camp turned out to only be about 1 1/2 hours. As we rode into camp, we were excited to get going on a vacation that took two years to realize. However, we were shocked to find that there were only 6 cots, 6 chairs around the fire pit. The tarp covering the cooking area was full of holes, including one nearly 12" across. The camp saw was broken, neither the safety radio or the sat phone were present and later we learned that the entire kitchen was set for 6 people and the pans for cooking on were covered in old food. The "pit toilet" provided by Halfmoon was overflowing and unusable. The floor tarps in the tents were torn and there was standing water in one of the tents. Clearly, no one had inspected the camp prior to our arrival. We asked for the missing cots and chairs to be delivered the next morning and were told they were busy, and we were not a priority. None the less a member of Tom's staff showed up the next day with the 2 missing cots - we were told that we could sit on our ice chests. We were also told that we should be ready by 11 on Friday for extraction. No one showed up until 1230. The ride out that was supposed to be 2 hours on a different trail, turned out to be the same trail we came in on. I tried to discuss this with Tom but was met with arrogance and a refusal to listen or accept any responsibility. The staff was accommodating and a pleasure to deal with - Tom, was not. I would not recommend this service. The lack of preparation - simply a check of the camp and confirmation that the safety gear along with enough equipment for the party size and all of this could have been prevented. read more

Had an hour long trail ride today. It was a wonderful experience and our guide was patient, knowledgeable and took particular care of my 9 year old, ensuring she was able to enjoy herself. The terrain was varied enough that adults had a good time while the kids felt comfortable and capable. The views and ride were fantastic even despite the passing storm. read more

The horses were well-fed, well-shod, well-groomed and obviously well-loved. A difficult thing to find in the horse trail riding industry. The horses were really beautifully cared for. These are not horses that are used for a season and sent off for auction, as so many 'outfitters' do - these horses are clearly considered family. If you want to support local, and want to support the welfare of horses, take a trail ride with Halfmoon Outfitters. Are they large animals with brains? Yes. Do they have herd dynamics? Yes. Will they take advantage if they can (ie eat grass, put your knee into a tree)? Yes. Are they spooky nuts jobs flying off the handle at anything - NO! Very solid citizens with very good minds. During a four hour trail ride, none of the horses spooked or acted stupid. These are GOOD horses. You sign a waiver at the beginning that this is a dangerous thing to do. If you want to be perfectly 'safe' on a 1,000+ pound animal, I guess go to a place that starves and drugs their horses into docility. I would give more stars if I could, because this kind of horse care deserves so much more than five stars. And just kind of generic advice for Colorado - if you are in the high country in Colorado, you should always bring water with you. Never count on it being available or for sale anywhere. Be prepared. Bring water. Bring snacks. Bring toilet paper (and something in which to pack out the used bits). read more

Disappointing. Don't get me wrong, beautiful views with my hubby. The problem was the lack of respect to the horses. Horses were being hit and that should never happen, especially that many times. Just going to throw that out there. (The one star is for the view of hubby way up in the mountains) Thank you! read more

First off let me say that I have been renting and riding horses since I was a teenager and now I am 66. This is the by far the best I have ever experienced. The horses are amazing. They were groomed and not your usual trail horses. These were horses that looked like they were privately owned. The tack was in great shape. Tom was the real deal. Only don't tell him he sounds like Kevin Costner and looks like Sam Elliot. Mark was so great at making sure everyone in our party was safe instructing us as we rode, checking that none of our saddles were loosening and making sure we all stayed together. The added bonus was the views. You ride up to the top of a ridge overlooking Turquoise Lake and have an amazing view of Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. Will definitely to there again. read more

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This was an excellent experience. We were greeted by friendly guides and the check in was quick. Everyone had a friendly disposition and took care in setting us up for the ride. We had folks from ages 45 to 8, in our party and we all felt comfortable in the professionalism displayed by the staff. One of the best experiences we had in Colorado. Highly recommend! Thanks for the memories. read more

Halfmoon Packing & Outfitting - Horseback Riding Near Me - Leadville, Colorado

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We took a phenomenal 2 1/2 hour ride today with Tom. He's the real deal and taught me how to properly ride in the mountains and knew so much about the local flora and fauna and had a great story about every historical site we passed like frontier cabins and local silver mines. He even got off his horse to pick wild raspberries for us all to try. He matched us with beautiful and spirited horses and he taught us how to become true riders if only for the day. There's plenty of scenic variety from steep rocky trails to wide open vistas, as well as a gorgeous and huge Aspen stand. The horses are all gorgeous, well kept and well trained. Special shout out to Geronimo and Durango who were our best pals by the end of the ride. I highly recommend this place for a gorgeous, safe and inspiring ride. Use the address on your navigation though,not the one one site. Will definitely be recommending to our friends and will visit again! read more

We just got off a horseback ride with Ken! We only paid 40 dollars for a 1 hour ride and he took his time with us so we got about a half hour of extra riding time! The horses are beautiful and responsive if you use the correct riding tips. A great value for a fun experience. read more

Booked two nights horse camping in the Colorado wilderness in July. What a once in a lifetime experience! If you love horses, seeing untouched wilderness, living out your frontier/cowboy lifestyle fantasy, then you need to book this trip. First, you ride up to camp which is lovely and easy enough for Boo (who has no real riding experience). I have ridden my entire life (English). We got to camp, and our guide Travis showed us how real cowboys, pack, cook and basically do it all up in the mountains. We rode most of the next day, exploring lakes, swimming (was a bit cold but invigorating!), fishing and exploring the mountain on horseback. Was challenging enough for an experienced rider but also could be tailored for a less experienced rider. Tom and his staff are really warm, friendly and experienced and they take great care of their awesome horses! I definitely recommend! read more

We had a lovely trail ride today! The horses were great-especially with the kids. We saw beautiful wildflowers and amazing views. Though there were stables closer to us, we opted to head to Leadville to escape some of the crowds. It was worth a little bit of a longer drive. Our girls talked about their horses the whole way home and are begging to go back! This was a highlight of the trip! read more

Awesome hunt with Halfmoon Packing this year 1st rifle. I had Jessica and Colton taking care of camp and guiding and we had a great time. I could not have asked for a better time and company. Great food and our guide knew his stuff. A week out in the wilderness was awesome. read more

Horrible experience. We booked rides with this company based on the reviews. We had a 2:30 ride scheduled and arrived early. They sent us to "relax" around the fire pit until our time got closer. There was a 2 &1/2 ride scheduled at 2:00. They took off late and since there was such a large group, the other wrangle, Kelly left with Tom, without a word to our group. When our time came closer, we walked to the office, only to find it deserted. I called the business line and was told by Kelly that she had to go with Tom, since the group was large. When I asked her if we were going to get out on time, she hesitated and said she'd have to ask Tom if he could handle the group on his own and she'd get back to us within 20 minutes, if she could find a shortcut. The adults did not want to wait, but we had a 13 year old girl, who had traveled from St. Louis and this was the one thing she really wanted to do, so we waited. No show, nor a word from anyone. We were left stranded with no apologies. We left. I emailed the owner the owner and he said he wouldn't apologize, because the nature of his business is unpredictable. Remember, there was NO ONE ELSE AROUND for our ride and the 2:00 ride would not have returned until nearly 5:00pm! We traveled an hour each way for this ride. Not to mention the waste of gas. DO NOT PATRONIZE THIS BUSINESS. read more

Ok, first off, I've owned and ridden horses for 30 years. My biggest complaint with commercial stables is the condition of their horses, they're all either so old or so crippled they can't do anything with a rider but walk- NOT this place!! EXCELLENT horses, EXCELLENT care, they have a beautiful string of very well conditioned and healthy trail horses that are the best group I've ever seen at a "for hire" stable. Tom is a fun real-deal cowboy and WOW the ride is gorgeous scenery that is one of the best Colorado experiences you're going to have. The guide was great, we got true value for what we spent for a 2.5 hour ride (which is plenty for a novice rider.) Our group was age 12-50+ and everyone had the appropriate level horse and had a great time. NOTE: The facility is very basic... it's a corral and a parking area, not a big expensive ranch setting. Doesn't matter, don't let that put you off, you're there to ride not to lounge around where your car is parked. :) You'll love it! read more