I Love Everthing About Rolling Hills Stables!!! - the owner, her horses & her property!!! If you…read moreare wanting to learn about horses & want to start riding or go for trail rides, I highly recommend Rolling Hills Stables!

From the owner: Come take a scenic horseback ride with us. Our trail rides are designed to keep you engaged with…read moreyour horse and have some challenges. Trail rides are by appointment only.

I took my 6 year old granddaughter as a birthday gift. They picked the perfect horse for her to…read moreride. They were extremely patient explaining everything to her and making sure she was comfortable. From start to finish it was a fantastic experience for her.Said her favorite part was Everything! And she can't wait to go again. Thank you Ladies for giving us a great experience and the best day ever

Buyer Beware - Disappointing & Unprofessional Experience We…read morehad a very frustrating experience with this trail ride service and want to share so others can make an informed decision. My husband, my 4-year-old, and I booked a trail ride. On the intake paperwork, we clearly noted that it would be my husband's first time riding. The plan was for me to ride with my child on a horse named Tilly, and my husband to ride Millie. When we arrived, both horses were visibly agitated and not cooperating. Tilly, the horse I was supposed to ride with my child, was acting skittish and did not seem comfortable being ridden that day. For safety reasons, the owner canceled the ride--which we completely understood and supported. However, there were several concerns leading up to that point: My husband (a first-time rider) was assigned a horse we were later told had never been used on a trail ride before Both horses appeared unsettled, which made the situation feel unsafe from the start The owner seemed visibly stressed, was raising her voice, and spoke sharply to her employees, who appeared uncomfortable and intimidated Instructions were unclear and inconsistent, and we were not properly guided through how to handle the horses The business advertises a 15-20 minute riding lesson prior to the trail ride, but the instruction provided was minimal and not clearly explained When I struggled to direct the horse, it felt like the blame was placed on me rather than providing proper guidance Helmets provided were extremely dirty, with caked-on dirt and no indication they had been cleaned or sanitized, raising concerns about basic hygiene and safety After canceling, the owner verbally told me twice that I would receive a full refund via Venmo by the end of the day. Unfortunately, that refund was never sent. Instead, after we left, I received a message offering riding lessons (minus a cancellation fee). To be clear: We did not cancel--the business did We did not agree to lessons as a substitute We did not agree to any partial refund or cancellation fee A full refund had already been clearly promised This experience left us disappointed, uncomfortable, and out money for a service that was never provided. It also felt like the situation was unfairly shifted onto us, despite the cancellation being initiated by the business. I recommend asking detailed questions about horse experience, safety protocols, instruction quality, sanitation practices, and refund policies before booking.

Short on time but need to get back to nature? The Skunk River Green Belt is one of the best hidden…read moresecrets in the Ames area. Located just south of Story City this trail is a great place to take your dogs for a brisk hike. Although you can hear the traffic of the Interstate located less than a mile away you will see a lot of amazing wildlife and immerse yourself in dense, old growth forest that follows the Skunk River. There's an active beaver pond on one of the trail loops. There are large patches of native prairie that have a small maintained grass trail that meanders through it. I can personally verify that I have seen turkeys, coyotes and deer along with a great variety of winged creatures. This trail is best in the spring and fall, as the mosquitoes can get downright nasty in the summer months. The trail is a public-private partnership with easements. You'll walk through gated areas and may encounter a gregarious herd of cattle. It is possible to take a fortified 10-mile hike all the way to the Story County Conservation center if you're willing to walk considerable distances on rural gravel roads. The middle section of the trail "Bear Creek" is accessible from the southbound I-35 rest stop and has a scenic suspended bridge that crosses the namesake creek. Take a wonderful hike, then take a short drive north to Story City to grab a bite at the wonderful local restaurants.

My granddaughter attended Wesley Woods horse day camp in 2024 when she was 10. She'll go again this…read moresummer - but wants to have the week-long overnight experience. She's already decided that after beginner, and now intermediate, she wants to go on to advanced - all the way to becoming an instructor!

Came here for horseback riding with my family. This is a Methodist Church camp that offers…read morehorseback riding year-round for a price way lower than anywhere else I've ever been. This is a great outing for anyone new to horseback riding or to do with your children. It's also a price that makes this a great weekend activity for the whole family. Our guide led us around the large acreage of the camp for around 45 minutes on a very easy and beautiful ride.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! Pine Hollow Stables is fantastic! Our…read morehorse has lived here under the past and current ownership. Former owner was very nice and the horses all seemed happy and well cared for. I wouldn't have thought a new owner could be better, but I was wrong. She's phenomenal! There are a lot of great updates happening. We have so many places to ride, while there. The other boarders are really friendly, easy to share facilities with, and always willing to lend a helping hand if needed. The staff is all knowledgeable and professional. Our horse is happy here, and is well taken care of. The people who work here truly care about the horses. There was a small but moody group of boarders there for a while, but fortunately they've all left. (Kinda feel sorry for the barns they've gone to. Lol.) We really love Pine Hollow, and are happy to have them as our barn family.

Since the new owner has taken over, there have been nothing but improvements done to the property…read more It now looks like a well taken care of boarding facility. Happy horses all around