Me and my boyfriend had a great experience! We were pretty nervous as we had very little horse experience but our wrangler, I believe his name was Ray, made us feel super comfortable. The horses were very well mannered and well kept. The trip up and down the mountain had lots of tricky terrain but the horses handled it well and we had a blast. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. Our wrangler was very knowledgeable, answered all our questions, and told us a bunch of hilarious stories as well. I highly recommend this experience to anybody. Super fun to learn something new and have lots of laughs while doing it! read more

Was very impressed with the customer service & how great it was for my daughter. We booked a ride, arrived at the designated time, only to find out it had already left due to some miscommunication between the reservation office & the stables. They immediately made it right, taking my daughter out for a private ride & giving us a discount. She said it was one of the best rides she's had. Scenery was gorgeous & they went over & above so as not to inconvenience us for the drive out there. read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - Gorgeous horse at Kohls Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Jo, the owner, Charlie, the old wrangler, and Brandon, the new kid, are great. The horses are really good for beginners or experienced riders. The ride has great views, is not rushed, and Charlie has great stories along the way. Definitely worth it. read more

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My boyfriend and I were going to spend the weekend in the Pine/Strawberry area, and Kohl's Ranch Stables was the closest place that I could find in that area to go horseback riding. It's about 14 miles outside of Payson. I made a reservation about two weeks before our trip. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very nice. They offer four rides on the weekends: 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. I chose 11 am because there are typically summer monsoon storms in this area in the afternoon and they said they will cancel the ride if there is lightning. I'm glad the woman on the phone gave me directions to the stables because it's a little confusing. They are not affiliated with Kohl's Ranch Resort. You drive past the resort and then take "Short Road," which winds around by some privately-owned cabins. At the fork in the road, take a right and you will see a handmade sign that says "Stables." George, our wrangler, greeted us when we arrived. We filled out a paper liability form and then he got our group of four matched with horses. I am a more experienced rider, so I think that is why I was matched up with "Rock." Rock was quite stubborn and did not want to go on a trail ride, but once we got started, he was ok. There were some forest service people thinning trees in the area with chainsaws. Rock was nervous, but they stopped their chainsaws as we rode by and he did fine. George was a very good wrangler. He went over the basics before we set off on the trail, shortened our stirrups if needed, made sure there was distance between the horses, and helped us on the trail as small things came up. He was pretty quiet but made some conversation. He mostly let us relax and enjoy ourselves on our ride. We paid for the ride at the end. They take credit cards and cash. If you pay in cash, you don't have to pay tax or the credit card fee. Remember to tip your wrangler. We will definitely return to Kohl's Ranch Stables in the future. We had a very enjoyable ride and it wasn't rushed. I think we received a very good ride for the price. read more

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Great experience! Perfect morning away from the Phoenix heat. Wonderful horses, trail views, and Wranglers. read more

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I took both of my sons on a trail ride this afternoon. This would be a normal everyday occurrence for some of you, but both of my sons have autism and cognitive delays. We had an amazing time. The wrangler was very nice, and knowledgeable. He treated my sons with respect. He never talked down to them. He gave them space to ride the horses, and helped kindly when it was needed. This experience gave my boys the chance to have a "normal" experience that will be a pleasant memory. We appreciate your kindness! read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - My sons enjoying their ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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Nothing but good things to say about the whole experience. The wranglers were professional and informative. They made it really easy to get up and ride. The horses were older and more tolerant of newer riders. Incredible views of the mountainside. Chief was a great horse to ride; very cooperative. Would recommend to anyone. read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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Wife and I had a really good time with thrse folks. Henry was an excellant guide and Victoria was informative on some do's and dont's of riding. We appreciated Jo and Charlie's input on riding as well. Henry's singing was not as bad as Charlies cowboy jokes :) We will be back and telling friends and Fam about God time we had on the trail. read more

Had trip set up for 1100 hr ride in the Payson area of AZ. Staying in Sedona is a 2 hour ride to get to the ranch. Half way there BOss lady calls and states her hand had to go to court and could not do the ride. So in Strawberry AZ had to stop and replan. Lady tells me she was trying to get his girlfriend to do the trip, but could not get a hold of her as well. Turned around found another place just outside of Flagstaff drive there and found out she was closed due to family issue. She advised that there was a place in Williams that may be open so we called and he took us as soon as we could show up. Then the phone rang and she wanted us to come back and she would give a big discount. FAIL read more

Wonderful trail and amazing guide ! We came as a family of 5 and we all had such a great time .

Awesome experience from the beginning! Kennon and Nicole were awesome friendly people. Kids hit the trail ride with beautiful scenery and nice cool air. The horses were beautiful and well taken care of. The guide was funny and knowledgeable. He kept the kids comfortable and safe. They were talking about the ride all afternoon. Definitely something you want to experience atleast once! Even a safe ride for the little ones! First time for her pony ride and she loved every minute of it. Well worth the money for us. read more

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Took a trail ride this past week, and it was absolutely AMAZING! When you pull into Kohl's Ranch stay to the right of the Lodge parking lot along Short Rd, all the way to the end and make a right, straight up the hill is where you will meet the wrangler..(DO NOT go in and ask the Lodge for help they will tell you "We are a Diamond Affiliate hotel and we cannot give you information on a 3rd party".. RIDICULOUS!!) Once we found the right place to go we met Mark, our wrangler for the day. Listening to him talk about all of the horses Kohl's have, I could quickly tell that he had an INCREDIBLE passion for what he does. While we waited for the horses to be ready Mark was chatting with us, and was giving us his stories about his time with the horses. Just as the horses were ready, a storm rolled in.. Mark let us know that we needed to wait for it to pass because it was too dangerous to ride in the rain. Mark told us about the Hatchery across the freeway and places to grab a bite to eat and to come back in an hour. What really blew us away was as we were headed back to the cars, Mark said, "Time is no issue, you all came here to take a trail ride, and I have all the time in the world to take you out! You will definitely ride a horse today!" Now THAT is something we loved hearing. After that hour passed, the rain did as well, and we were able to ride! The terrain was amazing, the trail was easy to ride, and the views were spectacular! Along the way Mark taught us about the different trees along the trail, mountains we saw, and even wild life that we might see..(Did not see any bears, or mountain lions like he had before!) Overall, I clearly cannot say enough about Kohl's Ranch Stables, Mark, Bob(My Horse), and the experience we had as a whole. We will 100% be back, with friends, family, and anyone who I come in contact with asking about Horseback riding near Payson! Thank you Kohl's Ranch Stables! read more

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We went here for my daughter's 10th birthday. The instructor was very unprofessional. He was hitting on my friend and making inappropriate comments in front of my daughter. She was the only child in the group. I was 3 or 4 horses behind the guide and my daughter right behind him and my friend was behind her. The communication between the guide and the person making reservation is no existent! There was confusion and chaos causing us to get started later than we were schedule. Our guide was irritated with her and let us all know. The trail was not the best as there are over grown trees that hit you in the face, and it's up a steep narrow hill/cliff. It was my first time since I was a kid on a horse, and I was a bit nervous as was the lady behind me. I appreciated everyone speaking up to shield my daughter from the inappropriate conversation. I have to say my friend handled it with grace as he continued to hit on her in front of us all. I suggest looking somewhere else, the overall experience was negative! They had helmet the kids MUST wear and they were gross. Another lady in the group offered me baby wipes to clean it off, due to them having nothing to sanitize the helmets with. read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Amazing trail ride to the waterfall!! Friendly and professional staff. My daughter loved the horses and the ride, HIGHLY recommend Kohl's ranch for a great horse ride experience!! read more

My family went horseback riding in Tuscon and enjoyed it, so we decided to try it in Payson and chose this place. The ranchers were very friendly and welcoming. We took the 2 hour horseback ride into the forest which offered beautiful views of the mountains. We rode the forest trails until we "parked the horses" and walked a trail to a pretty waterfall. This was the destination and after taking some time to take in the scenery, we rode them back to the ranch. We all enjoyed it and would recommend this! read more

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In our group of 3 couples, half the folks have never been on a horse before. For our 2 hour ride we saw great views as we all went up the mountain. Our horses were very friendly along with our tour guide. We stopped at a spot about an hour in and did a small hike to the waterfall. We enjoyed our time in the forest, great place for first timers! read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - Hidalgo, General Custard, Edgar, Poncho and Lil Man - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Went on a girls weekend to Peyson to get out of town. First time horseback riding since high school 20 years ago. The guide was very patient and chatted with us the whole time pointing out interesting things. Horses are very mello and easy to ride. Would recommend the 2 hour ride that takes you to the beautiful waterfall. read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

My date took me on a 2 hour horse ride and it rocked! It was through beautiful back-country and half way through we dismounted and went on a short hike to a waterfall/lagoon area. The staff was friendly and the horses were capable. I would recommend this ride and company to all friends and family. Bring a camera and a bottle of water. Also bring sunscreen and insect repellent. Solid! read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - The Stables admin office where you check-in and pay. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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Kohl's Ranch Stables Rocks! We took our Girl Scout Troop here while we were camping at Christopher Creek. The Wranglers are awesome! Lance is hilarious! The girls had a great time! The ride was beautiful! The Wranglers were very patient with the girls, they went through some basic horse training, and gave the girls an opportunity to do some hands on. I have taken my children here in the past, so I knew what to expect for my Girl Scouts, and they didn't let me down! Thank You so much, and I'm sure that the girls will return with their families as well! read more

Kohl's Ranch Stables - Bingo & Poncho - Horseback Riding Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Very scenic rise thru the mountains. Not your typical boring trail ride where the terrain is flat. This has elevation. My 9 year olds first trail ride and he loved it. Horses are very gentle. read more

Don't believe you can't ride! They're not closed simply under new management. I went this past march. Wonderful ride! I'm a complete novice when it comes to riding and it was a great experience. Looking forward to an outing next month with the family for my daughter's birthday... read more

The first time I tried to make a reservation, the horses were on "vacation". I get that. The second time, I made a reservation several days in advance and when hubby and I arrive, we're told that another couple had just gotten there, they assumed it was us (didn't ask for a name or check the forms they filled out) and they got our horses. And they were booked solid the rest of the day. I was in shock and pretty much speechless. No offer was made to make up for THEIR mistake. I am not sure there will be a third attempt. read more

I highly recommend. Our guide, Darren, was awesome. Everyone from my 69-year-old parents to my 12-year-old daughter had a blast. We will return for sure!!! read more

We took our 2 kids 8 & 10 years old, along with my mother and sister on a one hour trail ride and it was magnificent!!! The owner of the stables, Lance was so kind and helpful my daughter was a little scared at first, so Lance just assured her and showed her what to do and she was fine for the whole ride. When we got back she asked if we could go again right away and consequently has asked EVERY day since then to go back! Our guide Gisselle, was great she talked to everyone the whole way and showed us many different things along the trail ride and explained so me of Arizonas have story to us. She knew when to offer help and she knew when to keep moving. She was very nice and I would recommend to his business to anyone--in or out of the state!!!! This is a great business with VERY fair prices and a wonderful place to visit!!! Highly recommend! read more

My Son & I went over this morning to find out that Kohl's Ranch Stables is closed today & tomorrow (9/20/11 & 9/21/11), we mentioned our disappointment to members of the staff at Kohl's Ranch Lodge. Just got a visit from them, they have arranged for my son at least to take his ride in the morning. This kind of service deserves to be recognized, and based on the actual interaction tomorrow, I will likely upgrade the 3 to at least 4. read more

The guides were friendly and the ride to the waterfall was nice and peaceful. However they didn't have stir ups my size. Then it would have been a 5. read more

Took the 2 hour horse ride to the waterfall. Was absolutely beautiful. Highly recommend this ride. They also have a 1 and 3 hour ride.

this is a great place to go horseback riding! they are very customer friendly and have a great staff that understands first time riders or first time child riders. they were very friendly, supportive and the 60 trail ride was wonderfully scenic and peaceful. the horses are great! very rider friendly and careful. I highly recommend these stables when visiting Payson, and kudos to Dana, who is a tour guide there, she is extremely knowledgible, patient and very customer friendly!! we will go there again and again! read more