if you're looking for a beautiful, peaceful trail ride in the Smokies, this is your spot! We booked about 24hrs in advance and for the first hour had 1 other couple with us, but the second was just us. Our tour guide Liz was AWESOME! She told us so many cool stories about the area, and helped us improve our riding skills. Highly recommend the 2 hour ride! read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

Had a phenomenal experience on the trails! As an avid horseman, the guides were very informative and professional + dedicated to their work and these horses. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the 2 hour or 3 hour ride. It's an experience like no other. I did the 2hr ride and the time went by at a perfect pace. I met some cool people too! I would 100% ride their trail again! read more

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Three hour ride. Horses were clean, tack was in good condition. easy to find business. trail was perfectly adequate, although a bit muddy in spots. guides were obviously experienced and enjoyed their job. saddle bags were available, but we just wore a backpack. strongly recommended some type of bug spray on your hat brim. we packed sandwiches for the mid point picnic area. no water available on trail, so bring what you need. read more

Came back after 2 years with 3 of my friends and it was the best ever!! Savannah was very sweet and kind to us!! Beautiful trail, sweet horses and just overall a peaceful experience read more

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The whole tour was amazing the horses were great. The views during the tour was incredible and I'd definitely come back again. And Shannon was a great tour guide, her instructions were well understood. What's great was that my groups personalities were matched with the horses personalities. read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

So much fun!! We had a group of 8 and we all loved it. Jose and Tabitha were very knowledgeable and professional. Thanks for everything! read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - trail ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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Awesome horseback riding less than 30 minutes from Asheville. Way cheaper than Biltmore and much better scenery. The guides are amazing and were willing to take pictures. The horses are very calm and know the trail really well. Any worries about riding a horse will go away after a few minutes of riding these horses. Will be back. By the way, the horses looked great and were well groomed. read more

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If you're looking for something fancy this isn't the place. If you want something authentic then you got it. Small kind of beaten up farm. I was a little unsure at first but went for it because reviews seemed legit. Not a horse or animal expert but I can say they could be treated a little better. The good: The trail was very muddy because of rain but never stopped the horses. They knew exactly what to do if you just let them. Our guide had many years of experience and you can tell. The views were amazing. The bad: If you have kids it doesn't look like the place you'd let them go on their own. It just doesn't look like the typical farm you would go to. But considering the hurricane I'll let it slide. Overall rating 3.5/5 Enjoyable and friendly guides read more

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We did a 2 hour trail ride. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. Would definitely recommend

Let me preface the review by saying that my group DID had a good time! When we arrived, it took a few minutes for us to be greeted because we were waiting in the wrong area ( there was no signage or directions to tell us where we needed to go... we just walked toward another group of people who were also standing around waiting.) There is no paved parking lot and it was difficult to know where was an appropriate place to park (next to the port-a-let? Next to the horse trailer? Next to the car trailer? Beside the fence?) Once we were all checked in and waivers signed, we were all asked to use restrooms before we got in the horses (no place to go in the ride.) The ONLY place to go was the outside port-a-let. There was no place to wash your hands after using the restroom. It took nearly 45 mins to get all the riders on horses and taught how to maneuver them. We set off on our ride only to find that one of our horses shouldn't have been on the ride. It had a hurt leg/foot that it was gingerly using. Half way through the ride, the person in that horse asked to be out on a different house to allow the injured horse to rest. A 3rd horse kicked the replacement bourse and my friend almost fell off the second horse she was on! Wasn't anyone's fault -- just the nature of the animals! Still traumatic for her, tho. None of the 26 horses (with the exception of the one the guide was riding) looked well cared for. Their mane & tales were all matted with huge sand spurs! They were dirty because the staff seemed to not clean up the horse in & around the stables. Some of the horses didn't have horse shoes on, either. There were several dogs at the stables that also looked like they were not well cared for. We witnessed them rolling in the horse and mud! 3 of the white dogs were so dirty & gross! They were not corrected for rolling in the , either. On the flip side -- we did enjoy our 2 hour ride. The horses were well-mannered for the most part. The scenery was gorgeous! Our guide was excellent and very patient with the different levels of knowledge in our group. read more

Such a fun time and wonderful horses & guide. Wish we had booked the two hour!! Will be back one day :) read more

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My family and I had a great time today at the Smoky Mountain Trail Rides. We had such a great experience on a 2hr horseback ride. The horses were very well trained and beautiful. The ladies that lead us on the tour were super nice and helpful during the ride, especially for anyone who was not experienced horseback riding. The ladies that lead the tour know the horses so well, they know each of their personalities. The scenery is amazing! Beautiful woods, filled and panoramic views of the Smoky Mountains. Special shout out for the mascots and the bunch the awesome dogs that they have on the farm. I highly recommend anyone interested in horseback riding check out this great family business smoky Mountain Trail rides. read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Farm & barn with the horses - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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Animals in poor conditions - please don't support this place. We found this business online and booked a trail ride in Spring 2023. The farm itself is shabby and messy, which I can understand because it's a small operation. Not great, but perhaps tolerable. But what we found appalling was the appearance of the dirty, overworked horses. They seemed tired and were struggling to climb up hill on the trails. They hadn't been groomed or cleaned in quite some time, and were covered with mud. At least one of the pigs was limping due to a severely overgrown hoof. Mentioned these concerns to the owner/manager (Mark?), and he didn't seem to care. Also, some goats were locked in the barn in the dark on a hot, sunny afternoon (upper 70's) - why? First I called the local Animal Services Department and they said they don't deal with livestock. We reported this to PETA and they had us contact the County Sheriff's Office. I spoke with a deputy and my friend spoke with a sheriff. They said they did make a trip out to the property and there was nothing they could do. I am not a farmer, but this seems like abuse or neglect. Very disturbing. read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Pig could not put his foot down properly - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

We enjoyed our ride! The guides (Andrea, Stephanie and Haley) were very knowledgeable and super helpful. They chose horses that would fit each one of us and they did a great job. They guided us through the terrain and helping our 6 and 7 year olds navigate their horse on their own. We absolutely loved that. There were some muddy up hill and down hill spots and they directed exactly what to do to ensure our safety and the horses safety. The location was great and the views were stunning. We would absolutely go back! read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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Amazing! Savannah was our guide and she is super friendly and helpful. We did the 3 hour tour (they offer shorter ones more suitable for first time riders) on some very calm, sure footed horses. Animals were well taken care of and sweet. Gary, who I believe runs the business, made everyone feel safe and at home before we went on our adventure. Bonus: so many sweet kitties and dogs to play with and pet while you wait! Perfect place to take your family. read more

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Amazing trail rides just 30 mins from Asheville, with the kindest down-to-earth people you will meet working here. Asked the staff what we should do for the evening and they invited us to the local rodeo, where we had a blast. The horses are wonderful and all have their own memorable personalities. Bring an apple or carrot to thank the horses! read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Trail ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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I have never been horseback riding, and boy was I missing out. I honestly believe if I had went anywhere else it wouldn't have been the beautiful, calm, and perfectly fun experience I did have. I was a little nervous at first, but once we met the owner and his staff they made me feel comfortable, safe, and educated! The pace was perfect for a beginner like me! Definitely a one of a kind experience with some of the most secluded, peaceful scenery of the Smokey mountains I've ever seen. Two hours was more than enough time to fully enjoy and savor my first riding experience. Honestly the whole trail was like something straight out of a movie. 10/10 recommend! read more

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Great guide, awesome views! My friend and I did the one hour tour and had a blast. Our guide was very helpful and full of knowledge. Thank you! read more

My boyfriend and I had sooo much fun on this trail ride. It was super relaxed and came with a beautiful view!! read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Beautiful View - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

My best friend and I just went here to go horseback riding. We were originally scheduled to go to a different place, but we were cancelled due to unsafe trails. We called here and got right in at a reasonable price for a 2 hour ride. I have nothing bad to say about the owner or trail guide, Katie. Both were personable, friendly and knowledgeable. The trail was exhilarating and definitely up hill to the top of the mountain. Views were beautiful. Wish we had better timing, we went in February and the trees were just leafless sticks. Trail was muddy and at times I was worried the horses wouldn't be able to plow through the mud. Mine seemed hesitant at times. If you're scared of heights, this might not be for you. The trails were on cliff edges, but we survived!! The place is off the beaten path. A little run down. My main concern was the health and well-being of the horses. Some appeared to have mange. They were filthy and didn't seem well groomed. I also was worried about their stamina as we were the third 2-hour tour that day. My friends horse, Honey, seemed to be hurt. Her back, left hoof kept causing problems. She was limping. When I brought it to the guide's attention she said he drags his feet. I'm no horse expert, but that horse was limping. I did feel bad for the horses and tried to show mine some extra TLC. Overall, it was a good ride. I just hope the horses are happy there. read more

Condition of horses was very concerning and the guides did not follow typical safety protocols. Our two hour ride lasted less than 90 minutes. The trail was beautiful and the views terrific but I am very concerned about the condition of the horses. One of ours had terrible respiratory difficulty the guide said "was just asthma" and two of our horses had extensive burrs in their manes suggesting neglectful grooming. Owner was not at all responsive to my concerns. read more

We had a wonderful trail ride today. We had age 8 all the way to 46 and the staff knew just the right horses for everyone. The trail was beautiful and we even stopped at the top and the staff took our pictures with the mountains in the background. This was an authentic mountain trail ride and I'm so glad we picked this company to go with. read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Trail ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

My granddaughter and I had a fantastic time on our 2 hour ride. Savannah was very sweet and a great guide! The scenery was absolutely beautiful. I would definitely go back and ride with them again! read more

Gary was super friendly and made us feel welcome from the get go. He took the time to get a specific horse to fit my very tall daughter rather than the horse they already had saddled. Our trail guide, Brendon, was very friendly and kept an eye on us and our horses. We had a leisurely two hour ride around the property. read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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Great experience, had a lot of phone and no problems. Animals friendly and good for first time riders. Shoutout to molly the tour guide!! Highly recommend read more

Good people, good horses. Just make sure you arrive early so you don't lose your spot - they tend to overbook read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Me and spider - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

AMAZING EXPERIENCE. 100% recommended. The location is perfect for trail riding. The drive to the location is beautiful as well so that's a plus. A group of 5 friends & I decided to take the 1 hour trail ride. The trails were extremely exciting, had breathtaking views, very well trained horses & a great guide. She was very informative about the horses & the pastures. Gary, the owner was very prompt on getting information to us prior to the visit. Next time here, we will definitely take the 2 hour ride. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. Thank you! read more

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The scenery and vistas were amazing! The staff was friendly. However, I would not recommend this ride for first time riders. The staff was laid back, perhaps a little too much. The grounds could use a little TLC. It was disheartening to see litter and trash around the barn and office. We were also looking forward to seeing the buffalo grazing... didn't see a single buffalo. read more

This is an amazing activity to do if you are on vacation in Asheville. If you have never ridden a horse before they make you feel extremely confident about it and get you going with no problem. The horses are extremely friendly and love attention. The views from some of the ranges on the trails are outstanding, and even if you've ridden horses before this is still great fun. read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - My girlfriend with her horse David Bowie sticking his tongue out. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

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My husband and I were out celebrating our 13 year wedding anniversary. We decided to go horseback riding. We have been all over the world. This place was absolutely wonderful. The guide, Gary was informative and very knowledgeable about the area. We had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend it. And absolutely do the two hour ride. It's worth it. read more

The two hour trail ride was the highlight of my daughter's and grandson's trip. My eight year old grandson had never been on a horse and was a little nervous. By the end, he was asking to again and had the biggest proudest smile. Savannah is a great teacher and guide. read more

Our family had a wonderful experience! The four of us rode (including our 14 yo and 12 yo kids) and saw beautiful scenery during the two-hour ride. Our guide was knowledgeable and made sure we were safe and having fun. He was able to tailor his support to meet various levels of experience and comfort. We saw mountain ridges, rolling hills, buffalo and horses grazing, and wooded trails. We'll be back! read more

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Justin and Molly were awesome trail guides. We had so much fun and would highly recommend this horseback riding company.

We visited the area from Nashville last weekend & went on a ride at Smokey Mountain Trail Rides & it was so much fun!! Gary the owner, was polite and friendly and fit us in for a private ride the same day we called, which was really nice of him to do when they already had a full schedule for the day. The horses were beautiful and well groomed. The horse I rode was insanely well-mannered & responsive (and I've been riding horses since I was a young girl). We only had time for the one-hour ride, but the views were spectacular & the trails were great. I have to add- great company makes for a great time & our trail guide Richard was just that. He was funny, kind & took some awesome pictures of us along the trails! 100% recommended to riders of all skill levels for a really fun & unforgettable experience!!! Next time we visit, we definitely plan on the 2 hour ride :)) Thank you Gary & Richard! read more

My husband and I decided this morning we wanted to go horseback riding. It was super easy to book our slot. The trails were beautiful and the guide was absolutely wonderful! The horses were great so sweet. We really enjoyed the horses and the views of North Carolina! read more

The trail was certainly exhilarating. Although I had my horse keep a steady 5mph, the views and the ride kept my heart racing. I went with my Fiancé and our guide Blake accommodated our lack of riding experience and even kept giving us handy tips throughout the ride. After much hiking through NC for our vacation, it was nice getting to sit back and enjoy the beautiful mountains through the comfort of horseback. I would definitely choose this farm again for a ride with my family. I also recommend Bowie the horse to any unexperienced rider as he followed directions really well and was overall a great riding buddy. read more

Smoky Mountain Trail Rides - Photo op with a view - Horseback Riding Near Me - Marshall, North Carolina

Our family recently visited Asheville and chose activities in which we could social distance while at the same time enjoy the outdoors. We decided to add horseback riding to the list of activities and called around for availability. We stumbled upon the Smoky Mountain Trail Ride @ Bison Farm and called a week ahead to make reservations. I spoke with Gary, the owner, and he seemed nice enough on the phone - answered my basic questions as several family members have never been on a horse. He assured me that my children, ages 7 and 11 would do fine as the majority of their visitors are first-time riders as well. I mentioned were meeting up with another family of 4, he extended a discounted rate and advised we would be able to go as a private group. The week leading up to the trip was filled with excited anticipation - my 7 year old said she thought this would be her favorite activity that we planned (outside of whitewater rafting, swimming and lots of hiking). We arrived 30 minutes early as instructed to complete waivers, put on gear and receive basic instruction. When we pulled into the property we were a bit taken back as the property was very run down and did not appear to be well maintained - not at all like what you see on their website. My husband commented that it looked like a scene straight out of the movie Deliverance. We laughed it off, parked our car and headed to check in. At registration, a friendly gentleman, Richard, instructed us to sit tight as he was getting another group ready to hit the trails before ours. He told us to complete the waivers, pick out a helmet and use the disinfectant spray in the office to clean them. The office was filthy, smelled of cat urine and there were flies everywhere, but we proceeded to complete the waivers and sprayed the helmets as instructed. We patiently waited near the office for approximately 30 minutes and then headed to the barn to look at the horses. We were surprised to see another family of 4 was also waiting since Gary advised we would have a private trail ride, but we made small talk and introduced ourselves to the nice, young family visiting from Florida. They advised that they booked just last night and were waiting for over an hour to be assigned horses. At this time we heard loud yelling from the back of the barn. It was what we thought a disagreement between coworkers that quickly escalated to a loud shouting match. I asked another worker if the owner Gary was around and he advised Gary was the one doing all of the yelling! It was a very uncomfortable exchange - lots of unfavorable language being thrown around - extremely unprofessional and degrading language. Not at all a family friendly environment. Turns out they did not have enough horses to accommodate everyone who had booked reservations and Gary was giving one of the workers an earful. It was so uncomfortable and all of us were just stunned by the exchange. We quietly called around to see if we could take our business elsewhere, but could not find any openings. We decided to wait it out as we knew how much our kids were looking forward to this experience. After nearly an hour of waiting, my 7 year old said she would ride with me to free up a horse so we could get going. They did not have proper equipment / double saddle and she was uncomfortably sitting on the horn of the saddle. I'm no expert, but this did not seem at all safe to me and when I approached Gary about it he laid into me - telling me I was nothing but a pain in the ass the whole time! I could not believe his response - I was merely concerned about the safety of my child. My family and friends promptly got off our horses and all 8 of us left immediately. Our kids were so upset, but we used this as a teaching moment - you do not talk to your staff and customers that way. We later found out that several other ranches cancelled their trail rides as the trails were considered unsafe due to heavy rainfall the night before. Just goes to show that safety is not at all a concern at Bison Farm. Gary a monster - do not give Smoky Mountain Trail Rides your business! read more

I had a lovely experience at their trail rides! My ride was two hours long and the whole ride was breath taking. The horses were also super well mannered and sweet. I don't think it's mentioned on the website but they actually stopped to take photos of the group we came with at the top of the mountain which was a super great surprise! If I had kids or a friend who hadn't been on a horse before, I'd bring them here. The owner as well as the staff were super friendly and I ended up talking to them for awhile. I had to arrive much earlier than my appointment and they were super hospitable to me, made sure I stayed warm, showed me around, and made sure I felt safe and comfortable since I came alone to ride. If I come back to Asheville I'd definitely love to come back or suggest to my friends visiting. read more

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This was, by far and above, the best trail ride EVER!! We called the day of, an hour in advance (due to being out on another mountain all day) of the 4pm ride. The gentleman said "sure - come on out". No reservation. We arrived and were greeted by Richard, our guide, when he returned from the previous tour. Kind doesn't begin to describe him: he was kind, FUNNY, personable, and equine knowledgeable with 40 years experience, he took great joy in helping novice & young riders. This was NOT a boring ride around a field..it was up through leaf covered trails graded 45 degrees or steeper, through a mud pit, across beautiful grassy ridge peaks and down into the trees winding through the colorful forest on the 800 acre property. The scenery was stunning. Along the way we met the other resident horses free range, a flock of deer, and we were accompanied by Richard's 2 red heeler dogs the entire ride! We chose the 2 hour ride - which was perfect. We're just passing through this area, but we will most certainly be back! HIGHLY recommend. read more

Our front desk hotel reception, in Asheville, suggested this place. We called the Biltmore stables, but they were only open on Friday and Saturday. We called Bison Farms and it went to voicemail and then it said that the mailbox was full. We decided to head out to the Bison Farm anyway. The farm is in bad repair. There are as a group of 4 getting ready to head out. We spoke with Karen ( I think that was her name) and stated she didn't have room for 6 more people on this ride and to come back at 4pm. So did some site seeing had lunch. Came back at 4pm with a party of 4 rather than 6. Karen was the only person working and she was able to get our party of 4 plus another couple ready in about 1/2 hour. Farm had some cats and a pig running around. We loved our ride. It was some real trail riding. Not a flat ride with horses butt to nose. Our ride was 2 hrs long. I don't think I would recommend it for small children. There were some steep hills going up and down. And you do have to control your horse. Great scenery, wonderful ride and sweet trail guide. read more