Shocked to see the mixed reviews. Our guides were friendly, they treated our kids with respect. The horses were healthy, clean and seemed happy. We did the 2 hour trail ride and got a great view of the plains and mountains. In all, we were thrilled with the experience and would be happy to recommend it to anyone who visited Glacier NP and needed a day where the kids weren't hiking the entire time. :-)
A wonderful ride: spectacular scenery combined with interesting and very friendly guides. My wife and I started going on vacation horseback rides about 10 years ago with our then young (7 and 9 years old) daughters. We've been fortunate to be able to ride at Mesa Verde, Cape Breton, the west coast of Ireland and Italy amongst other places. The Glacier ride was the first ride we took without the children. While all of the previous rides were great and special in their own way, we agreed that this was our favorite ride. The scenery can't be beat; it is staggeringly beautiful. The guides, all Blackfeet, were the best we've ever had. Mouse, the patriarch, was fun to listen to and the many younger guides were all interesting, helpful and very, very friendly. We rode with a big group (about a dozen riders) and normally that would have taken a little away from the ride but it didn't on this ride. There were 6 guides that rode with us (7 if you include Blue, the dog) and the guides were always cheerful and concerned. Rarely 5 minutes would go by without one of them riding by, smiling, and asking how we were doing. Doug, the nephew of Mouse, was ingratiatingly friendly, with a non-stop smile. Our 2 hour ride ended up being close to 2 1/2 hours. A great value and a great experience.
Did a full day with Adam and Olivia, both members of the Blackfeet guiding us and had a blast. Wasn't sure I would dig the whole horseback thing, but they showed us some of the coolest off the path stuff, riding straight into the woods from the corral in East Glacier Park. Would definitely go again next time we come to the park.
This is trail riding as it should be - beautiful, well cared for horses, a informative guide, and a spectacular trip across mountain meadows, beside sparkling rivers, and on up to high point lookouts. Go on it whether you are a first-timer or experienced, you will have a unique and wonderful view of Glacier and the area.
I booked the 2-hour ride to the Two Medicine area and I highly suggest it for anyone who wants a nice relaxing ride with beautiful scenery. The group I rode with was large, with all skill levels and ages, but the guides did a wonderful job of making sure everyone was comfortable on their horses and having a good time. The Blackfeet guides clearly enjoy their work - they were professional and conscientious, yet outgoing and very interested in volunteering information about the area, Blackfeet legends, and simply making friendly conversation. The horses were well cared for and ready to get out on the trail. The trail winds through the trees and meadows, then up a couple switchbacks to the top of a butte where you can see the expanse of the landscape all around you. The view is spectacular. The guides are glad to take your picture and offer to let you dismount your horse, if you need to stretch your legs for a few minutes. Then the trail makes it way back to the corral where each person is assisted in dismount. I had the opportunity to speak with Mouse, who runs the operation, and he is a wealth of information and happy to answer questions about Blackfeet history. I highly recommend Glacier Gateway Outfitters for an enjoyable experience on the trail.
My wife and I opted for the 1hour ride and it was spectacular. Being my first time on a horse, a two hour ride may have left me a little sore. If you're worried about another lame tourist trap, don't be, it's definitely a touristy thing to do, but this one was a winner. Trail was great, guides were awesome, views were breathtaking. Highly recommended.
This Blackfoot operated outfit took my grandchildren on a very nice trail ride up into a beautiful valley, The horses were well mannered and the guide very friendly. After this experience they wanted to take tail rides every where.
My daughter, my husband and I took the 2 hour trail ride and this was the best commercial trail ride I was ever on. The horses were well kept and well trained. The guides were wonderful. We had 4 guides to 9 people. Two of the those on the trail ride were little girls and the guides did a great job making sure they enjoyed it and had a good ride. I especially loved seeing near the end of the trail ride the little girl( who I am guessing was minimum age of 7 for the ride), and had been on a lead rope with the lead guide the whole ride was given the reins and was allowed to ride independently back to the corral. They did make sure a guide was riding next to her and ahead of her. I also loved that when we got up the mountain on her trail ride they posed us for pictures and using our camera and phone gave us a great memory of our ride, plus the scenery was beautiful!
This is the place to go for a horseback ride at Glacier. Everyone I talked to who rode elsewhere had nowhere near the experience we did. Our young guide, Alex, was so wonderful. My 11 year old granddaughter had quite a crush! It is the best value and definitely the best scenery.
We stumbled upon this place while walking back to the Glacier Park Lodge after having breakfast at Luna's. I had read the mixed reviews prior to our visit but did not realize the stables were so close to the lodge. We walked over and found that they were saddling up for a 2 hour ride and were able to accomodate us. The horses were fat and healthy looking from my perspective .... we ride a lot. Our guide Olivia was so sweet and educational, often stopping to point out plants, trees, berries that were edible. Kenny, another quide although quiet did fill us in on the origin of the name for Black Feet tribe. At the top of the mountain, we had incredible views and the guides (3 or 4) offered to take pictures of us on our horses with our cameras. The 2 hour ride was more like 2 1/2 hours and we thoroughly enjoyed it.