Horseback Riding in the Canadian Rockies
If you want to explore the quiet places of the Canadian Rockies, put the car in park and saddle up. Horseback riding along the foothills and high plains of the Canadian Rockies allows you live like a cowboy while exploring some of the most amazing alpine scenery in the world.
Local outfitters offer off-road expeditions that vary from one-hour trips for the beginners to multi-day pack rides with lodge or tent accommodations.
Horseback Riding in Lake Louise
Short rides are available to the north shore of Lake Louise but the tea house trails high above Lake Louise are among the most popular horseback trips in the Canadian Rockies.
The three-hour trail to Lake Agnes Tea House offers superb views of Lake Louise, close-up encounters with old-growth forest, a waterfall and the turquoise Mirror Lake.
The ride to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House is a little longer but for the extra effort you get to enjoy unrivalled views of the glacial fields that created Lake Louise.
Full-day trails from Lake Louise include tours to Skoki Lodge and Paradise Valley.
Horseback Riding around Banff
Short trails from Banff include rides to Bow Falls, Sulphur Mountain, Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Spray River, Mount Rundle and Sundance Canyon.
Day-long horseback trips are available through the Spray River Valley.
Horseback Riding around Jasper
Horseback rides to the Athabasca River and Lake Annette are amongst the most popular short trips from Jasper. For a longer ride, take a tour to Maligne Canyon.
The extremely remote Willmore Wilderness Park north of Jasper National Park and the more accessible Kananaskis Country west of Calgary are also prime locations for horseback tours.
Related sections: Canadian Rockies | Horseback Riding in Whistler