Torrey, Utah / Guided trips / Horseback
The park is stricter about this than about almost anything else
Capitol Reef Horseback Riding
Capitol Reef horseback riding is real, but almost none of it happens where visitors picture it. The Park Service closes horses out of nearly every trail you have heard of, names three backcountry routes that are open, and requires any commercially guided ride inside the park to come from an authorized outfitter. This page gives you the closed list, the open list, and the three outfits actually running rides here, with what each one publishes.
If you read one section
Short rides happen on forest land. Long rides go into the park
The one and two hour rides sold in Torrey run on Fishlake National Forest ground that borders the park, not inside it. That is not a compromise, it is where the open country is, and the views back across the Waterpocket Fold are the point.
The half day and multi day trips are the ones that reach into Capitol Reef proper, generally by way of Pleasant Creek, which is one of only three routes the Park Service itself names as stock access. If riding into the park matters to you, that is the trip to book, and it is worth asking the outfitter directly where the ride actually goes.
The park is blunt about the commercial side: any commercially guided horse or pack animal trip must come from an outfitter authorized under the park's commercial use procedures. It also publishes no list of who those outfitters are, and states plainly that issuing an authorization is not a recommendation. So ask, and ask the outfitter to say it out loud.
Comparing this against the other guided options here? The operators directory covers every company working in the area and what each one says about its own permits.
The list nobody publishes
Where horses can and cannot go in Capitol Reef
The Park Service states that horses and pack animals are allowed throughout the park except in a named set of places. Read that list and you will notice it removes almost every trail a first time visitor has heard of.
| Place | Stock | What that means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Any trail starting on Highway 24 or the Scenic Drive | Closed | This one clause removes Hickman Bridge, Cohab Canyon, Chimney Rock, Rim Overlook, Sunset Point and the rest of the front country trail system |
| Grand Wash | Closed | Including the route to Cassidy Arch |
| Capitol Gorge and Golden Throne | Closed | The historic wagon route is walking only |
| Upper and Lower Spring Canyon | Closed | One of the park's best long walks, and not open to stock |
| Halls Creek Narrows and the Halls Overlook trail | Closed | The narrows themselves are out, though the wider Halls Creek drainage is not |
| Halls Creek from the Post corral south | Suggested | A named stock route, with the narrows bypassed by the Hall Divide route |
| South Desert, from the Upper or Lower South Desert overlooks | Suggested | Big open country in the park's north district |
| South Draw Road, to Tantalus Flats and Boulder Mountain, or down Pleasant Creek | Suggested | This is the one the commercial half day rides use. The park names it; the outfitters sell it |
That last row is worth pausing on. Two Torrey outfits market a Pleasant Creek ride as their signature trip, and the Park Service independently lists Pleasant Creek among the three routes it suggests for stock. The marketing and the land manager agree, which is not something you can say about every guided trip sold in this valley.
Stock use in the park is limited to horses, burros and mules. Llamas are not on that list, which is why the llama trekking outfit here states that it runs no trips inside the park boundary and works on Forest Service ground instead.
Everyone we can find
The three outfits running rides here
Every figure below is what the company publishes on its own website, checked September 2026. Prices and seasons change, and several of these outfits publish less than you would like, so call before you plan a day around one.
| Outfit | Phone | Based | What they publish | Rider rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilderness Ridge Adventures | 435 225 6205 | Torrey, riding from their own corral | One hour ride $122.20 per person, two hour $138.18. Their site also describes four hour and full day options without prices. The Capitol Reef Resort, which sells the same rides, lists $131 and $148 and gives a season of mid March to late October | Minimum age 8. Weight limit 230 pounds. Helmets required under 18. Long pants and closed toe shoes. No backpacks |
| Backcountry Outfitters | 435 425 2010 | Torrey, ten miles from the park entrance | Half day ride $150 with lunch, 9am or 1pm, choice of Pleasant Creek Canyon or a Boulder Mountain alpine ride. Overnight from $495. Three day trips $750 to $825. Four day $999. Five day $1,250, or $1,450 for a multi sport version | Riders from age 6, if physically able to ride. Younger children can ride on a lead rope. No published weight limit |
| TK Outfitting | 435 749 2110 | Loa, riding where Boulder Mountain meets the park | Multi day only. A four day inn to inn ride at $2,600 per person plus tax with four nights lodging, and a version at $2,200 with one night lodging and three nights camping. Their destination is Pleasant Creek Falls | No minimum age, weight limit or season published. Ask |
The cross check worth making
None of these three claims a Capitol Reef commercial use authorization anywhere on its website, and the park publishes no list of who holds one. That is not evidence against them. It does mean that if your trip is supposed to enter the park, the question to ask on the phone is simple: are you authorized by the park for stock use, and does this ride go inside the boundary?
An outfit riding only on Fishlake National Forest ground needs a Forest Service special use permit instead, which is a different authorization entirely.
One name you may still find
Hondoo Rivers and Trails ran horseback trips out of Torrey for decades and is still listed on plenty of travel pages. Their own website now says they have reached the end of the trail for tours after 47 years, and describes only a horse hotel offering daily and multi day accommodation for your own animals.
If you have been recommended Hondoo for a guided ride, that recommendation is out of date.
Worth knowing for the pack animal curious: Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas, on 208 270 7749, runs llama day hikes, overnights and multi day treks and describes itself as an authorized permittee of Fishlake National Forest. It also states plainly that it offers no trips inside the park boundary, which matches the park's rule that stock means horses, burros and mules only.
If you are bringing your own animals
The rules for private stock
Capitol Reef is genuinely welcoming to private riders, and calls stock use a traditional means of experiencing the park. The conditions are specific enough to be worth reading before you load the trailer.
| Rule | What the park requires |
|---|---|
| Permit | A Backcountry Use Permit from the visitor center for any party staying overnight with stock. Free, and not rationed |
| Group size | No more than 12 people and no more than 12 head of horses or pack animals |
| Feed | All feed certified weed free during the trip and for two full days before you arrive |
| Setbacks | Camp and picket at least 300 feet from tanks, ponds, archeological or historical sites and backcountry trail junctions, and at least 100 feet from any water course, wet or dry |
| Camping distance | No camping with stock within half a mile of established roads or trailheads, except at the Equestrian Staging Area |
| Species | Horses, burros and mules only |
The Equestrian Staging Area is the exception to the half mile rule and it is a long way out: the park puts it in the South or Waterpocket district, about 35 miles south of Highway 24 by way of the Notom Bullfrog Road and the Burr Trail Road. There is no water at the corral site, and it needs advance reservations plus a backcountry permit picked up in person.
Two footnotes on the paperwork. The park's web page and its printed handout name the same facility differently, as the Equestrian Staging Area and as the Post Corral, without reconciling the two. And on feed, the web page adds the two day advance requirement that the handout leaves out. We have used the stricter version of both, because that is the one that cannot get you in trouble.
Getting to the staging area means 35 miles of backcountry road with a trailer. The road conditions page covers what the Notom Bullfrog and Burr Trail roads do in weather, and the phone line that carries today's answer is 435 425 3791, press #1 then #4.
Matching the trip to the rider
Which ride suits you
Never ridden, or riding with children
A one or two hour ride from Torrey. Wilderness Ridge takes riders from age 8 with a 230 pound limit and requires helmets under 18. Backcountry Outfitters will take riders from age 6 and will lead a small child's horse on a rope.
Both run on forest ground next to the park rather than inside it. For a first ride that is the right call: the terrain is gentler and the horses are working a route they know.
You ride, and you want to be in the park
The half day Pleasant Creek ride at $150 with lunch is the best value on this page and the only single day trip we can find that follows a route the Park Service itself names for stock. It crosses the creek repeatedly and passes rock art.
Book it as Pleasant Creek specifically, since the same half day slot also sells as a Boulder Mountain alpine ride.
You want the real thing
Multi day. Backcountry Outfitters runs overnights from $495 and three to five day pack trips to $1,450, including a rod and ride that pairs horses with the Boulder Mountain lakes. TK Outfitting runs inn to inn rides at $2,200 to $2,600.
These are the trips where the 12 person and 12 head cap starts to matter, and where the permit question is worth asking directly.
One practical note on season. Only the resort's listing gives a season for the short rides, mid March to late October, and TK publishes a calendar running late April to early October. Nobody here rides in January. If you are planning a shoulder season trip, call rather than assume, and see the month by month page for what the weather is actually doing.
Straight answers
Horseback questions
Can you ride horses in Capitol Reef National Park?
Yes, but not on the popular trails. The Park Service allows horses and pack animals throughout the park except on any trail starting from Highway 24 or the Scenic Drive, in Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, the Golden Throne trail, Upper and Lower Spring Canyon, Halls Creek Narrows and the Halls Overlook trail. It suggests three backcountry routes for stock instead.
How much does a horseback ride near Capitol Reef cost?
Published prices run from $122.20 for a one hour ride up to $150 for a half day with lunch. Overnight pack trips start at $495 and multi day trips run from $750 to $2,600 depending on length and whether you sleep in an inn or a tent.
What is the weight limit for horseback riding here?
Wilderness Ridge Adventures publishes a 230 pound limit. The other two outfits publish no weight limit at all, which is not the same as not having one. Ask when you book, and be straight about it, since the limit exists for the horse.
What is the minimum age?
Age 8 at Wilderness Ridge Adventures, who also require helmets for riders under 18. Backcountry Outfitters say they accept riders from age 6 if physically able to ride, and will lead a younger child's horse on a rope. TK Outfitting publishes no minimum age.
Do I need a permit to bring my own horse?
Only for overnight trips, and it is free. A Backcountry Use Permit from the visitor center is required for each party with horses or pack animals staying overnight in the park. Day riding needs no permit, though all the other rules still apply.
Can I bring my own hay?
Only certified weed free feed, and the park requires it during the trip and for two full days before you arrive. The surrounding national forests require certified weed free hay as well, including in dispersed camping areas, so this is not a rule you can ride around.
Are llamas allowed in the park?
No. The park limits stock use to horses, burros and mules. The llama trekking outfit working here states that it runs no trips inside the park boundary and operates on Fishlake National Forest land as an authorized permittee instead.
Is Hondoo Rivers and Trails still running horseback trips?
No. Their own site says they have reached the end of the trail for tours after 47 years and now offer only a horse hotel with daily and multi day accommodation for visiting animals. Plenty of travel pages still list them as a guided riding option.
Closures, suggested routes, permit rules, group limits and feed requirements come from the National Park Service pages for horse and pack animal use and its commercial use authorizations, checked September 2026. Prices, ages and seasons are what each company publishes about itself, and we have said so in every case.
Next step
Pick the ride, then ask the one question
Length and legs decide the trip. Whether it enters the park is a phone call, and a fair one to make.
Also useful: riding with children, the rod and ride option and the planning hub. Or who writes this site.