Wagons West - Horseback Riding Through Bridger-Teton

by Annie
(Minnesota)

My family took a horseback vacation in Wyoming with a group called Wagons West a few years ago. I was in high school, with a younger sister and brother, and we all had a great time riding in the mountains.

It was a group vacation, so we were with a lot of other people, which makes it interesting. Everyone camps together, eats at the chuck wagon, and we would go out for day trips or move camp a few times while we were out.

You can ride in the wagon, ride a horse along the trail behind the wagons, or head out with a guide for partial or whole day riding trips off the beaten path. The wagons are comfortable for those that don't want to ride a horse, and the horses were all exceptionally gentle. The horses are used to walking the trails and stay in line, but there are some more exciting moments like crossing streams, navigating steep slopes or letting the horses pick up speed through a mountain meadow.


After a day of riding, we would come back to camp for dinner, and then stories and songs around the campfire. The cowboys were a lot of fun to be around, and there were some talented storytellers! We brought our fiddles, and everyone loved the nightly concerts, or at least was nice enough about it.


We liked riding so much, that we spent extra to have a horse for a whole day, rather than a half day, and it was definitely worth it. Being able to get away from the trail and go off to look at old trapper's cabins, see wildlife (sometimes a little closer than we would have liked), and get as far away from civilization as you can in a few hours. Having the horses for the whole day let us go off in smaller groups, too, and get in as much riding as possible.


Guests didn't have to do much work, but the cowboys were grateful to have somebody that wanted to help brush down the horses at the end of the day.

It was very accessible for everyone from kids to grandparents to experienced riders. Everyone could participate to the degree they felt able. Best of all, we got to see the amazing landscape of the Bridger Teton Wilderness, and do it on horseback.


We liked it so much that we went back for a second trip! What better endorsement is there than that?