Pack Trips · California
Pack Trips in California
9 operators across California.
California riding
California may be the only state where a rider can choose between redwood forest, ocean beach, alpine wilderness, and open desert without crossing a border. The Sierra Nevada, the Central Valley, the Pacific coastline, and the Southern California deserts each carry their own riding: redwood trails near Eureka, beach gallops in Santa Barbara County, hard desert country in Anza-Borrego. The regions run on different seasonal clocks, which means somewhere in the state, the riding is always good.
The industry is as big as the geography. Guest ranches run everything from working cattle drives to luxury resort stays. Trail-riding stables concentrate where the visitors do: around Yosemite National Park, in the Santa Monica Mountains outside Los Angeles, through the Sonoma and Napa wine country. Riding academies serve every level of rider, with deep rosters in Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Orange and San Diego Counties, teaching English and Western disciplines side by side.
About pack trips
Multi-day backcountry pack trips and outfitted wilderness expeditions: wrangler-led, with stock, gear, and camp handled.
Quick facts
- Best season
- Year-round
Operators
Pack Trips operators
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Resources
More to explore in Pack Trips
Hand-picked clips from the community, sorted by what you do.
Videos worth watching
Hand-picked clips, sorted by what you do.
Ladies Backcountry Pack Trip in Montana with Horses & Mules
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Horse Pack trip into the Gros Ventre River Basin, East of Jackson Hole Wy Episode 2
Wilderness Riders
Long-Distance Horseback Riding - 15 ESSENTIAL items
Jake Harvath
How to go on a Yellowstone Horseback Ride with Wilderness Pack Trips
TravelingMel
SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS HORSE PACK TRIP INTO THE ROSS FORK LAKES
Daniel Mink (Rhinestone Roper)
Free tools
Your free outdoor toolkit
Everything Map
Listings, trails, spots, clubs and public land on a single full-screen map. Switch layers on and off, then tap any point for the details.
Open Everything MapTrail Explorer
Browse a community map of named trails with distance, difficulty, and where each one starts.
Open Trail ExplorerRoute Planner
Drop stops on a map and watch distance and drive time add up. Export a GPX or share the link.
Open Route PlannerRiding Clubs
Browse local clubs with meeting info and how to join, or start your own for free.
Open Riding ClubsPhoto ID
Point your camera at whatever you found and get a structured identification. No signup.
Open Photo IDGear Checklists
Printable, save-as-you-go packing lists. Tick items off and pull them up on your phone.
Open Gear Checklists
