All-Day Horseback Rides / Camping Locations

1. Dead Broke Farm in Raleigh — 60 acres of beautiful wooded trails including ferns, dogwoods, redbud and large sycamore trees, hills, and creek crossings. Deer and turkeys are often spotted on these trails. No camping available on site. However, camping is available at Falls Lake - less than 10 miles from our farm. Conveniently located in Raleigh, NC.
    
2. Umstead State Park in Raleigh — An 11 mile curvy, slopping, pebbled path through the woods. Includes glimpses of wildlife and 2 river crossings through the river and over a manmade bridge. Offers excellent trails for beginners but interesting and challenging enough to be enjoyable for more experienced riders also. Camping and other activities are available at Umstead. For more info, refer to http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/wium/home.html. From our farm in Raleigh: 20 min.
    
3. American Tobacco Trail in Apex — A nice bridle trail currently under development. No camping available. From Raleigh: 30 min.
    
4. Hill Forest in Rougemont (between Durham and Roxboro) — A beautiful ride! Offers wooded trails, hills, creeks, rivers, open meadows with a view of some awesome horse farms. No camping available. From Raleigh: 45 min.
    
5. Raven Rock State Park between Kipling and Lillington — Consists of 2 loops totaling 7 miles. One of the loops goes down to the Cape Fear River. Wooded with some hills and small creeks. No camping available. From Raleigh: 45 min.
    
6. Occoneechee State Park in Virginia near Clarksville — Nearly 15 miles of scenic bridle trails. Fishing, boating, and camping are also available. For park fees and info, refer to http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/occoneec.htm. From Raleigh, 45 min.
    
7. Buckhorn in Corinth — Wooded and lots of hills and creeks. A great ride! No camping available. From Raleigh: 1 hour.
    
8. Little River Trails in Lillington — 17 miles of trails located along the Upper Little River. Mostly flat and sandy trails. Can camp overnight. Bathhouse with hot showers. Fishing available free to campers. From Raleigh: 1 hour, 15 min. Additional facilities charges are applicable. Call for quote.
    
9. Buckhorn Reservoir near Buckhorn Crossroads just inside Wilson County — Ride down to a reservoir. Wooded trails offer an interesting ride. No camping available. From Raleigh: 1 hour, 30 min.
    
10. The Moss Foundation in Pinehurst — sandy and wooded. No camping available. From Raleigh: 2 hours.
     
11. Uwharrie National Forest near Troy — an awesome ride in the foothills of the mountains! Ride around a lake and through woods, rivers, and creeks. Can camp overnight. Trails range from easy to difficult. From Raleigh: 2 hours. http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/uwharrie/
     
12. White Oak Mountain in Virginia — Moderately rolling hills with mostly wooded trails on 2,712 acres. The area is dotted with ponds that range in size from one-half to six acres. The area’s meandering northwest boundary is formed by the Banister River. No camping available. From Raleigh: 2 hours.
     
13. Hoffman — sandy and wooded. No camping available. From Raleigh: 2 hours 15 min.
     
14. White Oak Mountain near Danville, VA — Riding is mostly in the open with some woods riding. Primitive camping available. From Raleigh: 2 hours 15 min.
     
15. Pilot Mountain near Pinnacle — Ride along the Yadkin River with over 50 miles of beautiful trails in the foothills of the mountains. Can camp overnight. From Raleigh: 2 hours 15 min. Additional camping fees apply for campers.
     
16. Love Valley — a horse town similar to Gunsmoke near Statesville in the foothills of the mountains. No vehicles allowed in the town. Includes a saloon, tack shop, general store, and blacksmith. Nice wooded, hilly trails with lots of streams. Can camp overnight. From Raleigh: 2 hours, 30 min. Additional camping/facilities charges are applicable. Call for quote.
     
17. Morrow Mountain State Park near Troy — in the foothills of the mountains with over 16 miles of bridle trails spanning 4,693 acres. Lake fishing, swimming pool, picnic area, bathrooms with showers, and camping available. From Raleigh: 2 hours, 45 min. Camping: $15/night per site. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-parks-217393-morrow_mountain_state_park-i
     
18. Whippoorwill Horse Campground in Richlands — Easy, sandy trails. Horse campground includes a nice spring fed pond to swim in. Full bath house available. From Raleigh: 3 hours away. Facilities charge: $10/rider. http://www.whippoorwillcampground.com/
     
19. Leatherwood in Ferguson — The campsite is in a beautiful valley along the river. Trails are moderate to difficult. From Raleigh: 3 hours 20 min away.
     
20. Hideout Campground in Patrick, SC — Ride over 70 miles of wood trails and dirt roads in the Sandhills State Forest. No camping available. From Raleigh: 3 hours, 20 min.
     
21. Fairy Stone State Park in Virginia near Rocky Mount — Over 10 miles of beautiful bridle trails. Fishing, lake swimming, and camping are also available. For park fees and info, refer to http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/fairyst.htm. From Raleigh: 3 hours, 20 min.
     
22. Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia near Marion — The Mount Rogers Ranger District offers 150 miles of horseback riding trails. One trail, however, stands out as well loved. The 68 miles of Virginia Highlands Horse Trail traverses picturesque creeks and ponds, as well as horse camps, campgrounds, and Iron Mountain. From Raleigh: 3 hours, 30 min away. A facilities charge is also applicable and varies depending upon the horse camp chosen.
     
23. Iron Mountain in Virginia near Troutdale — Trails lead in to Virginia Highlands horse trails. Over 63 miles of trails to enjoy. From Raleigh: 3 hours, 30 min away. A facilities charge is also applicable and varies depending upon the horse camp chosen.
     
24. New River Trail State Park in Virginia near Wytheville — Offers 57 miles of scenic horse trails. Fishing, tubing, canoeing, and camping are also available. For park fees and info, refer to http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/newriver.htm. From Raleigh: 3 hours, 30 min away.
     
25. Raven Cliff, VA — No camping available. From Raleigh: 3 hours, 30 min away.
     
26. Horse Play Ranch in Lenoir — Miles and miles of bridle trails in the beautiful Great Smokey Mountains. Primitive camping available for an additional fee. From Raleigh: 3 hours, 30 min.
     
27. Moses Cone Foundation in Blowing Rock in the Grandfather Mountains — Ride the Rich Mountain Trail up to the Moses Cone Estate for a fabulous view overlooking Bass Lake. Trails are easy carriage trials that Moses Cone constructed for his wife who loved driving in her horse drawn carriage. No camping available. From Raleigh: 4 hours.
     
28. Grayson Higlands State Park in Virginia between Independence and Damascus — The park has 7 miles of bridle trails that lead to the Jefferson National Park which includes 68 miles of the Virginia Highlands Horse Trails. Camping is available. For park fees and info, refer to http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/graysonh.htm. From Raleigh: 4 hours.
     
29. James River State Park in Virginia near Gladstone — Has 15 incredible miles of bridle trails. Canoes, kayaks, tubes and bicycles are also available for rent. For park fees and info, refer to http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/jamesriv.htm. From Raleigh, 4 hours, 30 min away.
     
30. Dupont State Forest near Brevard, NC — This beautiful forest has over 90 miles of trails, very few of which are gravel roads. New trails are being developed every day and are well maintained. Camping available at the Ultimate Ride Campground. For camping info and fees, refer to http://www.ultimateridecampground.com/. From Raleigh: 5 hours, 30 min.
     
31. Pisgah National Forest in Hot Springs — There are over 14 miles of scenic bridle trails. Camping is available at the Harmon Den Horse Camp. For info and fees, refer to http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/harmon_den.pdf. The camp is nestled in a cove below the Hurricane Mountain and bordered by Fall Branch. From Raleigh: 5 hours, 30 min.
     
32. Nantahala National Forest near Bryson City or Hayesville — Hundreds of miles of carefully cut trails wind their way through the forest. The forest is full of lakes, rivers, and streams and features 400-year-old virgin hemlock and yellow poplars that tower above a carpet of wildflowers and ferns. From Raleigh: Bryson City - 6 hours away; Hayesville - 7 hours away.