Lajitas Stables

Trip Highlights

A delicious lunch -- no sandwiches here!

Sweeping Views into Old Mexico

Well-trained desert horses and mules

Description

Climb to the top of Contrabando Mesa on an adventurous & rugged horseback ride with a delicious lunch in "Lunchbox Canyon".
- this ride caters to those who consider themselves athletic, very adventurous and are seeking that mountain-top feeling! This ride is beginner friendly, but keep in mind we climb about 500 feet on this ride, with lots of hills to go up and down, and will ride alongside the edge of the occasional cliff & canyon on a very sure-footed mount.

Be Ready For Your Ride

Specific instructions also included in confirmation

Itinerary

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Check-in at Lajitas Stables @ 8:30a

This time is for paperwork, a safety talk, and getting a brief individual riding lesson. Please prepare ahead of time & be on time, if not a little early! Arriving late and/or unprepared will affect your ride.

Tour Info

Duration

4 to 4:30 hours

Group Size

At least 2

Price starts at

$140

Why take this tour?

Now this is a special lunch date! Our route climbs high into the rugged mountains and mesas that frame the Rio Grande. The spectacular vistas into Mexico make this an unforgettable ride. Our famous saddlebag lunch (smoked meat, imported cheeses & crackers, fresh fruit, and other goodies) is served in the shade of a hidden canyon. After lunch we wind our way back down the Mesa, enjoying more dramatic views across the Rio Grande.

- This is an athletic activity. Those who who have previous riding experience will enjoy this out of the ordinary ride. Adventurous beginners welcome. -

Included

A delicious lunch out on trail!
A walking trail ride
We ride horses, donkeys & mules!
A safety-talk & individual riding instruction

Excluded

WATER -- each rider must bring their own sufficient amount. We provide saddlebags

Frequently asked questions

I'm a single rider & it says I need two to book?

Call our office & we can add you to an existing ride!

I've never ridden before, is this a good ride for me?

If you consider yourself adventurous and in good shape, then yes! These are scenic & athletic trails. Not recommended for those with vertigo or fear of heights.

The age minimum says 12, how flexible are you on that?

If you have an experienced 10 or 11 yr old, please give us a call. Due to the technicality and steepness of our trails and per our insurance, we do not have younger kids on these trails

How fast can we go on this ride?

All of our rides are at a walk. These trails are rocky and rugged.

Things to know

Be on Time!

This ride must leave at 9:00am, so make sure to be at Lajitas Stables at 8:30am for check-in.

Cancellation Policy

7 Days. We ride rain or shine

Bring water!

Each rider is responsible for bringing their OWN water on this DESERT ride

Required Attire

Long pants & closed toed shoes. We strongly suggest lightweight long-sleeve shirts & a secure hat for sun protection. Our trails are filled with pokey desert flora and fauna

Age

12yrs +. If you have an experienced 10 or 11yr old, give our office a call!

Weight Limit

Max: 250 lbs. These trails are quite athletic, so riders should be in good health and be able to mount/dismount with no assistance, and have no problems with balance going up and down these steep trails

Riding Experience

Adventurous beginner-friendly, and experienced riders will love these trails!

Location

Lajitas Stables is inside Big Bend Ranch State Park off of HWY 170

Time Zone

Lajitas Stables is on CENTRAL TIME, make sure you are too so you don't miss your ride! Due to our proximity to the border, many devices auto switch to MT

Reviews 17 Verified reviews

LISA P

16th October 2025

My friends and I went on a half day ride with Lajita stables. It was amazing. we had such a good time. We are experienced riders and we had two absolute beginners with us. They took such good care of ...

My friends and I went on a half day ride with Lajita stables. It was amazing. we had such a good time. We are experienced riders and we had two absolute beginners with us. They took such good care of those riders and we all had a blast. I have ridden all over the world, and this was such a great ride. So absolutely gorgeous and the horses were great and very well cared for. We call it "fat and sassy". Which is a sign that they love their horses. I want to try to do a 2-4 day overnight ride with them, that is how good this ride was.

San francisco

9th October 2025

Our guide Evo was GREAT! He went above and beyond to make this an unforgettable experience for us. We are total beginners, but felt very comfortable on the horses on this very rugged and absolutely sc...

Our guide Evo was GREAT! He went above and beyond to make this an unforgettable experience for us. We are total beginners, but felt very comfortable on the horses on this very rugged and absolutely scenic ride. What a memorable experience!! The epitome of Texas. Exactly what we had been looking for!! Warning though : if you are not athletic / do not have good body control and are a total beginner when it comes to horse-back riding, I'd recommend their tours from Big Bend Stables.

Kati Matysiak

3rd October 2025

10/10 recommend booking with Lajita Stables. Our guide, Evo was incredible. We did a half day with lunch, and he insured we got our moneys worth. He took extra steps to make sure we were comfortable. ...

10/10 recommend booking with Lajita Stables. Our guide, Evo was incredible. We did a half day with lunch, and he insured we got our moneys worth. He took extra steps to make sure we were comfortable. He was so patient & made us feel very safe on the rugged terrain. Took some amazing photos. Something to remember, the time changes over here. Make sure you’re going off of central time instead of mountain time. Our phones were not correct on the time while we were out here. You must be on time

MSE

30th June 2025

If you want the best big bend scenery in the cowboy experience way, this is the place. Don’t worry if you’re scared of horses, these horses/mules are very well accustomed to the trials. Went with ...

If you want the best big bend scenery in the cowboy experience way, this is the place. Don’t worry if you’re scared of horses, these horses/mules are very well accustomed to the trials. Went with my wife and my parents, guide was great, this was our second time, would use again the next time we are in big bend!

Marnie T

1st May 2025

We had a wonderful time. The guide was great and the horses were well cared for and easy to ride. I would definitely recommend.

Lauren S

17th March 2025

This was a great ride with scenery. Guides were knowledgeable about the area and horses and talked with each guest. Lunch was not just sandwiches, but smoked chicken, bean salad, and various accompani...

This was a great ride with scenery. Guides were knowledgeable about the area and horses and talked with each guest. Lunch was not just sandwiches, but smoked chicken, bean salad, and various accompaniments. Each person has their own saddlebag to carry water, extra clothing, camera etc.

Samantha P

30th November 2024

We went to the Lajitas Stable and did the lunch ride. We started at 9 and ended at 1:30ish. It was an over all amazing ride. The horses, guides, lunch and scenery was great. Armando and Chris were our...

We went to the Lajitas Stable and did the lunch ride. We started at 9 and ended at 1:30ish. It was an over all amazing ride. The horses, guides, lunch and scenery was great. Armando and Chris were our guides. We stayed laughing the whole time. They were full of jokes but very cautious of surroundings and what was going on. We decided it was the best trail ride we’ve ever been on in all our years of riding. The lunch that was provided was actually really decent and way better than what I had envisioned. I would 100% recommend and absolutely do it again

Fatima Rodriguez

29th November 2024

We loved our horse back riding 🥰 our guide Shelby was very friendly, knowledgeable and gave us great suggestions about what to do in town! The ride was beautiful with some great views. A must while you’re visiting.

Jackie

15th November 2024

5 out of 5. We had an amazing 1/2 day ride with lunch and had Evo as our guide. He was an amazing guide and throughly enjoyed our outing with him. Would definitely do it again and request him if we could.

Lajitas Stables – Half Day with Lunch

Trip Highlights

A delicious lunch -- no sandwiches here!

Sweeping Views into Old Mexico

Well-trained desert horses and mules

Description

Itinerary

Tour Info

Lajitas Stables

Why take this tour?

Included

A delicious lunch out on trail!

A walking trail ride

We ride horses, donkeys & mules!

A safety-talk & individual riding instruction

Excluded

WATER -- each rider must bring their own sufficient amount. We provide saddlebags

Frequently asked questions

Things to know

Be on Time!

Cancellation Policy

Bring water!

Required Attire

Age

Weight Limit

Riding Experience

Location

Time Zone

Reviews <img style=" width: 18px;" src="https://lajitasstables.com/wp-content/themes/gondola-wp/resources/assets/images/verify.png" alt="verify"> 17 Verified reviews

LISA P

San francisco

Kati Matysiak

MSE

Marnie T

Lauren S

Samantha P

Fatima Rodriguez

Jackie

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Why book with us?

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Reviews 17 Verified reviews

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