Big Bend Stables

Trip Highlights

Mountainous views!

Well-trained desert horses and mules

Description

**Our most popular ride!!*

Saddle up and head into the panoramic Painted Desert created by the setting sun. The colors of the desert truly come to life on this very special ride! This is hands down the best ride for your Big Bend sunsets - you are facing the west looking out over the desert mountains as the sun goes down..... WOW!

- this trail is catered to beginners, older folks, and those with kids as young as 6.
- weight limit 270lbs for safety (call us before booking if someone in your group is over 270)

Itinerary

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Check-In is 30 Minutes before your ride!

The sun waits for no one -- it is crucial you arrive atleast 30 min before your ride for paperwork, safety talks, and a riding instruction. Arriving late or unprepared will affect the length of your ride

Tour Info

Duration

2 hours

Group Size

At least 2

Price starts at

$85

Why take this tour?

Saddle up and head into the Painted Desert created by the setting sun. The colors of the desert truly come to life on this very special ride!

your ride may differ from description due to factors including but not limited to: weather, your group, your guides. We want to promise the most spectacular sunset ever but unfortunately we can't control the weather.
this trail is catered to beginners, older folks, and those with kids as young as 6. These trails include elevation gain.
Riders should be in good health & athletic: must be able to mount/dismount with minimal assistance & have no issues balancing going up and downhill.
If you are an adventurous beginner or a rider with previous experience, check out our adventurous rides out of our Lajitas Stables!

Included

We ride horses, donkeys, and mules!
A safety-talk & an individual riding lesson
A walking trail ride

Excluded

Water -- each rider needs to bring their own!

Frequently asked questions

I'm by myself and it says I need two to book?

Call the office if you are a single adult rider & we can add you to an existing ride

Is it okay if I've never ridden?

This is a very beginner friendly trail. Our horses and mules are very well trained!

Is this ride in Big Bend National Park?

No; horseback outfitters are not allowed to operate in the National Park, but our trails do border the National Park fence

How fast do we go on this ride?

All of our trail rides are at a walk

Things to know

Be on Time!

The sun waits for no one: it's very important that this ride leaves on time, so make sure to be at the stables 30 min before for check-in!

Weight limit

270lbs MAX for SAFETY. Riders should be in good athletic shape, health & be able to mount/dismount with no assistance, and have no issues balancing going up and downhill.

Riding exp

Beginner friendly, no experience needed!

Bring water!

Each rider is responsible for bringing their own water for this DESERT ride

Cancellation Policy

7 Days. We ride rain or shine

Required Attire

Long pants & closed toed shoes are a requirement to ride. We strongly recommend a lightweight long-sleeve shirt. Our trails are filled with pokey desert flora and fauna

Ages

6+: 6yr olds will be led on a donkey by a wrangler

Location

Big Bend Stables is at the junction of HWY 118 and HWY 170, just a few miles outside of Big Bend National Park. A few doors down by the ALON Gas Station / Big Bend Station

Time Zone

Big Bend Stables is on Central Time, make sure you are too so you don't miss your ride! Many phones switch to MT in the Big Bend

Reviews 31 Verified reviews

Jacqueline J

29th September 2025

Highly recommend the sunset ride. It was an absolutely beautiful way to experience the mountains. The views were outstanding! Pheobie and Mya were such well behaved horses that loved snacking but were...

Highly recommend the sunset ride. It was an absolutely beautiful way to experience the mountains. The views were outstanding! Pheobie and Mya were such well behaved horses that loved snacking but were very sweet and responsive to commands. My husband and I only had one ride under our belts, so the lack of experience had no bearing on the experience. The guides Armando and Nina made us feel so comfortable and gave us good information/recommendations in the town. Very much appreciate them both!

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!

Alexis E

21st June 2025

Beautiful and peaceful ride. Our guide was very patient with our 6 year old who talked to him the entire 2 hours 🤪😅 He also hasnt stopped telling everyone about riding his donkey patty in the desert 😂

C M

30th May 2025

We live in Texas and Terlingua is in Texas same time zone. Guess what our devices switched to mountain time with no warning therefore we was late. Thankfully they called. Thankfully we were treated ve...

We live in Texas and Terlingua is in Texas same time zone. Guess what our devices switched to mountain time with no warning therefore we was late. Thankfully they called. Thankfully we were treated very nicely. The horses were very healthy and minded the trails very well. My 9 year old son was safe on Ole Smokey Joe. Julie our guide was friendly and knowledgeable and has safely as number one goal. It was a wonderful experience. Please take the time and check to see if your phone switched.

Krystal Wilson

5th May 2025

My friends and I did the sunset ride and had an amazing time. The guide was knowledgeable and funny and all of the horses were incredibly well trained. Our group ranged from a first time rider to an e...

My friends and I did the sunset ride and had an amazing time. The guide was knowledgeable and funny and all of the horses were incredibly well trained. Our group ranged from a first time rider to an experienced rider and we all had a wonderful time seeing the desert from horseback. For all the horse people that are also nervous of over used horses, these were all very well maintained and you could tell they’re healthy and happy. Shrek was very easy to neck reign and redirect the few times it was needed.

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.

Brit

24th April 2025

We've spent the past week in the Big Bend area and this was hands down the best part of our trip! Neither of us had been on a horse in over 20 years, but our horses were easy to ride and knew exactly ...

We've spent the past week in the Big Bend area and this was hands down the best part of our trip! Neither of us had been on a horse in over 20 years, but our horses were easy to ride and knew exactly where to go; our guides (I think their names are Armando and Evo) did a great job at matching each horse to the appropriate rider. Shelby checked us in and she was so friendly and welcoming, all of the staff was great.The sunset trail ride was gorgeous, we had multiple stops for photo opportunities and our guides even took pics of us on our horses.If one of our horses tried to hold up the line to eat something, the guides would ride over and coach us on how to get the horse to focus on the trail ride again. They ensured that everyone was safe the entire time and even noticed that my horse caught an Ocotillo branch in his tail; they immediately had me stop so that they could remove it.My boyfriend and I can't stop talking about how much fun we had, I would 1000% do this again!

Dean Peterson

20th March 2025

Our family booked the 2 hour sunset ride. The guides Shelby and Armando were great. The horses were well trained and easy to ride. They even paired our six year old with a very nice donkey that the gu...

Our family booked the 2 hour sunset ride. The guides Shelby and Armando were great. The horses were well trained and easy to ride. They even paired our six year old with a very nice donkey that the guides led for the ride. This excursion is great for first time riders - they pair you up with a suitable horse, help you mount, then provide a mini riding lesson before you leave. Since the ride is the horses at an easy, single file walk, you really don’t have to do much except enjoy the ride and scenery. Do be sure to wear jeans and boots, as you’ll pass by brush and cactus. Also be sure to bring at least two liter sized bottles of water and sunscreen. It’s easy to get dehydrated and burned out there.

Sasha V

17th March 2025

Great experience all around! The guides were so helpful and informative. The horses were so smart and easy to connect with. The sunset tour was gorgeous even on a windy day. We went during spring brea...

Great experience all around! The guides were so helpful and informative. The horses were so smart and easy to connect with. The sunset tour was gorgeous even on a windy day. We went during spring break which is their busiest time and it was smooth and we had a great time! Even got to snap a cool photo of one of our guides!

Big Bend Stables – Desert Sunset Ride

Trip Highlights

Mountainous views!

Well-trained desert horses and mules

Description

Itinerary

Tour Info

Big Bend Stables

Why take this tour?

Included

We ride horses, donkeys, and mules!

A safety-talk & an individual riding lesson

A walking trail ride

Excluded

Water -- each rider needs to bring their own!

Frequently asked questions

Things to know

Be on Time!

Weight limit

Riding exp

Bring water!

Cancellation Policy

Required Attire

Ages

Location

Time Zone

Reviews <img style=" width: 18px;" src="https://lajitasstables.com/wp-content/themes/gondola-wp/resources/assets/images/verify.png" alt="verify"> 31 Verified reviews

Jacqueline J

MSE

Alexis E

C M

Krystal Wilson

Marnie T

Brit

Dean Peterson

Sasha V

Check Availability

Why book with us?

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Reviews 31 Verified reviews

Other Big Bend Stables rides