Lajitas Stables

Trip Highlights

Sweeping views into Mexico

Surefooted, well-trained horses & mules

Description

Take the high road! Climb up and onto the top of Contrabando Mesa. To the South, we look across to the ruggedly wild mountains of Old Mexico.
- this ride caters to those who consider themselves 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, there are a lot of hills to go up and down, and will ride alongside the edge of the occasional cliff & canyon on a very sure-footed mount.
- If you are wanting a more relaxed ride, or are feeling nervous, check out our hourly rides out of Big Bend Stables!

Be Ready For Your Ride

Specific instructions also included in confirmation

Itinerary

Expand all

Check-in at Lajitas Stables 30min before the ride!

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

3 hours

Group Size

At least 2

Price starts at

$97

Why take this tour?

Take the high road! This ride is long enough to take you somewhere special, short enough to fit comfortably into your Big Bend itinerary. Like all our rides out of our stable in Lajitas, this climbs up rocky trails to an overlook 500 feet above the river. Yee ha!

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

Included

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

Excluded

Water -- each rider needs to bring their own!

Frequently asked questions

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

We can add single adult riders to an existing ride, just give our office a call!

I"ve never ridden before, would this be 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.

Age minimum says 12 for this ride, 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 do we get to go on this ride?

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

Things to know

Be on Time!

Be at Lajitas Stables 30 min before your scheduled ride 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 well-fitted hat for sun protection. Our trails are filled with pokey desert flora and fauna.

Age Requirement

12yrs +. If you have an experienced 10 or 11yr old, please call the office!

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 on 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 14 Verified reviews

sdragovich

18th October 2025

The ride was great! Amazing scenery and my horse, Annabelle, was awesome❤️. Shelby was a terrific guide! It gives you a whole new perspective of the area.

ferrell lyles

13th October 2025

Myself and my 14 year old son did a 3 hour trail ride on a Sunday afternoon. Evo was our wrangler and he was FANTASTIC! Miraculously it was just the three of us. Evo put us on Phoebe and Cannelo and t...

Myself and my 14 year old son did a 3 hour trail ride on a Sunday afternoon. Evo was our wrangler and he was FANTASTIC! Miraculously it was just the three of us. Evo put us on Phoebe and Cannelo and they were the sweetest, most surefooted, careful babies ever. We went through some stunningly beautiful country. Evo was an absolute dream guide, super funny, and made my kid feel very comfortable and confident. We cannot wait to come back and do another trail ride with y’all!! I can’t recommend this outfit enough.

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.

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.

Marie W

24th March 2025

We loved this trail ride. It is challenging with steep climbs up and down but worth the views up top. Shelby and Javier were great and we enjoyed ourselves very much.

AndyTripAdv_33

6th March 2025

We did the 3 hour afternoon trip out of Lajitas. We've done a handful of horseback trail riding tours previously and nothing can compare to this ride. The scenery was out of this world. Recognize that...

We did the 3 hour afternoon trip out of Lajitas. We've done a handful of horseback trail riding tours previously and nothing can compare to this ride. The scenery was out of this world. Recognize that we had already been "all over" Big Bend National Park and seen it all. But again, this ride was amazing. "Evo" was our guide and he did a great job, very personable, and super knowledgeable guide. The ride takes you up some fairly steep and winding terrain, so its not for the faint of heart, but it was all very stable and safe. We just can't say enough about this. This will definitely be a Memory that you and your family will keep forever.

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.

Andre Paiva

2nd September 2024

We went on the 3hr ride at Lajitas stables and had such a great experience. Neither of us are experienced riders but the horses are well trained. The views up and down the canyon were amazing, and the ride was a lot of fun.

Lajitas Stables – 3 Hour Ride

Trip Highlights

Sweeping views into Mexico

Surefooted, well-trained horses & mules

Description

Itinerary

Tour Info

Lajitas Stables

Why take this tour?

Included

We ride horses, donkeys, and mules!

A walking trail ride

A safety-talk & individual riding instruction

Excluded

Water -- each rider needs to bring their own!

Frequently asked questions

Things to know

Be on Time!

Cancellation Policy

Bring water!

Required attire

Age Requirement

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"> 14 Verified reviews

sdragovich

ferrell lyles

San francisco

MSE

Marnie T

Marie W

AndyTripAdv_33

Fatima Rodriguez

Andre Paiva

Check Availability

Why book with us?

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Reviews 14 Verified reviews

Other Adventurous Options