Lajitas Stables

Trip Highlights

Camping under the darkest night skies in the lower 48

Delicious food over the fire

A remote camping spot in the heart of Big Bend Ranch State Park

Well-trained & Surefooted mounts!

Description

Camp out under the stars with us on a multi-day excursion; a one-of-a-kind ride offered nowhere else in Texas!

Exciting, rugged, steep, adventurous trails for the adventurous!

Since we utilize base camps for these excursions, your personal gear and effects will be delivered to camp before the end of first day riding. While at camp, we do not necessarily "camp or sleep" within the historical structures; we will be 'TENT' camping. At the end of your trip, your personal gear and effects will also be delivered back to the stables and your vehicle.
Participants MUST bring their own sleeping gear. Tents are provided on our camping trips, though many folks simply sleep out under the starry skies.

POST-TRIP TIPS:
On the last day you are done around 4pm. For safety concerns PLEASE do not plan to drive several hours after you leave the stables. We strongly recommend you to reserve accommodations in Terlingua/Alpine. If you want to get back early from the ride to get a head start on the road, we charge an additional $50-$150 for an early exit.

Itinerary

Expand all

Meet @ 9:30 AM at LAJITAS STABLES

You must bring your personal gear: sleeping bag, water, toiletries, a change of clothes for camp, etc. We provide everything else!

All-Day ride with lunch in the middle

Ride away from the stables into the true wilderness of Big Bend Ranch State Park, with delicious lunch served out on trail!

Camping!

Pitch your tent at camp or put your cot directly under the stars. Enjoy delicious food provided by your wranglers, and explore the historical area around the camp.

Rest & Repeat

2Day trip: wake up the next day, pack up, and take another fun route back to the stables.
3Day trip: wake up the next day, saddle up, follow your wrangler for another all-day ride, and come back to camp. On the 3rd day, take another fun route back to the stables.

Tour info

Duration

2 to 3 days

Group Size

At least 2

Price starts at

$395

Why take this tour?

If riding through a desert wilderness is whispering to your soul.....we have the trip for you.

Disconnect from any cell phone service & life's conveniences for a night or two. Bring your sleeping bag & your camping comforts and we've got the rest covered!

The terrain varies widely, covering smooth arroyos, rocky foothills, rugged mesas, and impassable canyons. We have a number of trails to choose from, so accommodating your group’s skill and comfort level is not a problem, but please do prepare to ride 4-6 hours per day through mountainous & rugged terrain.

This trip is for those who have previous riding experience, are in good health & athletic shape, and will be comfortable & confident to control their mount up and down mountainous trails, through canyons and creeks, and wherever else the trail takes us!

Included

All meals prepared for you!
We transport your personal gear
Outhouse & solar shower
We provide the main gear - tents, cots, food/drinks

Excluded

Sleeping bags & personal gear (you must provide)

Frequently asked questions

I've never ridden before, but I'd love to do an overnight trip with y'all!

Due to the rugged trails that we take, this is not a first-timer friendly trip. This trip requires riding experience. We'd love to discuss this further with you over the phone or if you send us an email

I'm a single rider, how do I book?

You can give us a call or send us an email, and we could add you to an existing overnight trip

Things to know

Cancellation Policy

2 Weeks

Weight Limit

250lbs. Riders must be in good athletic shape and good health, and be able to mount/dismount with no assistance.

Age Min

12yrs & up. For experienced 10 or 11yr old riders, give us a call!

Riding Experience

For the truly adventurous! Be prepared to be in the saddle for 4-6 hours a day. Not typically comfortable for fist-timers.

Seasons Offered

This ride is only offered September-April.
This ride is NOT offered May-August, as the summer heat with no shade can be extremely dangerous.

Attire

Long pants & closed-toed shoes are required (cowboy boots are best). Secure hats! Lightweight long-sleeved shirts to protect you from no-shaded rides. Gloves are helpful for this extended ride

POST-TRIP TIPS

On the last day you are done around 4pm. For safety concerns PLEASE do not plan to drive several hours after you leave the stables. Book something within an 1.5 hour away. If you want to get back early, we charge $50-$150 for an early exit.

4 Reviews Verified

Chris O

24th October 2024

Do this!.. but be prepared. You are riding an Animal through the Desert, likely under the sun and through prickly shrubs. You do have to control the horse. This is not a Carnival ride where you just s...

Do this!.. but be prepared. You are riding an Animal through the Desert, likely under the sun and through prickly shrubs. You do have to control the horse. This is not a Carnival ride where you just sit back. It is what it is and it was AWESOME! Thank you Shelby for being the perfect guide/Wrangler. Loved my Horse pairing. Azul was a Sweetheart ( when she wasn’t trying to sneak a snack at every turn, lol. But honestly, that made it more fun and more of an experience for me learning how to ride. Everything I wanted. Do the half day lunch. Meal was perfect for the trail. Thank you!!

TcMarc

19th April 2024

We had the BEST time on our 3 day Rios ride out of Lajitas Stables. Shelby and Janelle, our Wranglers were the best! Shelby made our trip; navigated the (in some spots, very rocky and steep) trails, g...

We had the BEST time on our 3 day Rios ride out of Lajitas Stables. Shelby and Janelle, our Wranglers were the best! Shelby made our trip; navigated the (in some spots, very rocky and steep) trails, gathered wood to cook, then cooked for us over an open fire. We were impressed with her camping/cooking skills, and the food was excellent. SHELBY ROCKS!!!!The campsite is rugged, as expected; no running water or electricity, no internet, an outhouse, and a rudimentary shower house. We set up our sleeping bags on old metal bed frames near the base camp and slept under the stars! Drifting off while looking for falling stars was quite an experience! After the second day’s ride we hiked to a small “waterfall” and cleaned up a bit and put on fresh clothes, but it wasn’t entirely necessary, since the humidity is about 2%. We were dusty, but not sweaty. The sights on this ride are unlike anything you’ll ever see in Texas! Rugged, rocky, mountainous, and breathtaking, but the mules and horses were surefooted, so we just sat back and enjoyed the ride. I’m going to have to take one star (okay, maybe only half a star) away on this review, and that’s for the tack. The saddles were in deplorable condition, held together with baling twine and a prayer. I was assigned the sweetest mule, named Bess. Her saddle was a horse saddle (mules and horses require different saddlery), and it was pieced together with replacement parts from several other saddles, none of which fit together very well. To me, this casts a negative impression on an otherwise top-notch operation.

Aubrey B

11th January 2024

My friend and I did a 3 day/2night overnight horse trek from Lajitas Stables in December and it was absolutely incredible. The entire trip was planned, prepared, and handled flawlessly. Janelle was ou...

My friend and I did a 3 day/2night overnight horse trek from Lajitas Stables in December and it was absolutely incredible. The entire trip was planned, prepared, and handled flawlessly. Janelle was our guide and she could not have been more incredible. Her ability to make us feel comfortable, teach us about the local history and flora/fauna, and give us a laugh with her never ending stories was impressive! Each meal was amazing, with so much attention to detail, which was a tough ask given that my friend and I are both vegetarians! The horses were happy and healthy and clearly well taken care of. I feel like I want to keep this absolute gem of an experience a secret because it was so incredibly special, I don’t want too many people to know about it! That would be unfair though because Janelle and her team at Lajitas Stables deserves recognition for the amazing job they do!! I cannot wait to go back and make this trip a yearly tradition!

CirrusLife

10th April 2021

My family (12 yr old daughter, 10 year old son, wife & myself) did a two day overnight trail ride with Lajitas Stables and had a great time. I had been on a few short rides before but the rest of the ...

My family (12 yr old daughter, 10 year old son, wife & myself) did a two day overnight trail ride with Lajitas Stables and had a great time. I had been on a few short rides before but the rest of the fam had very little experience (think Girl Scout outing). Our guide Armando was excellent and patient with us. The terrain was serious up & down steep hills, on narrow ridges and through the desert for 5 hours, and back the next day.The horses were wonderful, well behaved and experienced. They seemed to know the way and made it straight forward.The operation was simple, nothing fancy but just what we wanted, we felt like we had an authentic experience riding horses in a stunningly beautiful place. Armando not only guided us on the horses but served us two very nice lunches out on the trail and cooked us steaks on the wood fire at night. He was good company around the campfire.We slept outside on cots under the stars and it was a highlight. The dark sky with stars was like nothing we had seen before. The four of us laid on the cots talking about the constellations and wished we had a clue waht we were looking at, but it was beautiful. It got cold but we had good sleeping bags. The pit toilet was not great but we were ready for it and it was part of our adventure (Ok my wife did not use it).We had our fill and did a half day on day two. We ate lunch on the trail and then road to a spot where the horse trailer was waiting. 6 hours on a horse over two days was plenty for these city slickers.Great time, good experience, highly recommend.

Lajitas Stables – Rios Ranch Multi-Day

Trip Highlights

Camping under the darkest night skies in the lower 48

Delicious food over the fire

A remote camping spot in the heart of Big Bend Ranch State Park

Well-trained & Surefooted mounts!

Description

Itinerary

Tour info

Lajitas Stables

Why take this tour?

If riding through a desert wilderness is whispering to your soul.....we have the trip for you.

Disconnect from any cell phone service & life's conveniences for a night or two. Bring your sleeping bag & your camping comforts and we've got the rest covered!

Included

All meals prepared for you!

We transport your personal gear

Outhouse & solar shower

We provide the main gear - tents, cots, food/drinks

Excluded

Sleeping bags & personal gear (you must provide)

Frequently asked questions

Things to know

Cancellation Policy

Weight Limit

Age Min

Riding Experience

Seasons Offered

Attire

POST-TRIP TIPS

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

Chris O

TcMarc

Aubrey B

CirrusLife

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Why book with us?

An overnight trip sound too much but you're still looking for adventure? Check this out? .accent-svg{fill:#a85e42;}

4 Reviews Verified

An overnight trip sound too much but you're still looking for adventure? Check this out?