Summit Trail Adventures

Photo Courtesy US Library Of Congress Archives

Old Spanish Trail Wagon Train
Ride 5 Days
Ride fees:
Our horse: $1,500.00
Your horse: $1,250.00
Walkers/Wagon Riders: $625.00

This is year four on this old emigrant trail - recently named to The National Historic Trails Registry. Some sections of The Old Spanish Trail were in use some 2,000 years ago. The name "Old Spanish Trail" came about because the Spanish were the first to envision the use of the entire trail. Its purpose was to link Santa Fe, New Mexico with Los Angeles, California.

The trail was primarily used as a trade route on which travelers took woolen blankets and other goods to California to trade for horses and mules which were in great demand in Missouri. In turn, these animals were used to power the immigrant wagon on their journey west.

This year's ride will begin in Gunnison, Colorado. We'll travel another 5 days, then continue this schedule every year until we reach our final destination, Los Angeles, California.

Follow this link to learn more about The Old Spanish Trail. Read more on the Old Spanish Trail in the 2004 Summer issue of Drafthorse Journal.

The establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 was only the beginning of the quest to make the most of this extraordinary place. Since then, the primary views of how a park should be managed have undergone many changes, reflecting both the ongoing public debate about the purpose of a national park and the opinions of the professionals who manage the park on a day to day basis.

Yellowstone National Park covers some 2,221,766 acres which is roughly the size of the state of Connecticut. Most of the park is located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, but a small portion overlaps that state's boundaries with Montana and Idaho. Elevations range from 5,282 feet in the north to 11,358 in the east.

This trip will take place in the northeast area of the park along the Lamar River and its tributaries. From the Soda Butte Creek trail head we proceed south approximately 6 hours riding time to our base camp. The area is teeming with wildlife and the chances of seeing elk, moose, deer, coyotes, wolves and other species are exceptional. The Lamar River offers some of the best trout fishing in North America and photo opportunities are unlimited.

This is - without question - the most popular ride we offer.

The Colorado Trail is one of the most beautiful horseback rides in North America. It runs from Waterton Canyon near Denver to the outskirts of Durango in southwestern Colorado. Along its nearly 500 mile length, the trail visits seven national forests, six wilderness areas, five major river systems and eight mountain ranges.

The route showcases Colorado's famous high peaks, clear mountain streams and peaceful valleys. This makes for magnificent scenery that will stretch your imagination.

We ride along pinnacles of the Continental Divide where the trail hugs the very crest. At this point, you'll be traversing the ridge lines and trails first traveled by Native Americans who sought peace and new beginnings within these majestic peaks.

Many of these trails were used by trappers, pioneers, outlaws and miners battling the severest elements these mountains could throw at them in their search for a better way of life.