Canyon Trail Rides — Local services in Tropic

Beautiful ride and the horses/mules were obviously accustomed to the trails. Staff were friendly and informative.

Reason for 3 stars: horses could be better cared for. We did the 9a ride, first of the day. The animals were not very well groomed, and many had areas of hair rubbed away from the tack they wore. When tied up after the ride they did not have much lead to extend their head/lower their neck after the two hr ride. Horses remained saddled (albeit with girths loosened and bridles removed) waiting for the next ride.

Don’t get me wrong, these animals seemed to be in good health. And they are “work” horses- they certainly earn their keep trudging up and down the canyon. But for the amount of good work the animals put in, it would be nice to see them valued more through better attention to grooming and sore spots from chronic rubbing of their tack.

It would take quite a bit of time to groom that many horses each morning and wash them down each evening, but if the company values the creatures it uses, it could set a higher standard, and pay its employees to invest that time in the care of the animals.

Also I saw one of the guides wearing spurs, which I question the necessity of. With today’s knowledge of horse training techniques and humane handling, are spurs really necessary?? Or are you just putting on a cowboy show for the us tourists? 🤔 I dunno.

Oh and lastly- in the info given at the beginning of the ride it would be nice if guides instructed riders (some of whom are total beginners) to lean forward and give the horse plenty of rein when going uphill, and lean back when going downhill. Help the horse out a little, huh? And make sure the lead ropes are not tied so tight to the saddle that the horse can’t properly extend its neck for balance on the rocky terrain?

All in all, it was a lovely ride and the staff were attentive and friendly. I am ever hopeful that human treatment of animals continues to improve, and I think big organizations like this have the power to set an example and...

EXPERIENCED RIDERS AVOID. Came with a group of 6 experienced riders for the 3 hour Bryce Canyon ride. All but one on mules. No mounting blocks for the short folk, and there were no benches you could use either, because they didn't train them to do that (per our guide). Because they knew we were experienced, they put us in the back and the guide didn't pay attention to the safety of us or our mules. My mom and her mule almost fell off a drop-off, and our guide didn't have a clue. Those guides have worked with those animals all summer, they should know when something isn't right and the best order to place the animals. The back 4 of us were crammed together because of poor mule order. Our guide wouldn't stop for long enough for everyone to fully catch up and take pictures. He shared some tidbits of knowledge about the sights on the trail, but the back half of us couldn't hear a thing because he wouldn't let us fully catch up to hear. My mom was stuck on a mule that didn't respond to steering or braking, and he would constantly try to pass my mule. The horse in front of me hated mules and was sore, so he wasn't moving quickly either. If an animal is feeling sore, they shouldn't be out on the trail. Its a simple and humane business practice. My poor mother was fighting her mule the whole time, and had the worst guided experience of her life. His name was Barney, beware of him. Our guide was also encouraging everyone to trot DOWN the trail in steep areas. Ain't no way that happened. Being with a few beginner riders was not a pleasant experience as our guide paid fully attention to them. We were scheduled to ride with them in Zion, but decided to cancel after such a poor experience. Thankfully they gave us half our money back even though we canceled less than 24 hours in advance. Would not recommend this...

This was a true Bucket List experience for our family! We are so happy that we scheduled this! We chose the half-day ride to the Supai Tunnel and back. The man and woman who checked us in at the Lodge were warm, welcoming, and helpful. The bus driver was great. The man at the corral/staging area who introduced us to our mules and helped us mount was very nice. Our guide was the amazing Jared Weaver and June. We couldn't have dreamed of a better person to lead us. Our daughter rode Bert. My husband (Tory) rode Yaki. And I (Dana) rode Tom, who was such a good boy. Tom and I also had the privilege of carrying the supplies! Tom stopped a few too many times to eat some "salad" (i.e. plants, weeds, brush, etc.) on the way back up the path, so he needed to be attached to Weaver and June for a bit. This may have been an indignity suffered by Tom, but I still think he is a wonderful, brave mule. We were able to finish the ride on our own, too. Tom will always be my forever friend, and we'll never forget Weaver, June, Yaki, and Bert. We HIGHLY recommend this excursion to anyone who wants to experience the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in a unique way. I was a little sore after 3 hours, but not bad at all. The most soreness was in the thighs and shins, but very minor. The most important thing to remember for comfort, Weaver taught us, is to lean forward and back with the mules' movements at key times. The only snafu in our visit was a 35-minute delay with the bus departure from the corral area. That was unexpected and unfortunate. But, we are so happy and grateful for our...