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Last Update: 06 Aug 2010

Riding Holidays | Alaska

Alaska is an outdoor adventure and photography paradise. Situated right on the northwest tip of the American continent, next to Canada, with coastlines stretching from the Arctic Ocean, down the Bering Sea and into the Pacific Ocean it has an amazing variety of landscapes to explore. The coast is full of sandy beaches and quiet bays on remote isles and peninsulas, pretty tidal inlets and wide river estuaries. Inland there is everything from green river valleys, open heath land and grassy meadows, to mist covered lakes, windswept moorland and aspen or spruce forest. Then there are the mountains, tall craggy peaks covered in snow, glaciers and northern arctic tundra.

One of the best ways to explore this rugged wilderness is on horseback. An Alaskan horse riding holiday is likely to take you to the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage. There are a number of equestrian ranches in this area offering fantastic wilderness riding vacations. Be based at a ranch and have daily trail rides out into the magnificent Kenai wilderness, looking out for wildlife such as bald eagles, moose, caribou and wolves, plus many bird species. The high Kenai Mountains are glacier covered and have snow year round. In summer join an overnight horse pack trip and explore the remote Chugach Mountains or the Kenai Wildlife Refuge, riding surefooted mountain horses and being escorted by knowledgeable and experienced trail guides. Visit in winter and enjoy riding in the snow.

Travel further north from Anchorage towards Fairbanks and ride in the Denali wilderness, crossing mountain meadows and winding along the peaceful Yanert River Valley. Climb high up into the Alaskan tundra for breathtaking views over the lands below. Maybe join a week long pack trip to reach the remotest parts of the mountains. Some of these areas are only accessible by foot or on horseback giving you a unique Alaskan wilderness riding experience.

We are always looking for new riding destinations and regularly update the information on this site. If you have information about horse riding or trail rides in Alaska please do contact us.

Why not ask your non riding friends to join you on your Alaskan horse riding holiday? Alaska is ideal for river kayaking, salmon fishing, mountain biking and hiking. Spend the day exploring the wilderness by different means and meet up again in the evenings to regale in your adventures. Visit in winter and try horse riding through the snow or dog sledging. Maybe visit the Aurora Ice Museum, northeast of Fairbanks. Alaska has a short summer season with long light evenings due to the high latitude. Winters come early. Did you know that Alaska has over three million lakes and around half the world’s glaciers? Denali National Park also has the highest mountain in North America, Mount McKinley, standing at 6194m above sea level!