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Last Update: 06 Aug 2010

Riding Holidays | Washington

Washington State is one of the best North American destinations to visit to see outstanding natural wilderness. The stunningly beautiful Cascade Mountains run north to south in the centre of the State. These mountains are filled with tranquil lakes set amidst grassy meadows and temperate rainforest and are a fantastic setting for wildlife watching with deer, eagles, beavers and many small mammals.

There are several guest ranches located in the Cascade Mountains, offering Washington horseback trail riding holidays. Some outfitters provide pack trips deep into the highland wilderness using pack mules for support. Other ranches organise challenging guided day trails for experienced riders and easier picturesque leisure rides for beginners. Many cater for riders of all ages and abilities. Explore alpine like meadows and ride alongside pretty mountain streams or climb rocky passes for fantastic views over the lowlands. Some Washington horse riding holidays give you far reaching views across to peaks like Mount Rainer, the highest mountain in Washington, or towards British Columbia in Canada.

Travel to the north eastern corner of Washington State for western riding in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and national forest parks. Have a working ranch vacation and combine cattle drives with scenic trail rides, or visit a Dude ranch in the lowland river valleys around Spokane and explore the countryside and quiet hills on horseback. Head south to the drier wheat growing agricultural region of Palouse for a trail riding holiday through the surrounding hills. Visit Seattle in northwest Washington and be based at a big equestrian centre, enjoying English style riding tuition, dressage and jumping lessons. This is a popular area for eventing and endurance riding. Go to the San Juan Islands in the Salish Sea and combine horseback riding with whale watching, sea kayaking and fishing or scuba diving. There is so much to see and do!

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 Washington please do contact us.

Washington State is set in the Pacific North-West between Canada, Oregon and Montana. It has a huge diversity of landscapes from the high densely forested Cascade Mountains, home to several active volcanoes including Mount St. Helens and Glacier Peak, to the arid, almost semi desert south eastern farmland regions. The north east has fruit orchards and cattle farms, while the far south is known for its vineyards. The State is extremely popular with outdoor adventure enthusiasts due to its inviting terrain. Seattle is a popular cosmopolitan city with a vibrant cafe culture and is a good starting point for any vacation. Washington is also an important international business centre hosting global companies such as Amazon.com, Boeing, Microsoft Corporation and it was even home to the first Starbucks!