Red Rock Canyon Trail Rides: 2-Hour Horseback from Las Vegas

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.82 (890 reviews) 89% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration5h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Saddle up and ride the desert floor at Red Rock Canyon

You ride through Red Rock Canyon for two hours with professional wranglers who adjust the pace to your experience level. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with all riding equipment and instruction. The 45-minute drive out is part of the experience, and you're back in Las Vegas by early afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Horseback Riding in Red Rock Canyon

Travel 45 minutes to Red Rock Stables
Receive riding basics and safety training
Mount horse and begin canyon ride
Enjoy desert views and learn history
Ride back down to valley floor

The Experience

You're climbing into the saddle about 45 minutes after pickup from your Las Vegas hotel, the desert air already warming your face as the wranglers check your stirrups and go over the basics. Red Rock Canyon opens up in front of you — rust-colored cliffs rising sharp against the sky, the kind of landscape that makes you understand why people come here. The professional wranglers know how to read their riders, whether you've been on a horse before or this is your first time, and they'll adjust the pace and the route so you're not fighting the animal or bored out of your mind. Two hours in the saddle means you get past the initial stiffness and actually feel the rhythm of the ride, the horse moving beneath you, the canyon walls getting closer as you descend back toward the valley floor.

The route itself is the whole point — you're not circling a corral or trotting along a paved trail. The wranglers talk about the area as you ride, pointing out the geology and the history without turning it into a lecture, and most people find that the ride becomes the high point of their Las Vegas trip, which says something when you consider what else is happening in the city. Beginners get the same professional instruction and the same two-hour experience as experienced riders; the difference is just in how the wranglers pace the group and which horse they match you with. All the equipment is included — saddle, bridle, helmet if you want one (required for anyone under 18) — so you show up with boots and a willingness to spend the morning on horseback.

The 45-minute drive from your hotel to Red Rock Stables is part of the day, not a hassle you're paying extra to avoid. Pickup and drop-off are included, which means you don't need a rental car or a separate transfer to get there. Just give them your hotel information when you book, and the driver will meet you in the morning. Bring water, wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, and don't overthink the physical side — the wranglers have worked with seven-year-olds and people in their seventies, and they know how to keep everyone safe and moving forward.

What’s included

Your morning includes hotel pickup from select Las Vegas properties, a 45-minute drive to Red Rock Stables, professional instruction in riding basics and technique, a two-hour horseback ride through Red Rock Canyon with a professional wrangler guide, all necessary riding equipment, and hotel drop-off at the end of the day.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Cowboy Trail Rides

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want a real desert ride without arranging transport or equipment yourself — the pickup and two-hour pace mean you're in the saddle long enough to settle in and actually enjoy the canyon, not just snap a photo and leave.