swan mountain outfitters day tours

I rode a horse for 1/2 a day , guided by the wrangler at the glacier national park. Awesome experience. OUR gregarious wrangler filled us up on information about the wildlife in the park & tales of her encounters with the horses. I felt safe under the watchful eyes of the wrangler. highly recommended!

My wife and I took the guided horseback to Sperry Chalet and back. The wrangler was great and the views were fantastic. We were met at Sperry Chalet by mountain goats and marmots. Friendly staff at the chalet where we had lunch. Ride of a lifetime!

The only day we had a chance to ride when we were in Glacier Park was at Many Glacier Lodge and of course, it had to rain. But, our wrangler took us on a ride to Lk Josephine through the trees so we would not get as wet. We wore our rain gear and had a great ride. Our wrangler was knowledgeable and pleasant and despite the soggy weather, we had a great ride! I look forward to coming back to the park and taking the trip from Lake McDonald up to the Sperry Chalet!

My husband and I had a great time trekking with the llamas. The llamas were surprisingly (at least to us) friendly and "talked" in gentle grunts the entire way out and back, which was very endearing. We decided on the wine and cheese llama trek because we were looking for an early evening activity and a short hike. Our guide, who was in school for environmental studies and knew a great deal about the llamas and the nature around us. She helped us identify flowers and trees, and set up a small tent in a meadow for us to enjoy some tasty cheese and red wine. Thanks for a wonderful evening and the most story-worthy hike of our trip!

Great trip! As a rider I enjoyed every minute of it - my non riding husband who was not too sure he'd like it, came away saying he was ready to sign up again! Our stay at Swan Mountain Ranch before and after our trip was so relaxing. Their staff at every aspect of the trip was top notch, made it fun and we learned a lot about the Bob Marshall area. Ready to go again! Whether you ride horses regularly or not - they can accommodate you with a suitable mount and take great care of you!

We used Swan Mountain outfitters out of the Lake McDonald location to take horses up to the Sperry Chalet. The trail is a little over 6 miles up the side of the mountain and I was grateful for every step that horse took that I didn't have to take! It is a fabulous way to get to the Sperry Chalet and not be too exhausted to do day hikes the next day. Riding the horses is a wonderful way to enjoy the scenery as well. Once we arrived, many people who hiked up wanted to know about the horses. The wranglers were good and helpful and the horses were the best trail horses we have ever experienced. I would certainly recommend the group at Lake McDonald and take the horses as a much easier way to get to Sperry.

Dear John Z,Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Our horses are individually selected to accommodate novice riders which are the vast majority of our guests. Throughout the years, we have found the draft horse’s gentle nature to be a perfect temperament for the job. In order to ensure a comfortable ride for both horse and rider, our wranglers match the size of the rider with the size of the horse. Our kid proven horses range from 14-16 years of age which is actually “middle-age” considering the average life expectancy for a domestic horse is 25-30 years. Feed bags are designed to stop the horse from eating on the trail which makes the ride more manageable for the rider. Although we water the horses before and immediately following their rides, perforations on the feed bag allow the horse to get a drink. All of our rides are advertised as a walking-only ride and we strive to communicate that with our guests whenever possible. We sincerely apologize if your ride was shorter than you were anticipating. Sometimes rides are unintentionally a little shorter or longer depending on several factors such as; size of the group and how the horses are walking out that particular day. Because horses are living, breathing animals, there is always some degree of variability with the duration of the rides. We have four corrals located in close proximity to Glacier Park and there are several trails that offer a more challenging ride for more experienced riders. We are always happy to discuss our different trails and locations in order to provide a memorable Glacier National Park experience. If you find yourself back in our neck of the woods we invite you to contact us at reservations@swanmountainoutfitters.com so we can work with you one-on-one and ensure a quality experience. Thanks,Swan Mountain Outfitters

This company provides an excellent back country horse packing trip, with a personal touch. I did the 5 day ride, riding into a base camp in a national forest, and day rides that took us into the famed Bob Marshall Wilderness. The guides and wranglers were first rate, and well trained. The horses (and mules) were all very steady, sure-footed, well trained, and calm. They were experts in negotiating the trails and terrain, that was rocky at times. Rides were as described - about 5 hours in and out of their camp, and half day rides for the other days. The trails were single track and did involve some climbing, including occasional small stretches that could be challenging to a novice rider. Camp was comfortable and food was good, and the scenery beautiful. Staff and owners go out of their way to understand your needs and to take good care of you, and all aspects of your experience. These trips can also be booked to include fishing or hunting. Great experience.

Friendly and patient staff. Well trained horses. No loose items such as cameras and cell phones are allowed which I'm guessing is to prevent people from dropping items. They did let me use a gopro with a chesty strap. I don't recommend the ride out of Apgar Corral in Glacier. The ride is mostly in the trees with a short view of the Middle Fork river. Swan Mountain operates stables out of Lake McDonald and Many Glacier which are probably a better bet for good views.

Almost a 'bucket-list' sort of a trip.Much apprehension at first. Only ever ridden a few horses, never one that stands higher at the shoulder higher than my head and is built like a Clydesdale, let alone climbing 15 miles through the valley to base camp for four nights.The end-result? Absolute exhilaration about the horses, mules, the place, our guide and wrangler and cook, the knowledge gained, and the experience that was had.Thank you Pat and Joanne, thank you Shawn our guide, Gary our wrangler and Rick our cook and more.I'll be back.

Our horseback ride at Many Lakes was very enjoyable. The scenery was beautiful and we learned a lot about the area we rode through from the knowledgeable and friendly staff. It was a little pricy but still worth the trip.

We love coming here for the horseback tours. It has become a tradition of our family.Very scenic and fun, even if you have never rode a horse

We did the cowboy cookout in July. It was my partners first time on a horse and he was very comfortable and enjoyed himself. This was not my first time doing a ride like this and I was disappointed. There was nothing to look at on the trail. The area of the cookout was very small with nothing to do and no view of anything. It would have been great it activities were available to amuse ourselves with, even a Frisbee, but nothing. The couples just sat at the picnic table trying to find things to talk about for the hour it took for the wranglers to set up and cook the meal. It was really boring, so, so boring. The wrangles, who are engaged, took no interest in the guests whatsoever. The meal was as interesting as the scenery. My suggestions would be to have some outdoor game options available and a portable radio for a little background noise. Better still, have a wrangler to up to the cookout area ahead of time to set-up and get the meal started so guests are sitting around for 2 hours watching it all happen.

Friendly staff and a very scenic ride along Cracker Flats made this a highlight of our visit to Glacier National Park. The views were stunning and our wrangler was both informative and amusing, able to cope with mixed abilities throughout the ride. Book online in advance.

My 11 year old daughter and I did a three day two night pack trip with SMO and hag an incredibly wonderful experience. We both have both have a fair amount of experience with horses and I spend a considerable amount of time in the backcountry hunting and fishing so I can vouch for the quality of the horses, tack and quality of the guide. The scenery was spectacular, the high mountain lake fly fishing was exceptional and the food was very good (particularly being in the middle of nowhere). Shawn, our guide did a great job of working with my daughter to make sure she was comfortable and having a good time, but also to be mindful of her questions and desire to learn more about horses and natural surroundings. Both Shawn and our cook Rick were a pleasure to spend time with. The accommodations were comfortable and it was nice to have the pot bellied stove in our tent for heat, how about a warm shower in the middle of the wilderness! I was particularly impress with how SMO went out of their way in meal planning given my intolerance to gluten.We saw waterfalls, a lot of game (including a 4 week old fawn that wondered into camp each morning), picked wild berries (with Shawn's guidance), experience awe-inspiring views during our rides and swam in Lion Creek (very cold). One of the many great things about this trip was the flexibility to focus on what interested each of us. I am passionate about fly fishing, my daughter about horses. We got to do a bunch of both. I would highly recommend this trip for young and old (experience with horses is not required). The people at SMO know what they're doing, were exceptionally gracious and easy to work with and obviously love what they do. Next year we are doing either 5 or 7 nights. It was worth every penny-- this is a trip neither my daughter or I will ever forget!