A guided horseback trail ride through Rock Springs Run State Reserve treats riders to an immersive journey across diverse Central Florida landscapes. Along scenic equestrian trails, you’ll ride through sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, and swampy bayheads. The trail follows near the tannin‑stained springs and winding creek, offering opportunities to pause at the water’s edge and marvel at red‑shouldered hawks, gopher tortoises, indigo snakes, and even elusive black bears. You’ll traverse a historic corridor, passing through areas once inhabited by early settlers, including remnants of the “lost town of Ethel”.
We had an amazing time on our horseback adventure, even though at first it was pouring rain. The guides were so patient, friendly and accommodating making sure we still had a great experience despite the weather.
Everyone was very nice and had a lot of great information about the trail. They were very knowledgeable about the horses, including fun facts about previous employment of them.
The ride was relaxing and educational. I really appreciated learning some of the history of the trail ride. My horse, Prinn was a great leader. I just had to see there and relax. Definitely would recommend for people to tour here.
The experience was wonderful. Staff were friendly and helpful. The horse was nice to see and to ride. You travel through a nice scenic route through the park. I would recommend this for any first time riders wanting to experience what it feels to ride on horseback.
We had a wonderful day at Rock springs.We got excellent instruction before the ride.This was especially important to me as I have never ridden before.Our horses were perfectly matched to our riding experience.The ride was through the beautiful Florida state reserve.This is a great alternative to theme parks.A big thank you to our expert tour guides.
It's wonderful experience, horseback through the trail is beautiful, and the guids where so welcoming and nice.
Today we went with Courtney and Bella on a guided tour. They were both so patient with my children (especially my daughter who was really scared to go). I was impressed that they were really responsible and taught us how to lead the horses and also trusted us (even my 8 year old son) to lead the horse on his own (which he did and was super proud of himself!). I would absolutely come again!
Well for starters 2 of my family members didn’t wear closed toe shoes to ride and the 2 tour guides said that “it was stated in the email that you were supposed to wear closed toe shoes.” It indeed was not. The ride went good but one tour guide Courtney was on her phone the ENTIRE TIME! Then when we were getting in line to get off the horses my sons horse started to back up because it needed its space and Courtney oblivious of what’s going on (because she’s on her damn phone) tried to move her horse while she was on the phone which didn’t work and Courtney’s horse kicked my son while he was on his horse and my son told her that her horse kicked him she just laughed it off. And the only one the tour guides (Maddie) was actually making an effort to get the kids off the horses not Courtney who was on her phone letting us sit in the 93 degree heat. Now my son had a huge bruise on side of his thigh and nothing was done about it. Ridiculous but Maddie was an amazing tour guide she knew the history of the park and the areas we went through she was amazing, but not Courtney. This was written by Noelle who did the riding and watched the whole situation happen.
I really enjoyed riding Blue out on the trails..at first I was terrified because it was my first time riding.. but the fear turned into adventure and I really loved riding.. will definitely do again..
It was excellent. Maddy and Patrick do a great job keeping both riders and horses safe and are very friendly and outgoing. I enjoyed learning about historic Ethel. It’s a very beautiful reserve for sure. Highly recommend.
Fantastic experience and lovely, relaxed way to see the Rock Springs area. A guide up front and a guide behind told us about the history of the area, the wildlife, and funny stories along the way. The horses were incredible and knew exactly where to go and what to do. Get there thirty minutes early for instructions and to visit your horse before the ride! They also had a gift shop and made sure we were all hydrated and given cooling towels. Already planning our return!
Maddie and Patrick were kind and patient with on the riders. They made sure they paired us with the right horse that fit our personality.
We had an amazing one-hour horse trek at Rock Springs and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The horses were well cared for, gentle, and perfect for riders of all experience levels. The trail was beautiful, offering a peaceful ride through stunning natural scenery. A special thank you to Maddie and Patrick for making our trek so enjoyable. They were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and patient, taking the time to ensure everyone felt comfortable and confident before heading out. Their passion for the horses and dedication to providing a great guest experience really showed throughout the ride. The entire experience was well organized, relaxing, and a highlight of our visit to Rock Springs. We highly recommend this horse trek to anyone looking to enjoy Florida’s natural beauty from a unique perspective. Thank you, Maddie and Patrick, for a memorable adventure!
We had an amazing one-hour horse trek at Rock Springs and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The horses were well cared for, gentle, and perfect for riders of all experience levels. The trail was beautiful, offering a peaceful ride through stunning natural scenery. A special thank you to Maddie and Patrick for making our trek so enjoyable. They were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and patient, taking the time to ensure everyone felt comfortable and confident before heading out. Their passion for the horses and dedication to providing a great guest experience really showed throughout the ride. The entire experience was well organized, relaxing, and a highlight of our visit to Rock Springs. We highly recommend this horse trek to anyone looking to enjoy Florida’s natural beauty from a unique perspective. Thank you, Maddie and Patrick, for a memorable adventure!
The ride was awesome so were the guides. Beautiful scenery and gentle horses. Would recommend and go again.
The tour was amazing and was guided by Maddy and Patrick. They were awesome tour guides. Answered all out questions and gave clear instructions while keeping the experience fun and exiting. Its definitely a must in your bucket list if you are in central FL. The horses are really well trained and made the experience for beginners really cool and fun.
First time riding a horse. I wanted to try something that I haven't did before and this was one of them. I really enjoyed it my horse name was Ezzy, sweet boy.
Everything about this experience was amazing. The staff, Bella & Maddi, are very communicative. They sent a text the same day we booked laying out what to expect, what to bring, and addressed my additional questions. On the day of our ride, they were informative and very accommodating to our groups. The ride itself was peaceful, we came on a day with a great breeze. The horses were incredible, well behaved, focused. I never once felt unsafe or anxious, neither did anyone in my group and we were all novice riders. At the end we were able to feed all the horses carrots which was super sweet I’d give this experience a 20/10, thank you Bella, Maddi, Goody, Chippy, and Easy!
OMG!! We had the absolute best time. A group of us ladies did a 8:30 am Sunday ride and it was so nice . Courtney and Maddi were absolutely wonderful!! The horses were so good and truly cared for. We are planning a Glamping trip and either a sunset or sunrise ride, who knows maybe both. It’s worth every penny . Great memories.
It was a perfect morning horse ride! Perfect for beginners and great for those who want to escape to Florida’s native nature scene. We loved Goody and Rooster!
Great experience! The employees were very nice. Was a nice ride on the trail around the reserve. Would definitely do this again.
TripAdvisor didn’t flag my weight to go horseback riding with my children. Then they wouldn’t refund me even though I can’t go because I’m over weight but they also said my children need a parent to go. But I can’t go. And the one hour tour guide said they couldn’t refund my children. They expect my children that are under age to go without a parent then think I’m okay to sign a waiver when they won’t refund me. And they charge for parking on top of it.
Easy for first-time riders and great with kids. Mine are 9, 11, and 14. Maddison and Courtney were terrific with them and helped them feel confident during the ride. They also spoke to the history of the land through which we rode. We did the 1-hour ride—kids said it went by so fast!
Very nice experience. Had 2 amazing tour guides who took their time and explained the history of the site where we did our tour on. Thanks again!
Super fun and very nice guides! The whole process was super easy and all the horses are very well trained!
Guides Maddie and Courtney were very friendly and knowledgeable about the trail and its history. The horses were very well trained
It was beautiful, I love the experience of the country side. The hosts were great with the tour. We learn about historical grave side and warship.
●HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE – ANIMAL ABUSE IN FRONT OF GUESTS This was one of the most disturbing experiences I have ever witnessed on a tour. At the very beginning of the horseback ride, a horse behaved naturally and attempted to bite the tour guide. Instead of handling the situation professionally, the guide violently beat the horse with a METAL IRON ROD, striking it extremely hard. The horse was visibly distressed and looked close to collapsing or dying. I confronted the guide immediately and asked why she would do this. Her response was: “It deserves it.” That answer alone tells you everything. This is clear animal abuse, carried out openly in front of paying guests. The guide showed zero remorse, zero professionalism, and zero respect for animal life. Someone with this mindset should never be allowed to work with animals—or tourists. Viator describes this tour as family-friendly, guided by professionals, and ethical. That description is completely false and misleading. There is nothing friendly, safe, or educational about watching an animal being beaten with a metal object. I am disgusted that this operator is allowed on Viator’s platform. Allowing this kind of behavior makes the company complicit unless immediate action is taken. ⚠️ DO NOT BOOK THIS TOUR if you care about: Animal welfare Ethical tourism Your own safety and peace of mind I sincerely hope Viator removes this operator and permanently bans the individual involved. This was not an accident or misunderstanding — it was intentional cruelty.
Our 4-H Dirty Jeans Club held our January meeting at Rock Springs Guest Ranch, where we combined our meeting with an educational trail safety experience. I spoke with Courtney to set up the trail ride, and the process was smooth and easy from start to finish. Once on the property, we met our guide, Madie, along with her assistant. They thoroughly explained the safety expectations for each horse and carefully paired riders with the right horse, which made everyone feel comfortable and confident. I had the privilege of riding Blue—the boss of the barn and clearly the leader of the herd! This is the perfect place to enjoy Rock Springs while learning little nuggets of history hidden throughout the forest. It’s a wonderful experience for all ages, and our families truly enjoyed the ride. I highly recommend visiting Rock Springs Guest Ranch!
Decided to do this with my 17 year old and it was awesome experience. Both female tour guides was phenomenal. Very detailed information provided prior to the ride on do's & don'ts...knowledgeable information during the ride, and they were so pleasant after to take pictures of us and talked to us more about the horses.
Getting there can be tricky! Get a gps to take you to entrance to the Rock Springs Run State Reserve then follow the road to the stables. Then get ready for fun! The young ladies taking you on the trails are very polite a helpful, especially easing the uneasiness of a novice. They handle the horses well and explain everything you need to know about riding. The ride is leisurely and very scenic. I would do it again and highly recommend
I've ridden several times in my life, but this was the best of them all! The service and organization are excellent, from the registration phase, through the training, and the guidance. They teach you, with a live demonstration, how to ride, how to drive the horse. They introduce you to the horse, you know its name - my horse's name is Moose, a great horse. The horses are treated wonderfully, look good and healthy. During the tour we received excellent guidance, from two experienced guides, with great knowledge and humor, who instilled confidence in us. It was me, my wife, our daughter, and a friend, we all had a great time. Recommended! We will definitely come back again. Thank you very much. Adi
Kassie and Courtney were both very friendly. They know all of their horses and take the time going over each individual personality and what to expect from each horse to every rider. They were spot on with that. The horses were all very well trained and sweet. It was a relaxing trail ride the horses basically walked the trail themselves and we got to learn about the history of the land we were riding on. We’re both looking forward to going on a ride with them again in the future.
I is as good as it gets for both experienced and beginner riders. Great for people needing to lower their anxieties towards horses.
It was a relaxing day and the guides were very friendly and welcoming. They gave some history on the area we traveled
AMAZING is truly an understatement!!! My wife and I wanted to find some other things to do while vacationing in Orlando. To say the least, we had such a great time with our instructors Cassie and Courtney!! Knowledgeable, Professional and Courteous! We will definitely go back again when in the Orlando area.
Rock Springs is so fun! The trail ride was so fun! Beautiful trails! Great staff … very friendly and knowledgeable! Thank you!
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