Western Horizons Hot Air Balloon Rides

We had an amazing flight with Petra this morning! She was extremely knowledgeable and capable, highly recommend!!

It was great and very professional! The winds were very light that day so we didn’t go that far but the experience was amazing. Our five year-old son enjoyed it very much and my wife thought it was just great. I’ve been on two other balloon rides before and this was amazing. The balloon company owner, Petra was our pilot and she was great. Safety was the main priority and the safety briefing did take just a couple minutes, but it was well worth the time and added to the comfort of the experience. I would highly recommend this tour to any of my friends or family, we had a wonderful time. The balloon chase crew took great care of us!

Absolutely incredible experience! I went with my mom during our first trip to South Dakota, and this was definitely one of the major highlights of our visit! Pilots Petra and Shawn, along with their entire team, were extremely knowledgeable, professional, and so much fun. We felt completely safe and comfortable throughout the flight. Communication during booking and whenever we had questions was seamless. The flight itself was relaxing, enjoyable, and truly surreal. The views were breathtaking and indescribable, our photos are incredible, but they still don’t do the experience justice! We also loved gathering together afterward, when Petra shared the fascinating history of hot-air ballooning while we enjoyed some treats. It was an unforgettable experience from beginning to end, and I highly recommend flying with them!

Oh my gosh!!! What an amazing experience!! The balloon ride my daughter and I were on included the two of us and the pilots. We made an incredible journey through the wilderness of pines on the black hills. The sunrise and views were breathtaking and the feeling of floating was exactly my speed! Since it was just the two of us, we had a very intimate back and forth of questions/answers and conversation. Sean is very knowledgeable about South Dakota, landscape and wildlife. It was exciting to see how passionate Petra is about ballooning. We learned so much about how height and wind along with heat determines direction and speed… She even shared the history of the start of ballooning as we celebrated the end of our experience with champagne and snacks. I highly recommended this experience through Western Horizons Hot Air Balloons!

I highly recommend Western Horizons Hot Air Balloon rides. Petra and her crew made this bucket list experience beyond my expectations!

What a fantastic flight with Petra and crew. We thoroughly enjoyed the amazing views and spotted wildlife while on the flight. Would highly recommend flying with this company!

Watching the balloons and staff from start to finish was an experience. They love what they do. They're beyond friendly and will guide you from start to finish. This a MUST DO. THANK YOU AGAIN PETRA (our pilot) for making my birthday a memorable one.

This was the absolute most delightful experience of our vacation. With Western HorizonsHot Air Balloon, you will get: Friendly professionalism Person interaction Prioritized safety Service well above expectation Trustworthy knowledge and skill of ballooning and local landscaping Prioritized effort to render a spectacular event Seemless teamwork FUN!!! Petra & her team were completely practiced at every single angle of operation, and even let us “help” where possible to create an all-enclusive feeling; Every person on the team put in extra behind-the-scene effort to deliver an unforgettable experience; the after-flight celebration was a beautiful opportunity to decompress the event that even included a flight certificate. We cannot thank Petra & her team enough for helping us cross this off of our bucket list. The value was well appreciated and appointed as well. We definitely recommend Western Horizons!

This was a wonderful experience! The guide was very informative and nice. We really enjoyed it!! Definitely recommend!!!

It was a wonderful experience! Beautiful views of the southern black hills area that I’ve never seen and I grew up here! I felt totally at ease with Petra as our pilot as she is highly experienced and skilled!

Not gonna lie, I was kind of nervous to ride in a hot air balloon, but it was very fun! I felt super safe the whole time. The team was amazing. If you’re thinking about doing it, I highly recommend!

Excellent. Awesome 30th Anniversary adventure. Thank you Petra and crew for your awesome balloon skills and hospitality!

Petra and crew were amazing! They are friendly and made us feel completely safe and comfortable before, during, and after our flight. They provide truly the best experience. You will not regret booking your flight!

Totally looking forward to this and signed up and then I read the waiver and I was not so sure I placed a call to the pilot expressing my uneasiness. She reassured me and I signed and I was so soooo amazed . It was a great take off and the views breathtaking!! Nature was pretty cool and just watched t the sunrise and the the safari rode afterwards and the celebratory toast and history was the cream of the crop ! The landing perfect and I was so s thankful for the experience and when my travel nurse contract is complete I’m coming back to celebrate in the air !!! Petra is amazing and the ballon ride unforgettable!!!

Spectacular views. Petra is a very knowledgeable pilot, and she has an incredible crew. They treated us like family. 10/10 recommend.

Fantastic Experience! Our family of four (including kids 7 and 11) enjoyed a morning flight on our own balloon! I thought my wife an kids would be nervous but Petra and her team made everyone feel comfortable and relaxed. Great communication in advance to understand where to be. They went above and beyond by taking several photos - from the balloon and from the ground crew - and sharing those - fantastic! On this family trip to the black hills, the entire trip was fantastic. This balloon ride was a highlight. If you have not experienced a balloon ride, it is unlike anything else and you must give it a try.

Awesome view. With friendly crew! 100 percent enjoyed our very first ballon ride! Loved the hot chocolate for the cold day. And exceeded my expectations.

The ride was amazing. The views were gorgeous. Petra was warm, welcoming, and made us feel very comfortable thought the whole process.

Thank you Petra and crew for the GREAT flight today over Angustora Lake. This was last years bday present from my hubby. You exceeded my expectations of what to expect on the ride, great views and photo opportunities!!!

Petra and crew did an amazing job! Our flight was spectacular! Smooth take off and landing. What a wonderful experience.

Absolutely amazing experience! Would highly recommend this to anyone!!! If I could give more than ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I would!!!

This was an incredible experience! Petra was so calm and confident and we felt safe and well taken care of the entire time. The views were stunning and although I grew up in the Black Hills, I saw the area in a new and amazing way! Truly an incredible experience!

What an incredible time we had flying with Petra, her crew, and Glorious Drifter! They are a kind, accommodating, and knowledgeable team who took such good care of us. The sun came up as we took off, lighting up the most beautiful of landscapes. The ride was was serene! We truly loved that this was a private and personal experience for just our family of five. Other hot air balloon companies in the area offer more of a shared experience. We will always remember our very first hot air balloon ride…it certainly won’t be our last!

The pilot and crew were very confident and capable, and made sure that everyone on the flight had a great time. The Black Hills are spectacular! I want to ride again!

Flying with Western Horizons is amazing! Petra and the other pilots make sure you have the best flight you can have and the crew goes out of their way to make it fun experience. The Southern Black Hills are so pretty from above!! Totally recommend this to anyone visiting the Hot Springs area!!

We had the most perfect beautiful day for our flight this morning. The scenery was stunning! Petra was so much fun and so professional. It is so worth it to go with Western Horizons and their private balloon flights. Wonderful experience

My 1st ride was a tether ride which is being tide down to vehicles to experience what it would feel like to go up in the air to just the length of the cable ropes. I did not have any issues issues with heighth or air sickness. My 2nd ride was with a Western Horizons pilot in my book because its the best, he instructs you prior to getting in the basket and after you are aboard all the Safety and Precautions throughout the flight all the steps he is doing. It helped me to know what is happening and feel safe and comfortable. On our return to the ground he began letting me know to remind me what would be happening coming down how the landing would be. Would certainly be ready for another flight with no hesitation. Fly High everyone! The beauty when you are up is Breathtakingly Beautiful!

Petra and her crew are amazing. you will enjoy it. beautiful views of the Southern Black hills. More than enjoyable 👍👍👍👍👍

Incredible Journey, beautiful skies and very lovely staff. The ceremony after the flight was just the icing on an already amazing flight. Petra and her team are top notch and the balloons are beautiful.

This was a wonderful experience. Petra and her crew are friendly and professional and provided a more personable ride than the larger 10-12 passenger balloons. It is interesting how everything looks so different floating along from above. The southern Black Hills are a beautiful backdrop for seeing deer, turkey, and fish in the river. We flew low and skimmed over tree tops, and we flew higher to get a beautiful view of the whole area. I highly recommend a flight with Western Balloons.

Lovely experience, definitely worth waking up early for ! The sightseeing was amazing and the crew was great ! Very friendly and insightful :)

We had a fabulous time! Petra and her team were amazing! Knowledgeable and so friendly. They gave us do much information on the who, why and how. Would definitely recommend!

My experience with Western Horizons was amazing! I've been on a few hot air balloon flights in the past and this was definitely my favorite and the best experience. They don't mix groups so you and your group will be in your own small balloon (all my previous balloon flights have been with multiple groups together and 8 or more people in the balloon). They explain and let you watch while they prep the balloon and pack it up at the end. My pilot Dave was very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions and I really enjoyed chatting with him. The price was extremely reasonable especially given that these are not large combined groups. I would definitely recommend Western Horizons and would love to fly with them again!

We had a wonderful time and highly recommend this balloon experience with Western Horizon! We were originally scheduled for a Monday flight, but looked at the weather forecast when we arrived to South Dakota and noted the wind may be prohibitive for flying. We called to see if it was possible to change our flight day, and Petra informed us that the weekend flights were already full but immediately offered to contact another pilot to see if he was available. She informed us later that day that she made arrangements for a Saturday flight, so we wouldn’t miss out. Rich, our pilot, is a native of Hot Springs so was able to give us interesting information about the changes in the local area. We were able to see the open land of Hot Springs, spotted some wildlife, and experienced some unique flying maneuvers. Our chase crew (Donna, Mandy, and Greg) we’re friendly and very efficient, and later gave us ideas for local points of interest. Petra set up a lovely post-flight ceremony with delicious snacks and told us the history of the start of ballooning in an interesting and meaningful way. We have taken other balloon flights in other states, all with larger baskets (more people and limited views). Western Horizon uses smaller balloons with less passengers...we were the only couple for our balloon which allowed us to see from all angles and have a more intimate and private experience!

Petra and her crew really made this a great experience. They were fun, organized, and professional. Our family had always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon and Western Horizons made it a fun adventure!

This was the best hot air balloon ride! Would definitely use them again and recommend to anyone wanting to do this! Petra and her team do amazing job from start to finish!

Waking up before the sun was totally worth it! Seeing the sunrise with a beautiful hot air balloon in the view was awesome. Petra was a terrific pilot. She was very professional and explained everything to us. The flight was gorgeous and a wonderful experience. I highly recommend Western Horizons! The crew was perfect. They were waiting for us to land and it was as smooth as silk! Thank you for making our South Dakota vacation one that we will never forget!

It was our first experience in a hot air balloon. Always looks cool but simply didn’t know what to expect. One of us is afraid of heights but the owner talk us through what to expect and it turns out there was nothing to be afraid of. It really is a different experience. We had two teenagers as well that enjoyed the trip too. Afterwards we celebrated with champagne and snacks and heard about the history of ballooning. Simply a great lifetime experience.

Western Horizons is an amazing hot air balloon company that prides themselves on provide an outstanding experience! Online booking was straightforward and easy. Petra confirmed our flight the day before, making extra effort to make our flight possible despite weather conditions unfavorable to ballooning (too hot). She and her crew work hard setting up and prepping everything, while answering all our questions along the way. The flight was beautiful and peaceful. Our pilot, Dave, was very personable and fun, teaching us as much about ballooning as we wanted to know! We had what I felt like was a "sporty" landing, as we bounced a few times and spun a bit before coming to rest with the basket on its side- so a bit more adventurous than I was prepared for, but still not horrible. After the chase crew stowed the balloon, they took us back to our starting point and provided a celebratory toast and refreshments while Petra told the early history of ballooning. Altogether a phenomenal experience!

It was all amazing Petea and crew were fantastic. Flight was like floating on water. Would domit again in a heartbeat

What a wonderful experience for my sister and me this morning. To help in the inflation of our balloon and the lift off as the sun was rising was a totally awesome sight. Our pilot Dave was very friendly and knowledgeable to explain the details of what was, or would, be happening during our ride. The peace and tranquility of our ride is quite memorable, so I sincerely thank you for the entire experience. I will certainly contact you for future balloon rides with friends and family that come to Hot Springs to visit!