sandy bottom trail rides

We have tried several places and this one wins it over. Awesome scenery. Guide allowed us to take pictures. Horses were happy. Wish we had spent more time there. We will definitely be go back!!!

It was a group of at least 10 including 3 kids. We all had a great time. The staff were friendly. They had complimentary hot chocolate (the kids enjoyed). I would of loved the opportunity to get off and walk around during our tour but still had a good time. The location is nice and I do agree it's more for beginners. They may offer different levels.

We had a wonderful time here. The staff was friendly and our guides (Norman and Troy) were entertaining and made sure we were comfortable and safe. We did the 2 hr ride, which was perfect and included a few minutes at the mine to stretch and look around. Gorgeous scenery and fresh air. Would highly recommend for something out of the ordinary. A working farm; not polished, but authentic and memorable.

The Good: Nice area, beautiful views, family owned business. Its really a great place to go for inexperienced/timid riders. The Bad: You can only walk with the horses, nothing faster (But apparently this is common for all horseback riding in NC. I have gone in TN and been able to canter and gallop with the horses). Dont do the gem mine. Luckily i read up on TripAdvisor and saw that the 2 hour ride stopped here for about 15 minutes, which was the perfect amount of time. We stopped, stretched our legs, took some pictures, and kept riding. I dont know what anyone would do here for an hour (even with small kids). And then there was Troy...Hes like 75 and has done this for years and years and blah blah blah, he needs to retire! Gave no insightful information about the property or area or anything. Didnt even give advice to us about how to ride a horse. Luckily, i have ridden quite a bit and knew what to do, and what to tell my girlfriend to do, but Troy just got on the horse and said, "come on". I still tipped the old fart, but he didnt deserve it. (Note that almost all bad reviews on the site seem to be people who have had Troy as a guide)All and all it was a great experience! Dont let my negative comment detour you! I just know people come on here for the bad stuff and tips.Words of Advice: 2 hour ride, Request that your guide be someone besides Troy, go in late October for the best foliage.

Took a group of 6 for horseback riding and we weren't disappointed. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. We went on a 1-hr ride and the mountain views were gorgeous! The only thing I could suggest to make it better would be to not charge a fee for customers who pay with a credit card. (It was $35 for the ride plus a $3 fee) Overall, we had a great time!

Wonderful experience! We took our daughter and two grandchildren ages 11 and 14 for their first horse ride. It was also my first ride at 55 yrs old except when I rode bare back behind someone in the saddle when I was in high school. My husband who has knee problems was going to wait at the stable for us to do the 1 hour ride but they had Polaris Ranger that he was able to ride and follow along with us! I cannot say enough good about the staff and experience our family had. They were so helpful to be sure that each horse fit not only our needs as far as size and weight but also our personlity. We had three guides counting the one that drove my husband on the Polaris Ranger and they were all very entertaining and knowledgable. They pointed out when we were at the highest point that we could see the Tennesee mountains. These were the sweetest, gentlest horses I have ever seen. I guess if we had to descride the thing we liked least would be the girls having to wear helmets but we understand and appreciate that this is a rule for their safety and they did not even complain! We did the one hour ride which was just right for our first time and our family will definatly be returning for more rides!

Horses were calm, guide was friendly, scenery / views were amazing! Will definitely return! *1 hour trip is plenty for those that don't ride horses often!

This was beautiful!!!!!! Enjoyed every moment of the ride. The guide was friendly. The horses were calm!

My wife and I took the 2 hour trail ride for $65 each (plus tax). We had a great time. We were asked to arrive 15 minutes early, and at 1pm they were finding us horses to ride. They gave me a horse that they called Old Lady and said sometimes she was slow and fell behind the other horses. However, she was great, and once in awhile she would break into a little trot, and my wife's horse (right behind me) would copy.The staff was great. We had about 6 people in our group plus 3 staff/guides. My wife and I were in the back of the pack, and the guide at the back showed us how his horse will close the gates behind us with his nose. He also gave my wife a horse cookie to feed to her horse.My only disappointment was that we got back 15 minutes early and we weren't riding the horses for a full 2 hours. Bring carrots for the horses! One of the ladies in our party brought a bag of baby carrots with her and shared them with us. I enjoyed feeding Lady carrots out of my hand.My wife and I really enjoyed our trip, and we plan to go back.

This was the first horse riding experience for both of us. We did the hour long ride which was fine for us. There wasn't really any instruction but the horses are gentle enough. Our tour guide did not talk much and since there was no one else but the two in our group it was a quiet ride. My horse was a little lazy (said my guide) and lagged behind sometimes. It was fine for a first time, but I may try a lesson for my next riding attempt so I can get a little more out of it.

We took the one hour trail ride. We had a wonderful time! It's been years since I was on a horse. The staff matched you to the horse they thought would be best and were very attentive. We had 3 guides for the 8 people on our ride. The scenery is beautiful! The horses were well behaved. It's a wonderful activity for individuals or families. If you don't want to ride a horse, they have horse-drawn wagon rides. I'll go back again when I return to the area. We had an awesome time! This was at the top of our favorite activities!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Sandy Bottoms! Our guide was very personable and the trail had absolutely beautiful views. Could not have been better!

We loved our trail ride experience at Sandy Bottom! Everyone was so friendly and the horses were calm and well trained. The trails were some of the most scenic we have ever been on. If you have the time, take the 3 hour ride that includes the visit to the gem mine. We found quite a collection of rough garnets with the advice of our informative guide, "Wild Bill."

We had a great time! Our trail guide Barb was the best. She was patient with us "city folk" and took the time to explain everything before we got going, and was very attentive and informative on the entire ride. She even offered to get off her horse at "photo ridge" to take a picture of our family with the fabulous mountains in the background. I highly recommend Sandy Bottom Trail Rides.

We took the three hour ride and our guide was Wild Bill a very sweet old young man! After an hour we stopped and dug for gems that Bill found and gave to us. We rode for another hour back where his dog joined us along the way. This is a family owned business and they take a lot of pride in the care of the horses. The check in was easy and everyone was so friendly. We will definitely do it all over again!