Horseback Riding in San Francisco 2024

Horseback riding in Golden Gate Park has closed down again, this time due to complaints about how the horses were being treated. See SF Standard article about the disturbing details.

The city is currently looking into a replacement for Chaparral Ranch to provide horseback riding services to the park.

Hopefully there won't be too long of a gap; in the past decades, many years have gone by with no horses in the park!

In the summer in 2017, riding in Golden Gate Park reappeared briefly, only to disappear again. Another brief appearance happened in the winter of 2019.

But in the summer of 2020, the horses returned, but it has ended again in May of 2024.

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You can still go on a horseback ride if you're in the city. 

Viator has a combination tour with a horseback ride on the beach in Half Moon Bay (very pretty) down the coast, followed by a tour of Alcatraz.

The tour leaves from San Francisco, with hotel pick up, takes you down to Half Moon Bay for the ride, then brings you back to the city for your Alcatraz tour.

See Horseback Riding/Alcatraz tour combo for more details and booking.

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Info on previous riding activities in the park

The latest company to provide horseback riding in Golden Gate Park was the Chaparral Ranch. 

Horseback riding lessons and trail rides started at the Bercut Equitation Field.

It's just off the Chain of Lakes Drive that runs through the park between 41st Ave (south side) and 43rd Ave (north side). See map below.

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Chaparral Ranch provided the horseback riding in Golden Gate Park from 2019 to 2023, before they were required to leave after allegations of mistreatment of the horses.

They're based in Woodside, down the Peninsula, and they also provided trail rides there, as well as at Camp Mather in Yosemite.

Pot a Gold Adventures provided horseback riding in Golden Gate Park and McLaren Park during the spring and summer of 2017.

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Guided Tours

In the past, horses have been available at the Equitation Field on Chain of Lakes Drive, in Golden Gate Park, and a guide takes riders on a trip through the park trails.

Before the trail ride begins, there is a lesson on how to ride and control the horse, so no experience was necessary.

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Getting to Equitation Field

By Bus or Muni: 

The 5-Fulton bus runs along the northern edge of Golden Gate park. Get off at 43rd Avenue and head into the park on Chain of Lakes Drive.

The N-Judah Muni streetcar runs parallel to the park two blocks south. Best stop: 40th Ave, then take 41st Ave to Chain of Lakes Drive.

By Car:

There's free parking at the Equitation Field, as well as another free lot across the street.

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Our Ride (in 2017)

We were fortunate to be able to go on one of the rides in 2017 with Pot a Gold Adventures, when horseback riding became available in Golden Gate Park again after a long absence. Hopefully, the city will find a good company to provide this experience again.

We saddled up at the appointed time; and they had steps so we city folks could get up on the horses. The horses were very patient (as was the staff).

We did a one hour ride, which took us west towards the ocean and past both windmills.

The horses were good-natured plodders, following nose to nose with only occasional attempts to eat the grass.

A very relaxing ride; a couple of times crossing a street, but the cars stopped, so no problems.

The only problem was getting off the horse; the less said, the better (my problem, not the horse's, who stood patiently while I struggled).

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Our Guide

Dylan was our leader, very friendly and helpful. A real cowboy; he was the 2016 bull-riding champion of Alaska.

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More photos from our horseback ride in the park.

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More to explore in Golden Gate Park...

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