we saw more animals then just horses while horseback riding in yellowstone national park. we came across huge packs of he great american buffalo. as you can see it started snowing on our journey too, so it added to the excitement of the trail ride.

we contacted one of the stock outfitters and took a day trip into the backcountry of yellowstone. beside the buffalo pictured above, we saw elk, moose and many other smaller creatures. the snow was sticking and the ground was covered with white by the time our ride was over.

we rode near lakes and mountains, seeing as much of the absaroka wilderness as possible! it was a little more expensive then other places i’ve been riding since it was contained within a state park, but well worth it. and we definitely had some warm goodies, including hot chocolate and coffee, waiting at the end of the ride to warm us up!

while on a recent trip across the country, i did a horseback riding / camping package. so not only did i get to ride, but i got cheap accommodations for the night. at first i was a little hesitant to spend the night in the wilderness, not being a big fan of camping, but our knowledgeable guide put me at ease.

we set out early afternoon on day 1 of the 2-day trek. we had a good group of people in the tour to interact with and get to know better. even though we were pretty much in the middle of the US, we had people representing many different continents in the pack. we got to share our different cultures along the very scenic route and also over dinner which was cooked over a fire where we camped.

we were fairly early to rise the next morning and took in some more sites before heading back to the ranch we departed from. the path back was on a well beaten path, so if you were a more advanced rider, you got to take off at your own pace. the guide stayed back with the slower riders and made sure everyone made it back safely. it was the best camping trip i’ve ever been on.