Outdoor Articles

Go Back In Time On Arizona Horseback Riding Trails

Preserved within the Tonto National Forest are destinations rich in Arizona history. Spur Cross Stables takes you back in time on their Arizona horseback riding trails - from the Hohokam people hundreds of years ago to gold mining in the nineteenth century.

Located in Cave Creek, Arizona, Spur Cross Stables offers "Trailblazer Rides" that cover 300,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest. At 3 million acres, this is the largest national forest in Arizona and certainly the most intriguing for its scenic narrative of the past. From private rides to group rides to rides just for kids, Spur Cross Stables is sure to make your horseback riding experience one you'll never forget.

The Hohokam people occupied this area from as far back as 1 AD. For the next fourteen hundred years, they farmed this land, building an intricate system of canals for irrigating their crops - canals hundreds of miles long that are still used today!

Two of Spur Cross Stables' horse trail riding journeys introduce you to this Hohokam history.

On the Native American Ruins Trail Ride you ride on horseback to the flat-topped hills - or "mesas" - they called home. Remnants of their dwellings still remain, including walls that stand one to four feet high.

Then, on the Petroglyphs Trail Ride, you ride on horseback to the site where the Hohokam people carved images into the dark surface of rocks. They had no form of writing, so these petroglyphs - or rock art - were the Hohokam's primary means of recorded expression. With stars, moons, deer, bighorn sheep, buffalo, water, bows and arrows, and other human, animal and geometric forms, the Hohokam petroglyphs tell a story subject to your interpretation.

Both the Native American Ruins Trail Ride and the Petroglyphs Trail Ride are each 4 to 5 hours long, however you can combine them for an estimated time of just 6 hours.

Another time period you can visit is the mid 1800s when the gold mining craze hit Arizona. Stagecoach lines transported people - and their money - to and from the gold mines. On the Stagecoach Stop Trail Ride, you ride on horseback to a stagecoach stop within the Tonto National Forest. Attacked and burned in its first five years, you could only buy a ticket to ride if you carried a rifle and a box of ammunition. This ride is an estimated 6 hours long.

Other Cave Creek horseback riding trails offered by Spur Cross Stables include:

• Seven Springs Trail Ride, featuring a scenic journey along Cave Creek and a cowboy supper at Seven Springs
  
  
• Sheep Bridge Trail Ride, featuring a bridge built for flocks of sheep to safely cross the Verde River
  
  
• Crested Headed Saguaro Trail Ride, featuring the largest Crested headed Saguaro cactus in the world

All Trailblazer Rides are available as private rides or group rides. They're led by a professional guide and include an introduction to your horse and an opportunity to stop for a meal along the trail.

So if you're looking for Cave Creek, Phoenix or Scottsdale horseback riding trails full of fun and adventure, then look no further. You can make a reservation online for Arizona horseback riding at Spur Cross Stables, or by calling 1-800-758-9530 or 480-488-9117

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This work by http://www.horsebackarizona.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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