Cowboy Trail Rides

Cowboy Trail Rides, located at 4053 Fossil Ridge Rd in Las Vegas, offers guided horseback riding for kids and teens ages 8 to 18. The lineup includes Guided Trail Rides, Horseback Riding Adventures, Desert Horseback Riding, Private Rides, and Sunset Rides, giving families a few different ways to experience the desert terrain around Las Vegas on horseback. Age groups are split into an 8 to 12 bracket and a 13 to 18 bracket.

On site amenities include restrooms, parking, a gift shop, and a covered picnic area, which makes it workable for a family outing that runs longer than a single ride. The business is closed on Monday. The listing records daily hours of 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday, which looks like a data entry issue since a closing time earlier in the morning than the opening time does not match how a trail ride business would actually operate. Families should call ahead to confirm the real opening and closing times before planning a visit. Cowboy Trail Rides operates year-round, so there is no seasonal shutdown to plan around.

Pricing falls into the middle of the three tiers the directory tracks, noted as $$, though no exact per-ride price is listed. For booking details, ride lengths, or to confirm the age minimum works for a specific child, contact the business through cowboytrailrides.com or call (702) 387-2457.

This is a good option for families looking for an outdoor, physical activity that gets kids away from screens and into the desert landscape that surrounds the Las Vegas valley, though because it involves live animals and open terrain, it is worth a phone call to ask about any experience requirements before a child's first ride.

Families driving out from central Las Vegas should plan for travel time to reach the Fossil Ridge Rd location, since it sits outside the main part of the city in more open desert terrain, which is part of what makes the trail riding experience possible in the first place. The gift shop on site also gives families a place to pick up a souvenir after the ride without needing a separate stop.