Horseback Riding at Chatfield

Yes, you can ride horses at Chatfield State Park. About 24 miles of the park's trails are open to horses, including the 3.2-mile Chatfield Equestrian Loop that starts at the Chatfield Stables parking lot. Bring your own horse to the trailer parking, corrals and trailhead on the park's west side, south of the Deer Creek entrance, or rent one: Big Horn Stables, southwest of the swim beach, offers horse rentals, guided trail rides, lessons and hayrides. Horses stay on designated trails outside the main park road.

Renting a Horse: Big Horn Stables

Big Horn Stables operates inside Chatfield State Park and offers horse rentals, trail rides, riding lessons, a day camp with horses, hayrides and boarding. It is a private business: rates, hours and booking come from the stable (bighornstables.com), not from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. CPW lists the stable's phone numbers as 720-520-2661 and 888-61HORSE.

Bringing Your Own Horse

• Trailer parking, corrals and the trailhead are on the west side of the park, south of the Deer Creek entrance.
• Entry: a vehicle pass for your truck and trailer, or a $4 individual pass if you ride in (Hours & Fees).
• Overnight: campers may leave horses in the corrals overnight. The campground is about 2 miles from the corrals.
• Feed and water: bring your own feed and water containers. Grazing isn't allowed, and the only water faucets are at the corrals.

Where Horses Can and Can't Go

1. Ride only on designated trails.
2. Horses are restricted to the outside perimeter of the main park road.
3. No horses in picnic areas, camping areas, on the swim beach, or along the reservoir shoreline.
4. Trails are shared with walkers and cyclists, so watch for them.

The Chatfield Equestrian Loop

CPW lists the Chatfield Equestrian Loop at 3.2 miles, for horseback riding, dog friendly, with access from the Chatfield Stables parking lot. It's the simplest named ride to plan around. Longer rides link into the rest of the roughly 24 miles of horse trails (Trail Map).

What the Riding Is Like

Chatfield sits on a gently rolling prairie in the lower foothills, at about 5,450 feet, with wetland and riverside bottoms along Plum Creek and the South Platte. Summer storms tend to build in the afternoon and arrive fast, usually from the west. Prairie rattlesnakes live in the park; stay on the trail.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: riders who want an easy trailer-in ride close to Denver, beginners who want a guided trail ride, and families booking a hayride.

Maybe skip if: you want mountain single-track or long climbs. Chatfield's riding is gentle prairie and river bottom. Prefer two wheels? See Hiking & Biking.