Ponderosa Riding Stables

This was my first visit of many I plan. The facility is clean, associates friendly and happy, The horses are clean and gentle and the staff makes sure they match each rider with the right size horse. The ride is gentle with traversing slopes that make it exciting for beginners but not boring for more experienced riders. There is constant attention from the Pack leader. The fishing and petting zoo are a handy addition, so not to be a one horse show. Bring a lunch and you can make it a day. The cost is well worth the facility and athe picture they take is a great souvenior to remember the day. more

My family spent Christmas 2010 in Gatlinburg TN; during our visit we decided to go horseback riding at the Big Rock Dude Ranch at Ponderosa. We absolutely had the best time, our guide was informative and funny. He continue to look back at us to make sure everyone was okay; he was always polite when answering questions and was a people person. He made you feel right at home. He explained about any gratitude was for the guide not the Ponderosa. The petting zoo was also fun; a video was provided for us to watch before riding. I would recommend this place to anyone that enjoys riding horses. Thanks to the employees and guides at the Ponderosa; we'll see ya'll next time. more

this place is awesome!! they have lots to do, and the staff were great. the horses were beautiful, and the facility was top notch. best ride in the smokies!! more

We recently visited the Pigeon Forge area and went horseback riding at the Big Rock Dude Ranch. It was a wonderful experience for the adults and children (age 12 and 9). We have visited numerous locations around the country and usually do horseback riding wherever it is available. This is by far the best place we have been. The ride is great, the scenery is outstanding, the horses behave great, and I just can't say enough about the people working this establishment. There is a lot of things at the ranch, to include a museum, a petting zoo, fishing, ATV riding, etc., and you easily get more for your money. It was actually cheaper here than at other area locations where you can only go for a ride. We visit the area yearly form Louisiana, and we have went horseback riding at many other places in the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area. Big Rock Dude Ranch is easily the best, and we will definitely return. Thank You Big Rock for the pleasant day. more

Everyone at this ranch are always so friendly and helping. The past two times my boyfriend and I went to pigeon forge we went here. Prices are reasonable and it is a great event for families or couples. The ride is just long enough to get your moneys worth, and not too long that you get bored. Would recommend it to anyone!! more

The owner (Becky) was super nice, and accommodating. Made sure we had everything we needed. Prices were extremely reasonable for the horseback rides, and they allowed my son to ride double with me. We had a very nice peaceful one hour ride up the mountain. Our guide, Denver, was also very friendly. Horses were very calm and surefooted. The free petting zoo was nice. All animals on the property are extremely well taken care of. They all had clean stalls, plenty of space, looked well fed & watered, and were very healthy animals. A sure sign of quality IMO. They also have picnic tables, fishing, a small restaurant, a gem mine, and they offer 1 hour ATV rides (but these are a bit pricey at $60). P.S. They have coupons for $4 off per person for the horseback riding in almost all the local tourist booklets. more

We visited Big Rock Dude Ranch in August and had a blast !! There were two adults with 3 children - ages 8,6, and 3. The two older ones had never ridden before and the guides were fantastic. The younger one rode with me and we did fine. The wait was a little long so get there early.......... The guides and all of the staff were extremely nice and helpful. Our family had a great time... more

Excellant!!! We have been horseback riding before in the surrounding area and we have never had an experience like we had at the Ponderosa. It was wonderful. Everyone was so kind and helpful. The atmosphere was great! My husband & I took our 8 year old & her friend and they loved it. There are many kinds of animals to feed & pet and it is soooo clean & well kept. They also have a free fishing pond with poles and bait. The horses were amazing and very well behaved.We spent several hours there and the girls still were NOT ready to leave. The prices are GREAT! very reasonable, we expected to pay alot more.We will definatly go again before we leave to go back to Ga. more

I have nothing but good things to say about this place. I was there April 1, 2011 and was amazed by how nice everyone was. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a very nice guide. He set us up with some waivers an told us to read over them carefully. He was called away to the stables for a moment and told us to check out the museum. There were a lot of interesting artifacts in there. When we were done, he told us to go by the cafe and view the 4 minute safety video (which is required to ride). After the while we decided to wait a few min and check out the petting zoo. They had Emus, goats, peacocks, and even a miniature horse! We went to the stable and was very impressed. All of the horses looked very healthy and were well taken care of. The stable workers were wonderful to talk to and were able to answer any question we threw at them. I haven't been on a horse in ten year and they set me at ease. I was set up with Apachie, a wonderful tan horse. Our tour guide told us a few basics and tips and we were off. Upon taking off, they take your picture and are available for purchase after the ride. The ride was about three miles and took about an hour. The views we saw were absolutely amazing. The guide told us interesting facts as we went along and stopped often to make sure we were okay. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to go back! more

I have nothing but good things to say about this place. I was there April 1, 2011 and was amazed by how nice everyone was. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a very nice guide. He set us up with some waivers an told us to read over them carefully. He was called away to the stables for a moment and told us to check out the museum. There were a lot of interesting artifacts in there. When we were done, he told us to go by the cafe and view the 4 minute safety video (which is required to ride). After the while we decided to wait a few min and check out the petting zoo. They had Emus, goats, peacocks, and even a miniature horse! We went to the stable and was very impressed. All of the horses looked very healthy and were well taken care of. The stable workers were wonderful to talk to and were able to answer any question we threw at them. I haven't been on a horse in ten year and they set me at ease. I was set up with Apachie, a wonderful tan horse. Our tour guide told us a few basics and tips and we were off. Upon taking off, they take your picture and are available for purchase after the ride. The ride was about three miles and took about an hour. The views we saw were absolutely amazing. The guide told us interesting facts as we went along and stopped often to make sure we were okay. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to go back! more

My friend and I went over for horseback riding and also did fishing. I am not sure what some others are talking about, the staff was great and Becky made us feel like she knew us forever. I am a big guy 265lbs and tall and they accommodated my weight, my friend was very afraid of horses and they found her a very gentle horse. We had a great time and we will go back again. more