Beaver Creek State Park, near East Liverpool , Oh
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There is a lot of trails. Beautiful scenery on all the trails. Some of the trials are very rocky. I would recommend shoes all the way around. plenty of water in the creek and in a water/stock tank at the campground. The campground has plenty of parking an good tie lines. There are some tie lines in the woods along the trails however; they are not well marked on trail maps. In fact, I found that the trail maps are not that good in all. You should not get lost but pay attention. The creek crossings have muddy banks and the water may be swift. There are some long steep hills, make sure your mount is in shape. Good riding. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 7/19/2014 6:31:35 AM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 6/10/2014 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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Elkins Creek Horsecamp & Tack Shop, LLC, near Ironton, Oh
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Not one single complaint. We rode the entire main loop, stayed overnight on the trail and had a blast. I like challenging trails and we found some. The weather was horrible; rained, rained and rained. The information the camp hosts provided us was spot on, good trail maps that are accurate. We rode trails less traveled and some that are well traveled, no complaints. I think we rode about 16 miles in each of the two day loop and it was great. If it was not for the rain, none of the trails were bad; days and days of rain made them a little muddy and slick. Experienced horses and decent riders have no worries. I was there before and I had my 10 year old daughter with me, she loved it. The prices are good and the hosts are nut bothersome at all, they give you your space and help you in any way they can. The stalls are good, easy to keep clean, water is close and if you run out of hay, as I did they offered good hay at a decent price. We will be back for sure to finish up some trials we have not seen yet. Oh, ask them were the sights are, they know them all and the scenery is beautiful. Its big country for the east and if you like not having your hand held and good honest riding, this place is perfect. Elkins Creek, see you in the spring. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 11/4/2018 4:57:36 PM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 10/12/2018 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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We stayed in the cabin and it was well worth the price, stalls were good for us, the showers were good, maps could be a litter better but much better than most places. I thought it was easy to find, plenty of parking, plenty of room to turn your rig around and the trails are incredibly well maintained. Very impressed with the trails. We are definitely headed back. Thanks for a good weekend. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 6/14/2018 8:59:40 PM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 5/20/2018 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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Salt Fork State Park, near Cambridge, OH
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The trails were well marked and well kept. It had been fairly dry before we rode and we still hit some places that had some deep mud. Be careful during wet seasons. We rode the blue and the purple trails. The trail times posted at the marquis are fairly accurate but allow for a little more time. My horse has shoes on all four but I think a barefoot horse would be fine. The campground was well kept and the wash rack was great. The water was not a little off and our horses did not like it. On the trails we rode, we were able to get to either the lake or some water holes in small creeks. The tie lines were well placed and there was plenty of parking and turning area in the camp. Lock up your food, the raccoons are friendly. We put in 8+ hours on the two trails and we had several other trails we wanted to ride just not enough time. We will for sure be back. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 8/26/2015 9:23:56 AM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 8/20/2015 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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Cook Forest Area Scenic Trail Ride, near Clarion, PA
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The camp is easy to find and there is plenty of room for turning your rig. The bath house is clean and nice. We used the tie stalls and found them to be just fine for us. We had little contact with Terri or Ray however; we had plenty of contact with them while planning our trip and they were helpful and what they told us was accurate. We took our own horses but we were able to see some of the horses they use for guided rides and they appeared to be great trial horses. Some of the trails were really rocky so I would recommend having shoes all the way around. Trail maps are pretty good but not exact so pay attention on the trial. If they offer to trailer you to the river crossing, take them up on the offer, its a solid 1.5 to 2 hours from camp to the crossing. The trails are well marked and you have a lot of riding right from the camp. We stayed in a bunk house more like a sleeping room and it was clean and worked for us. There is a lot of hills and some of the trails are a good climb, the river crossings are awesome and the scenery is grand. I have seen a lot of beautiful places but cannot say that any of them are much prettier than the sights we had seen there. I would suggest your horse be a good trail horse and be in good condition. We rode 9 1/2 hours the second day and if we were to take a wrong turn it could easily been 12 hours. Cell service is limited to none so, don't rely on gps or a cell phone. take a map and a compass. Cant wait to go back. One more thing, we did a more do it yourself type of ride and our expectations of involvement with the staff was low and they did a fine job just leaving us be but, when we had a question they were quick to help out, thanks staff. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 5/14/2015 6:47:07 AM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 5/12/2015 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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Raccoon Creek State Park, near Hookstown, pa
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There are a few places to park, we parked at Nichols road off of RT168. The parking area is plenty big enough to turn a truck and trailer. We found the trails to be well marked and well maintained too. There was very little rocky areas however there was some muddy spots. We rode the Appaloosa Trial off Nichols road (this is a gated park access road) then we rode the Buckskin and Pinto Loop. We stopped at Riders Ridge, used the tie lines for our horses and sat at the picnic tables and ate our lunch. There is an outhouse there. This is a nice shaded area with a good breeze. It was near 85 degrees this day and that area was comfortable. As far as the camping, you would need to contact the Raccoon Creek State park. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 7/27/2015 3:16:15 PM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 7/25/2015 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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Tioga State Forest - Camp SMOGR, near Wellsboro, PA
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On 9-23-2014 we stuck out on a 6 hour drive from home to Camp Smogr. Once to Gaines PA we took the 6 mile dirt road ride to the cabin where we were met by Lila Weaver. At an instant you could tell that Lila was a good hearted horseman. The camp was not done just by the picture on the website. It is a cabin with all you need for a good stay. She has three turn outs that are more than adequate for the stay. She has a hose allowing easy watering and bathing of your horse. The cabin is close enough to the paddock area that you can easily take a peek and see your horse any time you like. We were pleased with the wood burner that eliminated the chill of the night. Lila provided us with a well-marked trail map of miles and miles of trails. She offered her knowledge of the trail system and advised us of where she enjoyed riding the best. We left camp at about 10 am and without back tracking any trail we managed to beat the dark by getting back to camp at about 710. The trails are pretty well maintained however, they are rocky in areas and the mountains are steep in some areas as well. This country is big and I would suggest a compass and a good topo map. Don’t rely on a cell phone or GPS because you will most likely not have signal for either. I would recommend having an experienced horse that is in good condition and I would recommend having shoes as well. Some of the trails follow pipeline right of ways and offer miles of nice riding and there are trails that will test a seasoned horse and rider. We were lucky and caught the beginning of the change in the leaves. Take a camera the sights are beautiful and you can easily escape any man made noises in this area. Lila is a great host and we will surely make it back to ride and visit. Lila is a person whom you meet as a host then leave as fiends. Thanks Lila for a great time. We hope we will see you in the spring. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 9/26/2014 6:28:59 PM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 9/25/2014 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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Tomlinson Run State Park, near New Cumberland, wv
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We ride here often. The trails are well marked and the scenery is great. There is a large field near the lakes head that allows for easy parking and unloading. Some of the trails are tricky. There is a solid days riding here. We love it and will always ride there. We think its an hidden treasure. We always see deer and other wild life. Watch for geese around the lake, if you ride in the spring, they have nests and will have attitude when you ride to close to them. The Park has a beautiful trial that follows the creek for miles and is chucked full of great scenery. There are a few areas that you will cross small bridges and a creek. |
| Reviewed by Doug Wade on 9/28/2014 5:18:55 PM |
Experience: Intermediate |
Ride Date: 8/10/2014 |
Hometown: Newell, wv |
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