Horseback riding near Palo Alto

Horses are part of the reason Palo Alto exists. Leland Stanford bred champion trotters on his Palo Alto Stock Farm. Eadweard Muybridge made his famous photographs of a galloping horse there in 1878. The farm became a university, but the old training barn still stables horses. Above town, riders share hundreds of miles of trail with hikers and cyclists in the open space preserves along the Santa Cruz Mountains.

This guide is for two kinds of readers. Visitors who want to get on a horse for an afternoon will find the ranches that run guided rides and confirm them on their own sites. Local riders with their own horses will find the rules for each park system, from Midpen to the counties to California State Parks. Rules change with the weather, so always check the official page before you trailer up.

Guided rides you can book

Midpen states that it does not rent or provide horses and the city preserves have no rental stable. For a ride without your own horse, these two ranches publish guided rides for the public on their own websites.

Sea Horse Ranch, Half Moon Bay

Sea Horse Ranch sits on Highway 1 at 1828 Cabrillo Highway North, just north of downtown Half Moon Bay. It runs guided rides on the Coastal Equestrian Trail, onto the bluffs and down onto Poplar Beach. The ranch lists a 1.5-hour trail and beach ride and a two-hour early bird ride that starts at 8 a.m. Both are for riders 7 and older. The ranch also publishes height and weight limits. It opens daily at 8 a.m. with closing times that change by season. It may close in severe weather or when the trails are poor. Online reservations are required.

California State Parks lists Friendly Acres/Sea Horse Ranch among the visitor services at Half Moon Bay State Beach. Prices change and the ranch's own pages have shown different figures, so check the booking page for the current rate. Our Half Moon Bay day trip shows how to fit a ride into a day on the coast.

Garrod Farms, Saratoga

Garrod Farms is a family ranch on Garrod Road in the Saratoga foothills. Its website has described riding lessons, trail rides and pony rides for the general public, with the stables open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We could not load the site in late October 2026, so call to confirm hours and rides. Lessons come in western and English styles and the farm suggests new students start with western. Pony rides are for children under eight, last 20 minutes and have a handler walking alongside. The site does not list trail ride lengths or a minimum age, so call the stables before you book.

Lessons at Stanford's Red Barn

The Red Barn on Fremont Road was built as the training stable for the Stock Farm and is still a working equestrian center. It is home to Stanford's equestrian team and to the Stanford Riding Academy, which offers English and western lessons to students, faculty, staff and community members.

This is a lesson program, not a pony ride. The academy says all riders should be comfortable grooming and tacking up a horse on their own. Hunt seat classes start with riders comfortable at the walk, trot and canter. Western classes start at the walk, jog and lope. Classes follow Stanford's quarters, run on Saturdays and Sundays and begin with an evaluation lesson. Details are on the Riding Academy page. Visitors who just want to see the barn should contact the Red Barn first, since it is open to its boarders rather than as a museum. Our Stock Farm history tells the story of the horses that made the place famous.

Riding in the Midpen preserves

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, known as Midpen, runs most of the open space on the ridge above Palo Alto. It lists 21 preserves open to horseback riding on its equestrian page. Its favorites for riders:

• The South Skyline group. Long Ridge, Monte Bello, Russian Ridge, Saratoga Gap and Skyline Ridge sit side by side, so riders can link long routes. Skyline Ridge has an equestrian parking area that Midpen says fits rigs of all sizes.
• Purisima Creek Redwoods. Twenty-one miles of trail under redwoods above Half Moon Bay, past old sawmill sites.
• Windy Hill. Thirteen miles of trail with creek crossings, grassland and bay views.
• La Honda Creek. Six miles of trail through a working cattle ranch. A no-fee permit is required for trailer parking at the Event Center.

Midpen also lists Bear Creek Redwoods, Coal Creek, El Corte de Madera Creek, El Sereno, Foothills, Fremont Older, Los Trancos, Picchetti Ranch, Rancho San Antonio, Sierra Azul, St. Joseph's Hill, Teague Hill and Thornewood. Horses use designated trails marked on each preserve map. Closures happen: at El Corte de Madera Creek, for example, Midpen lists part of the Methuselah Trail as closed to horses because of trail damage.

Midpen rules for riders

1. Midpen recommends helmets for all equestrians.
2. Obey the 15 mph trail speed limit, or 5 mph when passing or on blind turns. Midpen suggests a walk or trot.
3. All other visitors, including hikers, cyclists and people with dogs, should yield to horses. Tell them the safest way to pass.
4. Horses must be attended and held or tied at all times. No loose grazing; tether to the trailer and use hay nets.
5. Carts and wagons are not allowed.
6. Trailer parking is very limited at most preserves. Make sure you can back out easily.
7. Some trails close to horses and bikes in wet weather. Check Midpen's trail conditions page or the hotline before you go.

County parks

San Mateo County's parks on the Woodside side of the ridge have deep riding traditions. Huddart Park allows horses on designated trails. Some of its paths close to horses in the rainy season. Wunderlich Park starts at the historic Folger estate stable, where a county contractor still boards horses. Riders use its trails up toward Skyline. Farther west, Sam McDonald County Park has Jack Brook Horse Camp, which riders can reserve for overnight stays from May 1 to October 31. Horses are not allowed on the Heritage Grove Trail.

In Santa Clara County, Stevens Creek County Park says riders can use its many trails, with hikers and cyclists yielding. Santa Clara County parks are open 8 a.m. to sunset. San Mateo County parks close at seasonal times; Memorial Park, for example, closes at 5 p.m. from November 2, 2026.

State parks and the coast

California State Parks is stricter. At Big Basin Redwoods State Park, horses are allowed on fire roads only and not on any trails. State Parks says horse trailer parking is reserved through the day-use parking system, using the two bus spaces when available, but its fee notice also says no oversized vehicles or trailers can be accommodated for day-use parking right now. Call the park before you haul. At Castle Rock State Park, horses are allowed on the Saratoga Toll Road, which runs from Saratoga Gap toward Big Basin. At Portola Redwoods State Park, horses stay off the hiking trails but may use the Old Haul service road through the redwoods toward Memorial County Park.

On the coast, Half Moon Bay State Beach allows horses only on the dirt trail that runs beside the paved Coastside Trail from Venice to Francis Beach. Trailers park only at Venice Beach and horses are not permitted on the state beaches. Read the Half Moon Bay State Beach page before you ride.

Close to town

Inside Palo Alto, the trails at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve are shared by hikers, cyclists and horseback riders. It has no rental stable, so this is for riders who bring their own horse. The preserve is open 8 a.m. to sunset.

Sharing the trail with horses

Most people on Peninsula trails are on foot or on a bike. Many have never passed a horse. A few habits keep everyone safe:

• Stop and speak in a normal voice so the horse knows you are a person.
• Step to the downhill side of the trail and let the rider pass.
• On a bike, slow to a walk, announce yourself early and ask the rider how to pass.
• Keep dogs close and on a short leash.
• Do not reach out to pet a horse without asking the rider.

Frequently asked questions