2012
Trail reviews
and photos
2011
Trail reviews
and photos
New
trails at Wyandotte
Hillsdale Lake
2010
Trail reviews
and photos
Saddle
Ridge Equestrian Trail
October 10, 2011
Just outside the boundaries of Hillsdale State Park, S&S Stables operates
trail rides and horse camping conveniently located next to the Saddle Ridge Trail;
a complex trail system nearly 50 miles in length. Guests make advanced reservations
for guided rides of an hour or longer. S&S Stables was a busy place when
we visited on a Sunday afternoon in October. It was a beautiful, sunny but windy
day of nearly 80 degrees and after a lengthy dry spell, the trails were in very
good condition. I expected trails to be rutted from extensive horse traffic,
but that did not seem to be the case this October. There are many rocky areas
with moderate hills and several log obstacles en route. Lake views were intermittent
from the heavily wooded areas and prairie areas were decorated with cedar trees.
There is one stream crossing which is pretty sloppy during a dry spell and clouds
of dust may be kicked up by passing horses.
I suspect hikers would really enjoy the trail sections which follow the lake
shoreline. Begin at the hikers trailhead (near the Windsurfer Beach northeast
of the dam) and follow the peninsula up to the Marysville Boat Ramp for a 5-mile
route. Leave a second vehicle at the boat ramp or walk back on the
park roads. For a longer hike, you can continue on and close the loop for a total
of 10.7 miles.
You can find more information about trail rides at S&S Stables at www.ssstables.com.
Download a trail map from the Kansas Dept of Wildlife and Parks web site: www.kdwp.state.ks.us.
Directions: Hillsdale Lake is about an hour south of Kansas
City via K-7. For the Saddle Ridge Equestrian Area, turn west on 255th Street
and proceed through Hillsdale, then north on Harmony Rd, west on 253rd.