[katyb]

We had great weather, gorgeous scenery, a few mishaps (dang yellow jackets, and one rider w/ a black eye from bonking heads w/ her horse climbing some steep rocks), and lots of fun. I took Jess, who had been off for a year after an exacerbation with her old leg wound that had me spooked. I'd sent her to be ridden by a trainer for two weeks, because I just couldn't quite get myself over my worry. We did some very athletic riding, and she held up great.

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_3169.jpg

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http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_3210.jpg

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[PRS]

Beautiful photos! Looks like a very nice place to ride.

[JollyBadger]

Great photos! My BF and I were planning on a riding trip down there this year but then life had to go and get complicated and expensive, and we never made it. So, we'll try to make it down next year. I've heard BSF is gorgeous, with lots of great riding.

Where did you stay while you were down there?

[katyb]

http://www.kickingbackcabin.com/

This was a wonderful cabin - we really enjoyed it.

I think BSF/East Fork has to be the greatest riding area around.

[JollyBadger]

http://www.kickingbackcabin.com/

This was a wonderful cabin - we really enjoyed it.

I think BSF/East Fork has to be the greatest riding area around.

Looks like a beautiful place to stay!

East Fork Stables is a great campground, too. Though I think they've recently upped their prices for organized rides, it's nice to stay in a place that offers stalls.

The last time I was there was in 2009, while the SHOBA (single-footing horses) fall ride was going on. Great trails, though we were strongly cautioned to avoid the "red" trail that went down near the river because of the amount of rain they'd been getting.

Now I'm itchin' to get down to BSF to ride, but I'm all out of vacation time for the year. Something to look forward to next year, though.

[valkyrie36]

This looks like a gorgeous place! Is there a website with information about visiting there? Where to stay, where to keep horses, etc? Would love to look into it for a future vacation!

[katyb]

http://www.timberridgehorsecampground.com/

This is the campground that has the waterfall trail. They'll let you park and ride out from there for free.

http://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisi...backriding.htm

I think East Fork is the best place to visit, if you aren't relatively local.

eastforkstables.com

[ruffian12]

I live near Lexington, KY and my farrier just got back from trail riding here--I loved the pics and absolutely need to get there. So you could ride out directly from stabling at the cabin? It looks stunning--but there would only be two of us, so maybe will look for a smaller, cheaper place. Thanks for posting the pics!

[katyb]

There are TONS of great places to say - with direct access to the trails. You'll have a blast.

[JollyBadger]

http://www.timberridgehorsecampground.com/

This is the campground that has the waterfall trail. They'll let you park and ride out from there for free.

http://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisi...backriding.htm

I think East Fork is the best place to visit, if you aren't relatively local.

eastforkstables.com

I've read some great reviews on Timber Ridge.

My boyfriend (who has camped/ridden BSF) said Bandy is also nice other than the stabling being a little farther from the campground.

The last time I was down there, we took a break on a rainy day and drove around to see some of the horse camps. The only one I saw that I didn't really care for was Station Camp. Maybe things have changed since then, or maybe it was just the fact that it was a dark, dreary day but the whole place just looked run-down. Not sure I'd want to camp there.

East Fork really is nice, though. They take excellent care of the trails, they're well-marked, and the staff is very friendly and helpful if you have questions about what trails to take.

Loved the gift shop upstairs, too. It's also not too far from Muddy Pond - Mennonites, I think? - where you can buy some really nice, inexpensive leather tack and other goods or have an item repaired.

I think most of the sites at EFS have water and electric hookup, some also have sewer hookup, and you'll see everything from the super big, fancy rigs with slide-outs in all directions to people tent-camping beside beat-up, rusty-looking trailers.

[katyb]

East Fork has cabins to rent too. It's really my favorite place, ever, but I have been a ton this year, so we have been branching out. Honey Creek is also a really nice area. There are some great trails on the Kentucky side of Big South Fork too - I'm wanting to say the Bear Creek area, but I could have that wrong. It's just an amazing, gorgeous area.

[ParadoxFarm]

I love Big South Fork. We don't go often, but enjoy it when we do. It's a fun time letting my show jumpers become weekend trail horses. They enjoy the change of pace as much as we do. We always like to rent a cabin with a barn. Lots to choose from. I haven't hit East Fork yet. It's on my list!