Horseback Riding, Imperial Beach
DETAILS:
Location for Surfside Ranch: 2225 Hollister Street, San Diego, CA (less than 5 miles to the Mexican border)
Hours of Operation: Weekly, 9AM till dark. Last ride departs 90 minutes prior to sunset.
Parking: Free parking lot available at ranch and at the departure point for the beachfront ride (if you chose to drive to the departure point separately).
Cost: (See their website below under “resources” for current prices, available dates & times, booking, and other packages & amenities)
Trail Rides: $50 for 1 hour / $75 for 1.5 hours / $120 for 2 hours
Beach Rides: $85 for 1.5 hours / $100 for 2 hours / $100 for sunset rides which last 1.5 hours
Time Commitment: Rides last approximately 1-2 hours depending on the length of ride you book. For the beachfront ride, allow another 1/2 hour to drive out to the departure point and get the horses ready to ride.
Miscellaneous:
While not officially a petting zoo, the ranch has a lot of small animals you can visit with (roosters, pigs, llamas, goats, dogs, etc).
They also offer pony rides for younger guests at $1/minute (minimum 15 minutes).
While walk-ins are welcomed, reservations in advance are suggested.
All horse riders must be at least 6 years old. Riders between 6-8 will be put on a lead line.
Based on your guide’s discretion, you’ll be allowed to bring your horse to a trot at various points, but no galloping is allowed.
There is a weight limit of 240 lbs for each rider.
Gratuity is customary. Groups of 6+ will be charged an automatic 15% gratuity.
All riders are required to sign a release form.
Cash and credit cards accepted. Credit cards will be charged an additional 5% service fee. If booking in advance, credit card holds are required even if you plan to pay in cash. Some penalties will be charged for late cancellations. See their website below for more details.
With one of the longest coastlines in the country (third behind Alaska & Florida), it’s amazing that there are only a handful of locations in the entire state that allows beachfront horseback riding. One of those places is Imperial Beach in San Diego, just a handful of miles from the Mexican border. And let me tell you, it’s every bit as breathtaking as it sounds. All that’s missing is Charlton Heston, a few loin clothes, and the Statue of Liberty half-submerged in the sand (for all you Planet of the Apes buffs out there).
There are several riding companies in the area that you can chose from. We picked Surfside Ranch, but I’m sure you can’t go wrong with any of them. Surfside Ranch is a smaller operation. With no one present upon our arrival, we were’t even sure if we were in the right location until the only two employees working that day returned from the tour just before ours. That’s when you realizes it’s a slower way of life out in the country which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The two employees (the shift manager and the other staffer who would end up being our guide) greeted us warmly and then informed us that they would need a few moments to get the previous tour’s horses settled in and our horses prepped to go. This gave us time to explore the ranch and say hello to all the other animals that lived there. Once they were ready, we headed off for our excursion.
For the beach ride, you’ll actually have to drive a few miles away with horses in tow to your departure point out of Border Field State Park, aptly named due to its immediate proximately to the US/Mexico dividing line (you can almost feel the sharpness of the barbed-wire). Finally saddled up on my horse, Kahuna, we began our ride through the park’s marshlands as we made our way towards the beach. The final stretch of this trail leads you up a slight ridge that hides the ocean from view until it finally reveals itself in all its glory once you’ve crossed over the summit. On the day we went, besides a few other riders and a couple people on foot, we had the beach completely to ourself which only added to the peaceful ambiance. You’ll enjoy the rest of your ride along the water’s edge with dolphins (I kid you not) swimming off in the distance. How prefect is that for a postcard? A little word to the wise though, just make sure your stirrups are properly cinched up or else your nether-parts will take the brunt of it whenever your horse takes off in a trot. Thanks, Kahuna.
RESOURCES:
Surfside Ranch website.
