Adventures Await!
This page covers a wide variety of information, gives you a really good overview of what to expect, what to bring, what to wear, touches on our trip types, and answers a bunch of questions you might not even know you had! Please take a few minutes to review. Your comfort and safety, as well as the comfort and safety of our horses and guides, are our top priority. You’re taking the first steps to having one of the most awesome experiences of your life!
First Things First
How does this booking process work?
Great question!! We want to set you up for success, and to have the best possible experience with us, so we ask that you take a few minutes to go through this simple checklist:
First, take some time to review the information included on this page. As mentioned above, it includes some great information to get you started.
Next, review the packages page, to check out the different types of Experience packages we offer and pick one that works best for you and/or your group. *Link at the bottom of this page.
Once you’ve selected your Experience package, you’ll fill out the Inquiry Form located at the bottom of the Pricing and packages page, letting us know a few details about you, your group, and which dates you’re interested in.
We’ll get back to you within 24 hours to confirm the dates and details of your booking, as well as let you know the deposit amount. There might be a little bit of back and forth as we work out the details, but generally it’s a pretty quick process.
Send the non-refundable deposit in an etransfer to sturgeonriverranch@gmail.com, and be sure to include the following information in the Memo:
Your name
Your email address
Date of your ride
Number of riders
Watch our Safety Video and review and submit a completed copy of the Liability Release Form.
Then you’ll patiently wait for the day to come when you drive up to us and enjoy an awesome time with our lovely horses, our fantastic guides, and take in the natural splendor of the west side of the Prince Albert National Park.
The day arrives, and you’re packed, prepared, informed, super pumped and ready to go for your 11:00am ride!
Plan to depart your house with the aim to arrive at the Ranch by 10:30am.
Please shoot us a text to confirm when you’re departing your house (306-380-6204), and where you’re coming from.
This helps us monitor your travel time so that we know you’ve potentially taken a wrong turn, or have even gotten a bit lost.
This also helps us confirm when we should get the horses out of the pasture and saddled up, which minimizes how long the horses are left standing at the tie rail.
Answers to questions you might not even know you have!
How do I get to Sturgeon River Ranch?
Google maps has a correct pin for us, however it does not take you down the best roads to get here. Please follow the specific written instructions on the Directions page.
Coming from the south on highway 55SK, 26km past Debden turn right onto Park Valley Road (ALSO Township Road 551).
Drive Park Valley Road east for 14.3kms and turn left at the intersection at the Lake Four cemetery.
Drive 1.6km and turn right at the intersection.
Drive 1km and take your first left hand turn (The Sturgeon River Ranch sign is in the ditch on the right hand side).
Drive 3km and turn right at the T intersection where our Sturgeon River Ranch sign is and follow our driveway to the end!
Watch our YouTube Video below to ensure you take the correct turns.
When should I arrive for my ride?
Our Day Rides depart at 11am, unless custom arrangements have been made. We encourage guests to arrive at the ranch 30 minutes before your ride is scheduled to depart. This will allow you time to get signed in, meet the guides who will be leading your ride, receive a riding demonstration and be on your horse by the scheduled ride time.
For our Back Country camp trip’s we recommend to arrive by 10 am or sooner, to load up our truck with your gear and equipment.
What is the minimum age and maximum weight for a rider?
We do not have minimum age for children to ride at the ranch. All children have to be supervised by their parents at all times. We do not allow for more than one person per horse, meaning children will be riding their own experienced “kids” horse. Our horses and guides are excellent at building the confidence of young riders. If necessary, we will have a guide lead the horse of a nervous child until the child feels comfortable steering on their own. For our Trail rides into the Park children under the age of 14 should be accompanied by an adult on the ride.
Please note - maximum rider weight is 250 pounds, (arrangements can be made for heavier riders in advance) please be honest and inform us so we can choose the best fitting horse for your ride.
Do I need to book ahead of time?
Yes. Please book in advance. The earlier you book the more date options you will have and the better we can plan ahead. Book now with this link!
What information will I need for booking?
In order to book a ride we will require your name, phone number, and number of people in your group. For all rentals, riding trips, and full day rides we require a 50% non-refundable deposit to hold your reservation. We will also require the age, height, weight, and riding level of all riders in your group. This will allow us to pick the perfect horse for each rider.
Will we go faster than walking the horse?
Our rides primarily travel at a walk. Whether or not you will go any faster than a walk is up to the discretion of the guide leading the ride. This decision will be based on the level of riding experience and confidence of the riders, as well as the footing conditions for the safety of the horses. We will never take off at a faster speed without first asking!
What should I wear?
Long pants must be worn for riding (no shorts or skirts). We recommend comfortable jeans.
Boots or shoes that have a small heel are the safest for riding. We will not allow anyone to ride in sandals/crocs or open toed shoes of any kind.
Sunglasses
A waterproof jacket/raincoat can be brought with you just in case. These can be tied onto the saddle when not being worn. No ponchos, please.
A bottle of water and small camera fit nicely into the saddle bags on our saddles.
Sunscreen and insect repellent are always great to have on for your ride.
Do you provide helmets?
Yes. While we highly recommend wearing helmets, if you have your own fitted helmet bring it with you otherwise we have helmets.
How can I pay?
E-transer to sturgeonriverranch@gmail.com is the preferred method of payment, please include your name, date of booking, and number of riders in your group to make sure your payment is attached to the correct booking. We can accept credit cards or debit for a 3% fee at whatever exchange rate is on Google. All balances are to be paid anytime before your arrival, unless you are paying the balance in cash. Keep in mind, we might not have exact change at the ranch.
How can I cancel or reschedule my ride?
A lot of preparation goes into our scheduling process, so that our busy season goes as smoothly as it can. And two critical aspects of this process are, ensuring all of our guests (including you!) have the best possible experience, and all of our horses have plenty of time to rest in-between rides. So while we do try to accommodate all rescheduling requests, we have to navigate the inevitable disruptions they cause, and sometimes it just isn’t possible. Due to their complexity, Backcountry Trips are much harder to reschedule, but we will of course always do our best.
In the instances when we are able to reschedule a ride to an alternate date (this is especially easier outside of June, July, August), we require a 10% rescheduling fee, and the full trip cost needs to be paid up front at the time of rescheduling. Please keep this in mind when confirming your booking with us, and give us as much notice as possible if you think you need to reschedule.
Please call our office if you need to cancel or reschedule. 1 (639) 638-4337 or 1 (306) 380-6204
Do you have accommodations on site?
Yes! We have three bedrooms available to rent (see the Packages & Pricing page for more pricing details).We also offer entire ranch house rentals.
A queen bed with a single bunk above
A king bed
A single over double bunk bed, plus another double bed
Alternatively we do have camping spaces available
What’s the bathroom situation?
We offer our day riders and overnight guests access to a large, fully-equipped washroom in the lodge. Please note, this washroom is shared with onsite staff and guests.
Ready to dig into more information about our horse riding and horse-drawn wagon experiences?!
Click the link below to take your first step towards booking an adventure of a lifetime!