Updated: 5/22/26
Ride Schedule (approximate times - TBA)
Saturday
5:30am - Camp is Open
6:45am - All CTR Riders Out
(may start CTR later in the day)
7am - 8:30am - Leisure Check In / Registration
8:30am - Leisure Briefing
9am - Leisure Present your horse
10am - Leisure Riders Out
Arrival in Camp LeD
Arrival in Camp CP/ Novice
Lunch in Camp Open
Open PM Loop - Arrival After
Vet-Out with your horse after arrival
5pm - Catered Dinner
6pm - Ride Briefing & Leisure Awards
7:15pm - Movie night
10:00pm - Quiet Hours
(If you leave before awards, please check out with management)
Friday
9am - Camp is Open
10am - 3pm Check In / Registration
2pm - New Riders' Meeting
3pm - 4:30pm Vet-In with your horse
5pm - Catered Dinner
6pm - Ride Briefing for CTR & LED
7:15pm - Quick Questions / Math Party
10:00pm - Quiet Hours
Sunday
5:30am - Camp is Open
6:45am - All CTR Riders Out
(may start CTR later in the day)
7am - 8:30am - Leisure Check In / Registration
8:30am - Leisure Briefing
9am - Leisure Present your horse
10am - Leisure Riders Out
Arrival in Camp Open/Nov/CP
Arrival in Camp LeD
Vet-Out with your horse after arrival
Awards signaled by Bell Ringing on the porch
(If you leave before awards, please check out with management)
Trail Conditions, Terrain, & Requirements
Hitting the trails in the Virginia Highlands is such adventure with all those mountains and elevation changes! As you tackle those ups and downs, make sure your horse tack is to the challenge. If new to mountain riding, it’s a good to be prepared to tweak things a bit for comfort and your horse’s performance. If your tack fits fine, then just enjoy the ride and soak in those amazing views!
While taking in the stunning views and wildlife, you'll be tackling the rocky trails of the mountains. Since the terrain can be pretty rough, it's important to give your horse some hoof protection and for that reason hoof protection on all four feet is strongly encouraged for this ride. You'll encounter everything from old creek beds to newly graveled roads along the way. If you're on the fence about getting boots for your horse, it’s a smart idea to try them out during your practice rides to make sure everything fits well for a sound weekend ahead. We will only have a farrier on-call at this time. Their contact information can be seen here.
We did our best to help the heat and humidity of this event by moving our date earlier in the year, but it didn't disappear entirely. The weather in this area can change as fast as a snap of your fingers, so be prepared for needing electrolytes to even a possible light blanket. Rain showers come just as fast as they went and the rainbows after are spectacular. Don't just prepare your horses - bring some things for yourself too! There will be a camp store available to you throughout the weekend. I am asking the camp owner to stock it full of goodies for us, so don't forget to stop by if you forgot some essentials or just want to browse.
The water we are using on trail will be mostly natural water opportunities, so use them when you see them. We will be making any adjustments by adding water troughs in places that have become too dry around the weekend of the ride when needed. We also hope to label any and all water opportunities on maps so you are able to take advantage of them.
We will encounter a few obstacles at this ride. Paved road crossings, opening and closing of gates, and cows are the largest things that come to mind. I've had a stray pygmy goat greet us while passing a country house or two, but overall just harmless farm animals that would rather graze than bother your ride is what you'll see. Deer and Turkeys are plentiful in the woods as always.
Rider protection cannot be ignored and I encourage all of you to pack layers for a comfortable weekend. I also would like to remind all riders that HELMETS are required for ALL RIDERS at this facility. If you do not have a helmet, you will not be permitted to start and no refund will be provided. This is for the safety of all riders to ensure the next ride is possible. We thank you for understanding and complying with this rule.
MAPS ARE HERE!
Please note that mileages are approximate and exact points are expected on the ride maps given at registration in camp or at briefing. Mileages will be within about a mile or so. Please allow this to be a ball-park figure in your planning. Thanks for your patience!!
We have TWO options for OPEN at the moment. This is because not all routes are best in the rain, although.. they tend to have some great views and we don't want you to miss out! We will be choosing the Open routes for Satuday based on the weather.
RIDE WITH GPS MILEAGES ARE NOT ACCURATE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND THOSE MILEAGES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED APPROXIMATE. RIDE WITH GPS IS MORE OF A TOOL TO KEEP RIDERS ON THE CORRECT TRAIL, AVOID MISSED TURNS, NOTIFY THEM OF WATER, UPCOMING ROADS, AND DETAILS ABOUT THE TRAIL.
SAT Leisure - 11.3
SAT OPEN AM - Option1 - 20.2
SAT OPEN PM - Option1 - 12
SAT OPEN AM - Option2 - 17
SAT OPEN PM - Option2 - 14.4
SAT NOV/CP AM - 17
SUN Leisure - 12
SUN NOV/CP/OPEN - 18
EXPECT MAPS TO ARRIVE ON WEBSITE BY 5/10/26
RIDE WITH GPS DOWNLOADS ARE HERE!!! CLICK THE LINK TO DOWNLOAD OFFLINE TO USE ON TRAIL. MILEAGES APPROXIMATE.
PLEASE DOWNLOAD OFFLINE PRIOR TO ARRIVING IN CAMP IF YOU PLAN TO USE THIS AID. WIFI AVAILBLE AT CAMP IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DOWNLOAD AFTER ARRIVING. THERE WILL BE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT TRAIL, WATER, PAVEMENT, GRAVEL, ELEVATION, ETC ON THESE MAPS. LINK WILL BE EMAILED ONCE AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPANTS. APP IS FREE TO DOWNLOAD.
STEPS TO DOWNLOAD-
Click the event invite link via your email.
Join Event.
Create an account. Decine all Free Trials or any payments by selecting the "x" at the top right corner.
Enter information (username/password) and then confirm by the email link sent by RWGPS.
Download the RWGPS App - Yes, it has a bike on it.
Once logged in, you can scroll down to events and you can join event within the app and download.
100% FREE
Base maps will be provided online prior to the ride for you to access. Final maps will be provided in camp. Ride with GPS will be utilized for map guidance while riding on-trail. At this time, link only is to main ride with gps page and in no way has details for our specific event. Specific Event Link will be emailed to participants.
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If you or someone you know wants to donate or become a sponsor - please email us at MuleLadysMountainMeander@gmail.com
