Big Rock Dude Ranch at Ponderosa
Big Rock Dude Ranch at Ponderosa
Big Rock Dude Ranch at Ponderosa
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Horseback Riding, Petting Zoo, Fishing Pond, Gem Mining, ATV Rides, onsite Chow-Boys Cafe & General Store Free picnic area Heritage museum. peace/guitet swings around the duck pond playing area kids ,Horse shoes pit.or just rocking on the General store porch.And surrounded by little cove creek to wade in.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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See what travelers are saying
- sue p9 contributionsgreat adventureAbsolutely loved this place. The employees were friendly. Our tour guide Chris was great. I did feel bad for him when Tennessee kicked him. But he was game and got right back on his horse and continued the ride.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 11, 2023
- LisaGo31113 contributionsGreat afternoonA group of us went to ride horses. I took my four year old grandson who had never ridden before. Chris was our guide and he was awesome. Took great care of Brekyn and was very nice. We enjoyed this very much. Brekyn loved it and wants to do it again. We had a very positive experience.Visited October 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 5, 2023
- Autumn Molette3 contributionsBig Rock Dude RanchWe had such a great time visiting. This is a must stop for everyone and they make it easy if you have little kids too. Dale is hands down the best guide! He'll have you laughing the entire time youre on the trail. Also Jodi Ray is probably the sweetest woman ive ever met and she went out of her way to make sure everyone was as happy as they could possibly be. The Dude ranch also offers fishing, gem mining, and a petting zoo. Its very easy to spend a whole day here and enjoy every minute of it!Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 5, 2023
- Tiffany T1 contributionAwesome Horse RideWe have a great time ! Amazing wooden / mountain views ! We had DALE as a tour guide and he was awesome & very friendly made us all feel very comfortable with the horses and trails !! We had so much fun ! I most definitely recommend bringing your family here !! The petting zoo is a bonus with cute little animals !!Visited November 2023Traveled with familyWritten November 5, 2023
- Hannah G1 contribution10/10 recommend coming here!Our guide was Efrain and he was amazing, he really knew what he was doing and made our experience so unique! My partner is a first time rider and he absolutely loved it, he’s afraid of horses but wanted to do it again because he loved it so much! Jodi was so kind, friendly and took amazing photos of us! I am an experienced rider and I really felt at home at this ranch, my horse was Illinois and he was beautiful.. such a strong, calm and friendly boy. We are definitely coming back!Visited December 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten December 6, 2023
- annabelle lois W1 contributionSoooo funDale was our tour guide. He was funny and very informative! The horses were HUGE ( we had three men over 200 lbs and over 6 foot that they easily accommodated). Petting zoo is small but cute the emus let us pet them and we’re so cute. The horses are very well loved and taken care of.Visited December 2023Traveled with friendsWritten December 8, 2023
- Rilla b8 contributionsBest experience of our trip!The entire staff was friendly, helpful and welcoming! We enjoyed the trail ride with our 8 year old granddaughter. Ephraim was our guide and was so great with our granddaughter. She immediately asked to ride again once it was over and declared that it was better than Dollywood! The horses and petting zoo animals are all well cared for and gentle. The restrooms were clean and the General Store had anything we could need! We will be back!Visited December 2023Traveled with familyWritten December 29, 2023
- Celeisha M2 contributionsAWESOMEI loved this experience and the people we AMAZING! They were so kind, friendly, and encouraging. It was my first ride and I am afraid of heights, Cole talked me through the entire ride and I felt so safe, thankyou! The staff Jody, Donnie, Jessie, Cole, Wayne Anthony, TJ, and Ms. Connie all made this experience one to remember. I'll be back!Visited January 2024Traveled soloWritten January 28, 2024
- William S3 contributionsFantastic!Grandma and Olivia rode saturday and were absolutely thrilled. Gma promised Olivia a return on Monday if olivia scored a 9 in gymnastics competition on Sunday. Olivia scored her personal best on bars and beam...8.875 which was close enough as well as 5th in overall competition and team took 3rd. So back we came and this time mommy rode too. Gma rode Pokey Oakey again.( her fsvorite) Mommy rode Jersey and Olivia rode the Queen of the barn...Hampy. saturday Olivia rode Alabama. Horses are well cared for and in great shape. We will be back!Visited February 2024Traveled with familyWritten February 19, 2024
- Marc A1 contributionWonderful people and beautiful horsesThe whole horse riding experience was fantastic. All amployees greeted us with a smile and positive energy. The horses were taken care of well and seemed connected with the team. It took about an hour total for a 3.5 mile ride 1800 ft up the mountain, but I would recommend allocating two hours to allow for loading and checking out their petting zoo.Visited February 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 3, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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1,107 reviews
Excellent
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2 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
We read some reviews before going and thought this would be a nice thing to do. I agree with everyone that the experience of riding the horse is nice, but this place could be doing a much better job with their business to offer a more positive time for everyone involved.
We were told it would be 2 hours for a wait. I appreciate that they told us up front that the wait would be 2 hours after we showed at 11am. We asked them if we could just put our name down for the 3pm or 4pm, but they don’t take reservations. If your number is called and you’re not around, that’s an easy $50+ per person down the drain.
We were asked to wait for our number to be called around two hours later. Unfortunately, once your number is called, you’re simply moved to another area of the ranch to endure another 45-60min of waiting before finally getting on a horse.
So some recommendations to customers: In sum, show up early right when it opens or don’t bother (or just expect to be there 4-5 hours). Prepare to wait. Bring water and cash and lunch. You will be charged a lot for paying with a card. Ask for a receipt. They don’t seem to have any system for your purchases (no receipts, no names written down for slots, etc.). They write numbers down on blank receipt paper, which I could easily do myself. This poor group in front of us lost their paper and the front desk had no record of them purchasing something and told them if someone picks up their lost paper, those strangers can have their spots. Really didn’t seem like they were interested in helping these customers…so ask for a receipt! We wanted to leave several times due to the long wait but our lack of receipt made a refund very unlikely.
Management: please start accepting reservations. You don’t need to start a fancy system up online. Walk ins can do if you insist but if you’re only allowing 200 riders a day, we would greatly appreciate just signing up for time slots. A lot of people ahead of us were very grumpy when their numbers were called but all this meant was they still had to wait in line for 45-60min to get onto a horse. Please also put on your website the importance of cash not only to avoid credit card charges but to tip your guide. Finally, if someone is not comfortable with a particular horse, please address this. I asked if there was a different horse since mine seemed very tired and other horses were irritating him and making him jerk around before we took off, but they completed ignored me when I asked for help and even asked for tips on how to handle this particular horse. My mom’s horse was awesome and gentle for her, but I think more needs to be done to make sure the horses are getting enough rest and not putting the riders in danger.
So good experience but really takes up the whole day so plan for that unless you get there right away
We were told it would be 2 hours for a wait. I appreciate that they told us up front that the wait would be 2 hours after we showed at 11am. We asked them if we could just put our name down for the 3pm or 4pm, but they don’t take reservations. If your number is called and you’re not around, that’s an easy $50+ per person down the drain.
We were asked to wait for our number to be called around two hours later. Unfortunately, once your number is called, you’re simply moved to another area of the ranch to endure another 45-60min of waiting before finally getting on a horse.
So some recommendations to customers: In sum, show up early right when it opens or don’t bother (or just expect to be there 4-5 hours). Prepare to wait. Bring water and cash and lunch. You will be charged a lot for paying with a card. Ask for a receipt. They don’t seem to have any system for your purchases (no receipts, no names written down for slots, etc.). They write numbers down on blank receipt paper, which I could easily do myself. This poor group in front of us lost their paper and the front desk had no record of them purchasing something and told them if someone picks up their lost paper, those strangers can have their spots. Really didn’t seem like they were interested in helping these customers…so ask for a receipt! We wanted to leave several times due to the long wait but our lack of receipt made a refund very unlikely.
Management: please start accepting reservations. You don’t need to start a fancy system up online. Walk ins can do if you insist but if you’re only allowing 200 riders a day, we would greatly appreciate just signing up for time slots. A lot of people ahead of us were very grumpy when their numbers were called but all this meant was they still had to wait in line for 45-60min to get onto a horse. Please also put on your website the importance of cash not only to avoid credit card charges but to tip your guide. Finally, if someone is not comfortable with a particular horse, please address this. I asked if there was a different horse since mine seemed very tired and other horses were irritating him and making him jerk around before we took off, but they completed ignored me when I asked for help and even asked for tips on how to handle this particular horse. My mom’s horse was awesome and gentle for her, but I think more needs to be done to make sure the horses are getting enough rest and not putting the riders in danger.
So good experience but really takes up the whole day so plan for that unless you get there right away
Written June 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah K
1 contribution
Jun 2020
This was the second of two rides we did June 2020. Jessie was a great guide as my four year old was in my lap and we were the second horse on the trail. Jessie made sure all the horses were together as he had a lot of first time riders and he never let any fall behind. He answered all the questions we asked and you could hear in his voice that he really loved his job and the horses in his care.
Our only issue was the line for the general store was sooooo long when we got back we would have had to wait easy 30-45 mins to get our animal feed for the petting zoo and "dirt" for the mining. At that point we had two kids who needed to eat and there was no way we could wait. I know this was because only ten persons were allowed due to regulation but it just didn't work out for us. We ended up not getting our animal feed or dirt so we were out that money as we paid for a package but we understood this was our choice.
Our only issue was the line for the general store was sooooo long when we got back we would have had to wait easy 30-45 mins to get our animal feed for the petting zoo and "dirt" for the mining. At that point we had two kids who needed to eat and there was no way we could wait. I know this was because only ten persons were allowed due to regulation but it just didn't work out for us. We ended up not getting our animal feed or dirt so we were out that money as we paid for a package but we understood this was our choice.
Written June 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sorry about the wait ,again were doing our best on social distance and its making the wait time longer so sorry for your wait were doing the best we can and don't think were not.THANK YOU.
Written July 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Donna113058
Baxley, GA36 contributions
Jul 2020
I feel as if I dodged a $200 bullet. My husband and I took our 2 grandchildren to Big Rock Dude Ranch to ride horses. I began to fill out papers for the 4 of us at $52.95 plus tax a person for an hour ride and I noticed a sign that said I could not take my camera on the trail. I'm a photo nut so I walked to the counter to confirm this and she said "no cameras because the trails are tight with limbs and could be dangerous." OK, what about my phone...I could get a few pic with it. And she said NO! So I told her I had been on several horseback rides and never been denied a camera, (much less a phone) And she said very arrogantly "well not here!" I'm assuming they wanted to sell me a $100 photo package. Thank goodness I read the sign before buying tickets....It all turned out good!
Written July 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The cost is $52,95 less your coupon makes it $47.95 for the mountain trial ride , The reason we don't allow cameras and cell phone is because of our risk reduction program, for instance,If you are wathing the ride thur a camera or video you have to take a hand off the reins to do that you must have both hands on the reins at all time and paying attention to whats going on around you if you loose control of your horse and it take off the put the whole group in danger.Sorry to say it did happen.We do sale phots but that has nothing to do with safety and the well being of our guest.
Written July 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Wayne G.
Columbus, GA5 contributions
Jan 2020
This was our last activity before heading home during a 5 day Pigeon Forge family vacation and we're very happy we squeezed it in. I have a family of 6 (4 girls, ages 12-15) and Big Rock was a highlight for each of us. All of the staff is very friendly, helpful, and accommodating. The horses are very well trained and the trail guide, Nate, is extremely attentive and informative. There was only one hiccup - my wife's horse (Junior) nipped at the rear end of my daughter's horse (Georgia) which caused it to jump a bit. It scared my daughter, but the Nate was very calming and handled the incident extremely well. I recommend you request him if you can. The scenery is beautiful, as the trail winds through a forested mountainside and, if you're lucky, it's possible to spot some wildlife. After the 1 hour trail ride was over, we visited the petting zoo and fed their goats, miniature horse, alpaca, llama, peacock, chickens, etc. There are hysterically entertaining, interacting with us and each other. I'd call this a must-do while visiting Pigeon Forge and/or Gatlinberg.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelsie M
1 contribution
Nov 2020 • Couples
Great price for the experience! Special #1 got us the horse ride, a bottle of water, and food for the petting zoo animals for $50 a person. The ride was very relaxing and laid back. The horses are wonderful and for the most part you don’t have to guide them, they follow the horses in front. Our guide was Nate and he was fantastic! It was only my husband and I in our group and Nate talked to us the entire time and gave us recommendations on other things to do in the area and good places to eat. Since it’s fall, you could see through the trees and see the mountains and nice cabins on the mountain which was nice. I would definitely come back here next time we’re in the area!
Written November 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alburchfield01
Edmond, OK14 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
We really enjoyed the trail ride and every single employee we came in contact with was kind. Loved our guide as he and the barn hands were so kind to our daughter who was afraid at first. However, management needs help. The cost of the trail ride is ridiculously expensive as are the pictures which they don’t do a group pic PLUS they charge you a 4% fee for using a card which it doesn’t say on the website AND the check in process is unorganized. If you aren’t going to do bookings for your offerings, at least make the check in process efficient. The lady on the porch and the cashier were so kind but seemed overwhelmed. People have to just stay outside while one family goes in at a time. There is too much going on at this place for there too be one cashier.
Written July 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sorry about your wait we are trying our best to limit the amount of people in the general store. this is all new to us as well as every business in the county,Please bare with us we are doing our best.THANK YOU
Written July 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DChelle312
Iowa144 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
My teens wanted to ride horses. Okay, found a place not far from hotel. We saw they didn’t take reservations so showed up about a half hour after they opened. We paid a considerable amount, was told our coupon was already included in pice that gave us a bottle of water, ride, and petting zoo food. Hmm.. okay.
Upon paying, were told was about an hour wait….. three hours later, we were finally on the horses.
It was a neat place, just wish they woul have accepted reservations or told us up front it would take all morning. Like most visitors to the area, we had other things we would like to do. When you’re first called up that your group is ready, then you go back and wait in another area.
We showed up at 9:30 and I believe we were finally done shortly after 1:30. The horses were well behaved for the most part and lady in back getting people situated was nice and fun. Ride was acceptable for beginners.
After spending more than expected because didn’t take our coupon, then they ask to tip the guides who take you on your horse ride.
Which we did, but it felt like leaving a sour taste in your mouth. I don’t know, the experience was just okay for me.
The area was well maintained and easy to find. Had chickens, goats, and exotic birds. Also fishing available at a pond.
Upon paying, were told was about an hour wait….. three hours later, we were finally on the horses.
It was a neat place, just wish they woul have accepted reservations or told us up front it would take all morning. Like most visitors to the area, we had other things we would like to do. When you’re first called up that your group is ready, then you go back and wait in another area.
We showed up at 9:30 and I believe we were finally done shortly after 1:30. The horses were well behaved for the most part and lady in back getting people situated was nice and fun. Ride was acceptable for beginners.
After spending more than expected because didn’t take our coupon, then they ask to tip the guides who take you on your horse ride.
Which we did, but it felt like leaving a sour taste in your mouth. I don’t know, the experience was just okay for me.
The area was well maintained and easy to find. Had chickens, goats, and exotic birds. Also fishing available at a pond.
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NYTravelerBD
Westchester County, NY1,555 contributions
Jun 2021
My 7 year old daughter absolutely loved our ride into the Smoky Mountains. The guide was personable, attentive, and very reassuring to our family of three novice riders.
The horses were very gentle and the ride was slow and easy, and gave us a lovely taste of the Smokies. As an animal lover, I also really appreciated learning that this stable - unlike many others - rescues horses and when they retire, they live out their lives peacefully at a sanctuary in Georgia, as opposed to being auctioned for horsemeat, which I personally find reprehensible.
My only constructive criticism is they really ought to consider a reservation system where customers pay for a set ride time. We waited easily 90 minutes after paying to get on our horses, and with the threat of afternoon thunderstorms, it was unnecessarily stressful.
Overall though this was an A plus experience, and we'd be thrilled to visit again!
The horses were very gentle and the ride was slow and easy, and gave us a lovely taste of the Smokies. As an animal lover, I also really appreciated learning that this stable - unlike many others - rescues horses and when they retire, they live out their lives peacefully at a sanctuary in Georgia, as opposed to being auctioned for horsemeat, which I personally find reprehensible.
My only constructive criticism is they really ought to consider a reservation system where customers pay for a set ride time. We waited easily 90 minutes after paying to get on our horses, and with the threat of afternoon thunderstorms, it was unnecessarily stressful.
Overall though this was an A plus experience, and we'd be thrilled to visit again!
Written July 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beth W
Fort Meade, FL29 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Carol was the amazing lady who helped us navigate the best deal on horseback riding, fishing, and gem mining. She made us feel very welcome and was so very helpful! Yes, there is horseback riding, even in the winter, unlike many of the other places around Pigeon Forge. They have 80 horses and do about 300 trail rides a day. It was a great, guided, smooth trail ride along a path the horses knew well. I think the horses could have navigates the whole trail without us! The pond was stocked, but it was a bit cold, so they were no bites. We had a great time feeding the llamas, goats, ponies, and even an emu. Ask for Carol. She’s super helpful.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Natalie B
1 contribution
Mar 2021 • Family
The person that was “supposed” to let us sign up wasn’t letting us and saying that there was too many people.Well we when there TWO times and the first time she said that there was because of the weather and we could go but proceededs to sine up the people behind us then she tells us to come back tomorrow. So we went back a few hours later and they were letting people back in and we went back in the line and she was helping the people behind us again and we went up to her and she was like there is no more when we heard on her Walkie-talkie that there were 99 more spots left. And the lady said we should come back tomorrow.😀 we are never coming back again that was the worst ever and you know maybe it was because my mom was black but I don’t want to jump to the racist conclusions but I sure seems racist to me.so I don’t recommend that place AT ALL.
Written March 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
not sure about what went wrong Thursday there were lightning thunderstorm ⛈ not safe at all there were times that the weather would break and we would let people sign up for the ride our guest safety during bad weather is our number one concern.so sorry that you felt singled out but its wasn't because of any reason other than the weather.please understand that we want everyone to be safe and have a great time.
Written March 19, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I know double riding is allowed, as we have been here before and had a fabulous experience, but what is the age to ride solo? Our grand daughter will be 5 when we come down. Is she old enough to have her own horse?
Written August 15, 2019
I think 10 but I do know they have to be able to keep there balance
Written August 15, 2019
i was wondering what the actual trail is like, is it in the woods, through a field? do you go through a river, over a bride? do you go up a mountain, are their good view? TIA!
Written June 19, 2019
It's on atrail in the woods the horses are awsome the ride is amazing love this place
Written August 6, 2019
How does Big Rock Dude Ranch compare with Waldens Creek riding stables? Looking for opinions. We have been to Waldens Creek stables and looking to check Big Rock Dude Ranch out.
Written May 21, 2019
What is the latest ride available for a Friday?
Written July 13, 2018
We were there in the morning. I would recommend calling them for available times.
Written July 16, 2018
If you get the 3 day fishing pass does it have to be 3 consecutive days?
Written June 4, 2018
I seen they take a picture of you on the horse. Is this included in the price? If not how much more is it? Also I read the trail is very steep, how steep is it? Can inexperienced riders climb it?
Written January 31, 2018
Picture is not included in the price, they cost $15 each. Last time I rode a horse I was 10 years old I’m 29 now and i wasn’t scared or worried at anytime going up and down the trails, horses are so gentle and know where to go, it was a very relaxing experience for me and my kids.
Written February 3, 2018
Do you close for the season? Will be up in November and would love to check it out
Written August 11, 2017
In other words, as long as there are no tornadoes or something serious, they should be open.
Written August 11, 2017
Brad R
Ocala, Florida
What type of fish are in the stocked pond? And how big are they? I know I can not keep them nor do I want to.
Written May 28, 2017
What is the youngest age to ride a horse with a parent?
Written November 28, 2016
I'm not positive but i saw a child approximately 2 yrs old riding with his mom.
Written November 29, 2016
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