Spray River 1-Hour Horseback Ride Banff

Spray River and the corrals

The Spray River rises in the high Kananaskis country and flows north through a forested valley before meeting the Bow River just below Bow Falls, on the southern edge of the town of Banff. The Spray River Corrals sit at the foot of Sulphur Mountain, a few minutes from downtown, and the trails that leave from here follow the river through lodgepole pine and spruce.

On this Spray River horseback ride you check in at the corrals 30 minutes before your start time, sign the waiver and meet your guides and horse. After a short safety briefing and basic riding instruction, the group sets off in single file. The highlight for many riders is the river crossing, when the horses wade into the clear water; on hot days your horse may even splash water onto its belly to cool off.

Bow Falls

Bow Falls is a wide, low waterfall where the Bow River tumbles over ledges of limestone just above its meeting with the Spray. It is not tall, but the volume of turquoise glacial water and the setting beneath the cliffs of Mount Rundle make it one of the most photographed sights in Banff. The falls are fed by snowmelt and glaciers along the Continental Divide, so they are most powerful in early summer.

The horseback ride approaches the falls through the forest and gives you spectacular views from the trail, a perspective most visitors who walk to the viewpoint never see. Your guides share stories about the river and the early days of Banff as a mountain resort, as the sound of the water follows you along the trail. Keep your phone or camera secured in a pocket; backpacks are not allowed on the ride.

The historic golf course

Between the Bow and Spray rivers lies one of Canada's best-known mountain golf courses, opened in the early 20th century to attract visitors to the new resort town and later redesigned into a showcase of mountain course architecture. Its fairways are famously well kept, framed by forest and the peaks of Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain, and elk often graze on the grass in spring and autumn.

The trail runs along the edge of the course, so you enjoy its wide green views and mountain backdrop from the saddle. Your horse then crosses the Spray River once more before turning back toward the corrals. It is a peaceful section of the ride, ideal for taking in the scenery and chatting with your guides about life in Banff National Park, Canada's first national park, established in 1885.

Sulphur Mountain

Sulphur Mountain rises above the town of Banff to the south and takes its name from the hot springs that flow from its slopes, the springs that led to the creation of the national park. Its summit, reached by gondola, offers views across six mountain ranges, while its lower slopes are covered with pine forest and quiet residential streets.

The last part of the ride is a partial climb up the lower slopes of Sulphur Mountain, through a wooded residential area and back to the corrals. The gentle gradient gives you a feel for riding uphill, and gaps in the trees open views over the Bow Valley. Wear long trousers and closed-toe shoes, apply insect repellent in summer and, after the ride, combine it with a visit to the hot springs or the gondola nearby for a full day on Sulphur Mountain.