FAQs

• Age – The minimum age is 7 years old with the ability to follow direction. All minors will be required to wear a provided helmet.
• Height and Weight Requirements – The weight limit for your safety and our horses is 250lbs. Fully clothed, a female rider's Body Mass Index (BMI) may not exceed 32 and the BMI for a male rider may not exceed 34. A person's overall weight AND their height to weight ratio directly affects their ability to safely ride a horse in mountainous terrain. Horseback riding is a strenuous sport.
  
  Physical fitness is one of many factors that determine your ability to safely participate. We reserve the right to decline service to any individual that, in the opinion of the management, cannot be safely accommodated.
  
  Check your BMI
• Altitude sickness – if you are sensitive to altitude changes, please consider this as a factor when planning your mountain trip.
• General Health – if you have health conditions that may present a problem in a back country setting please be sure to take all the steps beforehand to mitigate these problems as well as ask your doctor if it is okay for you. (ex: heart conditions, asthma, surgeries, etc.)
• Allergies- if you have allergies to plants, grass, dust, animals, etc. please let your guide know and bring your medications without.
• Special Needs – if you or someone in your group requires special accommodations please let us know ahead of time so we can make ensure a safe environment.

Please review our Covid19 Guidelines before arrival.

If you are happy with the work that your packer/guide did for you and your group, gratuities are certainly customary and appreciated. Tips are divided among the packers that helped with your trip. All tips must be cash.

We strongly recommend leaving your dog at home for the safety of your dog and your group. The terrain is difficult even for an athletic breed and there is risk of being stepped on or kicked by livestock.

The weather can change at any moment. A summer day that starts out sunny and warm can end with thundershowers and a significant drop in temperature. You should definitely plan to bring inclement weather gear and warm clothing.

You will be required to put a deposit up prior to your trip and pay for the remaining balance at the pack station. You can send a check to our mailing address or we can invoice you through your email with a payable link. We accept cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover card. There is a 3% processing fee for all credit cards at the pack station. We want to encourage cash payment as it avoids costly credit card processing fees. We also accept Venmo. Please ask us for Venmo information at the time of payment.

1. Must be physically fit to safely ride a horse in the mountains. (Please see our BMI chart and regulations)
2. Must follow and understand all instructions given by staff.
3. No backpacks on horse (saddle bags are provided for your belongings)
4. Never get on or off horse without permission and assistance from staff.
5. Properly hold reins at all times.
6. Do not allow horse to eat while on trail.
7. Keep horse single file and close to horse in front of you. Don’t let large gaps develop between you and horse in front of you.
8. Never take off or put on clothing while riding. Ask guide for assistance if needed.
9. Keep yourself and saddle centered on horse at all times.
10. If saddle feels loose, immediately tell guide.
11. No running horses.
12. Stay away from pack animals at all times.
13. Watch riders around you for safety concerns and say something to guide if you see something.
14. Wear appropriate clothing for riding. Long pants, close toed shoes that fit in stirrup and hats that will not blow off.
15. No riding double.
16. Actively ride your horse. Be engaged as a rider. Sit up straight and put weight in your stirrups. You and your horse will have a better ride and be much less sore.
17. If you don’t understand instructions or safety rules please ask a staff member to clarify.

There are several ways to correspond with us to schedule and plan your trip.

The best option is to fill out a trail ride request or pack trip request form.

Another option is to text or call: 775-450-0014

Email: info@leavittmeadows.com (please be aware that emails are checked less frequent than texts)
Website: Trip Reservation request form (this is a great way for us to collect ALL the information up front and are read daily)
Facebook Messenger: Please do not use Facebook to correspond.

During the pack season we do the very best to get back to you in a timely manner. The pack station does not have electricity or internet. We rely on cellular service as a hot spot and can be unreliable during inclement weather or carrier issues. We are also up the trail most days and have no service or access to phones and computers. Please allow 24 – 72 hours for us to get back to you.

It is helpful for your initial contact to include the dates, location, type of trip, number of people and of course your contact information. Please do not leave duplicate messages as this will just slow down our communication. We thank you for your understanding.

Visit www.monocounty.org for a detailed list for lodging in the area. You will also find helpful information about the area and other recreational activities.

Please arrive at Leavitt Meadows by 6:00am unless other arrangements are made to give the packers time to properly load the bags, get you settled on a horse, and allow you to enjoy your destination as soon as possible! You are welcome to drop your gear off the night before for convenience but you will still need to arrive on time.

Arriving late can cause the trip to be cancelled or rescheduled if possible. Please keep in mind that you are traveling only one way. Our packers and stock come back to the pack station the same day. Depending on the destination we may be unable to accommodate a late departure. For safety reasons our packers and stock need to be able to return before dusk and we will not allow a trip to go if that is not possible.

The advantage of having pack mules is that you will be able to enjoy the back country with items you wouldn’t normally pack in on your own back. However, it’s important to take into account how many mules you will require.

Each mule can carry roughly 150lbs of gear. This is preferable distributed by an equal 60lbs on each side (coolers, roughneck containers, bear containers, items that fit in a pack bag). The remaining 30lbs is used as a top pack. These items are clothing duffle bags, sleeping bags, basically anything that has a little give to it.

Please keep in mind that the pack bags are limited in size. Bring coolers no larger than 48-quarts (no wheels or pull handles) as that size fits perfectly in the pack bag; clothing and food should be packed in canvas or other soft material. Many smaller containers are better than a few large ones, enabling the packers more flexibility in obtaining the correct weight and balance for each mule. 18-gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck containers are perfect size to fit into a pack bag. Make sure that they are close to the same weight. The closer they are to equal weight the less our packers will have to re-arrange your things. Please also remember to avoid bringing glass items like beer bottles or wine bottles. Fishing poles should be packed in hard cases no longer than 5 feet and rifles in single hard cases.

Let us know if you need bear containers and coolers as they are required in the wilderness.

Spot Pack Trips require a deposit per person. We are working to update our 2022 prices. Please check back soon!

Backpacker Drops require a deposit per person. We are working to update our 2022 prices. Please check back soon!

Dunnage Drops require a deposit per stock animal. We are working to update our 2022 prices. Please check back soon!

This deposit can be check (mailed to our mailing address) or we can send you an invoice. We encourage cash payments for the remainder of the balance.

Most of our reservations are made months in advance. It is important that you provide as much notice as possible so that we are able to rebook your dates.

• Your deposit will be applied to a future trip if cancelled 14 days or more in advance.
• Forfeit of deposit for cancellation within the 14 days prior to your trip or no shows. With this late of cancellation, we have no chance of rebooking your scheduled dates.

** Deposit is forfeited for cancellation of specialty trips such as traveling trips. These trips require extensive planning, staffing and reservation of stock for periods of time.

Please arrive at Leavitt Meadows by 6:30am unless other arrangements are made to give the packers time to properly load the bags, get you settled on a horse, and allow you to enjoy your trip as soon as possible! You are welcome to drop your gear off the night before for convenience but you will still need to arrive on time.

Base camp trips are all inclusive trips. The items you need to pack are limited to your personal gear to include; sleeping bag, pad or blow up mattress, clothes, toiletry items, recreational items (fishing pole in hard case, camera, hiking gear, etc.), alcohol (please avoid glass), and lanterns/flashlights for personal use.

Each mule can carry roughly 150lbs of gear. This is preferable distributed by an equal 60lbs on each side (coolers, roughneck containers, bear containers, items that fit in a pack bag). The remaining 30lbs is used as a top pack. These items are clothing duffle bags, sleeping bags, basically anything that has a little give to it.

For base camp trips, we require a deposit per person. We are working to update our 2022 prices. Please check back soon for this info! This deposit can be check (mailed to our mailing address) or we can send you an invoice. We encourage cash payments for the remainder of the balance.

Most of our reservations are made months in advance. If you cancel your basecamp trip at any time the entire deposit is forfeited.

Our menu is set and shopped for at the beginning of the season. Cooking in the backcountry limits how many different dietary restrictions we can accommodate. However, we welcome you to bring the food you require. Ice chest must be 48 quarts or smaller. If cross contamination is an issue please bring your own preparation and cooking items. You will be responsible for your own food preparation. We are happy to pack these additional items at no charge. Please let us know at the time of your reservation. It is very important that you bring your medication and let someone know where it is in case of an allergic reaction. Please be aware that medical attention can take over a day. There is no quick way to get you out of the backcountry.

Yes, same as with your guides/packers, if you happy with your trip it is always nice to show appreciation with a tip. If you are dissatisfied for any reason please let a manager know so we can address the issue immediately.

Arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled trail ride time. This will allow time to use the restroom, complete the waiver (also available online ahead of time) and receive an instructional demonstration. If you arrive late you may miss your ride or be required to take a shorter ride than planned. We run rides all day and use the same guide and stock. It's important that we stay on schedule.

We do require a deposit per person for day trail rides. We are working to update our 2022 prices. Please check back soon for this info! This deposit can be check (mailed to our mailing address) or we can send you an invoice. We encourage cash payments for the remainder of the balance.

A 48 hour cancellation is required to use your deposit on a future trip. If you “late cancel” or “miss your ride”, or “no show” you will not be able to apply it to another ride.

Bring a snack for the 4-Hour Falls Ride. You will be off your horse for 15 – 20 minutes. It is a short walk to the top of the Falls where you can enjoy your break. Bring a lunch for the 3-hour Secret Lake Picnic Ride and the Lane Lake Picnic Ride. You will be off your horse to enjoy your lunch and the breathtaking view for approximately an hour. We encourage you to bring water on all the rides.

Yes, we do everything possible to accommodate walk-ins. Availability depends on stock and staff. There could also be a wait if another ride is out. It is always best to make reservations.