Mule Rides in the Grand Canyon and Beyond
Take a ride on the original hybrid vehicle—the mule—on these six trails around the West.
Short of head and long of ear. A tail nearly bereft of hair. Small wonder the mule gets so little respect. But if there's a trail ride in your travel plans, you can't beat the humble horse-donkey hybrid. Mules offer a smooth and sure-footed ride, especially on rough terrain. And they have just one speed: slow.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The overnight Bright Angel Trail ride to the Colorado River is renowned and fills up fast. A South Rim option: Abyss Overlook. North Rim rides are also offered.
Mammoth Lakes, California
A wonderful reward awaits after a two-mile ride that follows the San Joaquin River near Devils Postpile: misty Rainbow Falls. Longer trips take in the jagged Minarets famously photographed by Ansel Adams.
Molokai, Hawaii
Traverse 26 switchbacks in a 2.9-mile descent from high sea cliffs to remote Kalaupapa, where you'll learn about legendary efforts on behalf of leprosy sufferers and hear the story of Father Damien de Veuster, the Belgian priest who devoted his life to their care.
Yellowstone National Park, Montana
Lured by tales of boiling springs and geysers, visitors flocked here as early as the mid-1800s for tours on muleback. Today's rides take in the same vistas on trips ranging from a half day to 10 days.
Yosemite National Park, California
Riders mosey at a clip-clop pace on this easy two-hour trek that follows an old wagon road around Wawona Meadow. More adventuresome sorts find photo ops galore on a six-hour outing to Mariposa Grove.
Zion National Park, Utah
On a tight schedule? Splash across the Virgin River to sandstone cliffs known as the Court of the Patriarchs and be back at the corral in an hour. A half-day trip climbs 500 feet for amazing views.
This article was first published in November 2013 and updated in February 2019.