OnAMission where are you at? I am north of Hwy 200 but south of Hwy 2 out on the edge of the three national forests (Lolo, Kootenai, and Flathead). Those three national forests are around 7 million acres so about 10,000 square miles give or take. My neighbors moved here from MD, specifically so they could trail ride and hunt and fish by just walking out from their place. I would say it is a great place for trail riding except that there are at least 5 months a year where you can’t up here due to snow and ice making things impossible. You can still go ride in an arena if you want but trails wise and camping etc. on horseback up in the mountains around my house is not doable. You do have to deal with bears(grizzly and black), wolves, and mtn lions but so long as you live in down in one of the valleys, hay is fairly cheap if you pick it up yourself out of the field and land and houses aren’t too badly priced. They aren’t cheap by any means but it isn’t like CA prices for housing either.
I’m not from Arkansas, but I just had a conversation with some people about how stunningly beautiful the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas are. I’ve done a few CTRs out there and it’s just amazing. I don’t feel like anyone gives enough credit to that area. Lots of snowy areas being suggested, but for year-round riding, without the price of CA, you may want to look at AR or, as someone mentioned above, Tennessee. My distance running has taken me to a lot of places and, while I have yet to run in Tennessee, I always hear amazing things about the races there.
Arkansas is a good suggestion if you can live somewhere close to the Ozark national forest like up by Clarksville. My grandmother retired to that area and it definitely had year round trail opportunities. Plus land is relatively cheap up there. You can find places on 40 acres for around 200K in that area.
You’re not kidding about more affordable and pretty.
So, what else should someone know about Arkansas? Who would not like Arkansas? What would someone used to living in a major coastal city (but wanting to get away from most of it, if not get away from it all) feel like they were missing, if they moved to the Ozarks? Where would you find dressage trainers, a good choice of good vets, a good choice of knowledgeable farriers?
One problem I’ve read about on this forum is that some posters avoid riding on trails or are really careful about riding outside their arenas during hunting season. I don’t know which states or areas these are, but my advice would be to research that issue or try to locate near a large federal, state, or county park which does not allow hunting – and is not known for rampant poaching which could endanger you.
Article;
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-portrait-of-life-secluded-in-the-ozark-mountains
Yeah… if that’s the essence of living in the Ozarks, I’m afraid we’re not going to be a match.
Edited to add: (I am being tongue in cheek, here, people. I do not think the article is the essence of the Ozarks. I think the article was a mildly esoteric Art Piece, as I assume it was intended to be by its author.)
It might be better to ask people who actually live what it is like, rather than a writer from the New Yorker.
I am from Aiken SC, and sometimes when people on this board talk about their 2 week training vacation here, I don’t even think they were in the same town I live in!
Please do not judge an area off one article. Take a week’s vacation, go visit, spend time in the area. Go to feed stores, look at real estate, stop at the local vet’s office. If we made judgements off one magazine article, none of us would ever move!
I have spent quite a bit of time when I was younger in the Ozarks as my Grandma’s place backed up to the national forest. The biggest thing I didn’t like was the amount of bugs but other than that if I didn’t live in Montana, Idaho or Wyoming I would probably live in Arkansas. I always figured if I needed to move to where it was warm more or less year round I would try to get a large piece of land in Arkansas that bordered one of the national forests and build there. The whitetail hunting and warm water fish species fishing was much better than Montana. Here I can walk out my front door and go elk hunting though and I can get at least two deer a year which for me makes up for not being able to ride for five months out of the year. As I get older that may not remain the case and if that happens Arkansas would definitely be on the top of my list of places to move to.
Andy I owe you a message! We are in the same neck of the woods… as noted in the other post!
Are you guys coming down for the Plains BCH Poker Ride? 10 mile ride and it goes 5/16 and costs $25 which includes the BBQ meal at the end of the ride. You can direct message me if you need more info. I should be there riding it and or helping.
Southern Illinois is great we love Shawnee national forest so many different points to ride from and places to camp.
It’s one thing to live somewhere during the summer, quite another to be there in the winter - so make certain to talk to year-round residents about what to expect.
So…got a top 3 yet?
Fwiw, I’ve spent the last five weeks in south central Mississippi. Aside from the near constant rain, which I’m assured is unusual, the terrain, access to trails and col is quite doable for me. I’ve been to the Big Soso Creek Forest, and the neighbors allow riding on their large tracts, which is pretty nice. But, no tack shops, no dressage or english riding of any kind so far, and the number of stray/feral/abandoned cats and dogs is upsetting.
If you are interested in the East Coast and rural areas, check out Tryon, NC and the FETA and CETA trail systems. We live on FETA (Foothills Equestrian Trails Assoc.) and have miles and miles of trails our our front door. Wonderful community. Very close to the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
Ditto! We own property on the CETA trail system which extends for miles, as well as FETA. Terrific horse community, first class vet facility (Tryon Equine Hospital) and beautiful country.
This.
I live in Arkansas and pretty much give up my horse and carriage adventures from June to September. It gets uncomfortably hot and the ticks and chiggers can eat you alive.
My farm is on that road mentioned north of Clarksville and adjacent to the Buffalo National River (NPS). It used to be very nice here but the tourism industry has over-promoted the area and now we suffer from hordes of tourists and little cabins are everywhere. It used to be just on springtime float trip weekends but now it is far more widespread. Nothing like a thousand dentists playing at being bikers roaring through the valley on their Harleys to spoil one’s tranquility. And roads are clogged by elk-watchers.
That said, This is some of the most sublimely beautiful land. Look into http://arkansasbch.org/about-us-buffalo-river-chapter-back-country-horsemen/ I can, if I apply for a $5 landowner permit, hunt elk from my front porch. Deer, turkey etc. are abundant. Water is plentiful.
There is a marked difference between the people who have just showed up here in the last 20 years and the ones who were born here. Don’t expect to be accepted.
Not trying to hijack this thread, but any ideas of the towns/cities close to trailheads near Iron Mountain?
