Posted 2009-08-17 8:35 AM (#109472) Subject: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 368 Location: Georgia
Has anyone ever been to/camped/rode at Seven Springs Lodge in Ala? I am interested in going there and would like to know if it is a good place to camp/ride. Thanks for any info. www.sevenspringslodge.net
Posted 2009-08-17 5:36 PM (#109519 - in reply to #109472) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
We went to Seven Springs Lodge in Feb. It's a nice place. The stalls are basically covered areas with panels underneath. They will allow you to contain your horse however you wish though. The trails are pretty but they are not for the faint of heart or the unfit horse. We enjoyed our stay there. If you don't have an LQ they have grain bins that they have turned into rooms and they have a very nice bath house.
Posted 2009-08-21 5:05 PM (#109791 - in reply to #109472) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 368 Location: Georgia
"The trails are pretty but they are not for the faint of heart or the unfit horse."
Exactly what are we talking about here? I have ridden at Big South Fork..are they any worse than that? Are we talking dangerous or just HARD? Can you give me a little more detail?
I ride my horse every weekend and he is pretty fit but I don't want to put either of us in a bad situation. Thanks in advance for more info.
Posted 2009-08-22 8:29 PM (#109833 - in reply to #109791) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
I'll post some pics tomorrow. You can judge for yourself. We've ridden the rougher side of BSF and it was along the lines of that. When we rode at SSL there were leaves covering the trail which were quite rocky. When the trail goes up and down, it goes straight up and down. There's even a rock slide on one trail. The place is nice though and we didn't try the trail that said 'for experienced riders and horses only'. After what we had ridden, we weren't sure what we would find! We did enjoy our stay there though and the scenery was nice. Being from Ga, you may be used to these types of trails.
Posted 2009-08-22 9:59 PM (#109840 - in reply to #109472) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 368 Location: Georgia
I can't wait to see your photos. I have ridden in quite rocky conditions in North Georgia and Tenn but the "straight up and straight down" doesn't sound great. I'll wait and view your photos. Thanks again.
Posted 2009-08-23 6:37 PM (#109880 - in reply to #109472) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
Ok, I hope these come out ok. The really harry scary ones we weren't really thinking about getting the camera out. Just getting up or down. The wide open photos are on the pipeline which runs through the property. It gives an idea of how the land rolls. If I can, I will attatch a couple of videos my hubby took too. There are a lot of caves on their property and one pic is a mortar in the rock that the indians used. There is a pretty waterfall and the owner is making a saloon in a cave right near the camp. It might be done by the time you get there. You guys may think nothing of it but the pictures don't quite do it justice. Going up some of those hills it felt like my horse might go over backward. I do think it's fun, however, as long as it doesn't get too dangerous. I wish I had a pic of the Wolf Slide. Some of what made it harder for us was that we couldn't see the footing which tended to be rocky. It's a good thing the critters have 4 legs. I fell on my butt leading my horse down one of the hills. Quite steep and rocky.
Posted 2009-08-23 8:23 PM (#109886 - in reply to #109472) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 368 Location: Georgia
Thank you SO much for posting the photos. Do you remember if the trails make loops and how long is each loop? And are there some eaiser loops and some harder loops?
Posted 2009-08-23 9:17 PM (#109887 - in reply to #109886) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Member
Posts: 43 Location: Goodlettsville, TN
We live in Tennessee and ride gaited horses and thought the riding at Seven Springs was relatively easy. Did not ride any trails that we perceived as dangerous, some of the trails are a little rocky. The hills we rode were gradual and nothing straight up and down as you would find at Big South Fork or in Gatlinburg. There was a beginner rider in our group on a young horse and they did just fine. Dan is an excellent host and we enjoy riding at SS.
Posted 2009-08-24 7:25 AM (#109893 - in reply to #109886) Subject: RE: Seven Springs Lodge
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
You're welcome. They all make loops and there are numbers on the trails that correspond to areas on the map so you can always tell where you are. We didn't always end up where we thought we would but were never lost. There are easier and harder trails. Actually, many of them are easy. It's just that when they do get started going up or down, it's not usually a nice switchback, just basically up or down. What people find hard or easy is, as I said, relative to what you are used to riding. I have ridden some of BSF and some of that is quite hard as well. My first time there my horse fell with me twice. Probably operator error on one as we had never ridden anything like what we were on before. I'm not a timid rider....let's just say, I don't bounce the way I used to...LOL so, I tend to think about consequences more. The people who run it are very nice and you will have a good time. Enjoy!
Seven Springs Lodge
