It's Sunday morning, and the group is still a little rough from Saturday night on Lower Broadway. Someone's boots still have honky-tonk floor on them, and nobody has said much since the car left the city. Then the road narrows into Cedars of Lebanon State Park, the trees close in overhead, and a row of saddled horses is waiting at a wooden hitching rail. Ten minutes later you're on a trail with nothing around but hoofbeats and birdsong, and the weekend finally slows down.

That quiet is the whole idea behind The Stables at Cedars of Lebanon. The stables sit inside the state park outside Lebanon, Tennessee, about 40 minutes east of downtown Nashville. They offer everything from 10-minute pony rides for kids to the 1.5-hour private ride, which is the one groups should book. On a private ride, your party has the trail and the guides to itself, and the route is planned around how comfortable your group is in the saddle, not set to a fixed loop.

The horses are the headliners

Read enough reviews and you'll notice that guests remember their horses by name. A horse called Butch comes up again and again. One rider called him the sweetest horse she'd ever met. Another joked that he was sassy but well-behaved, like her. A third guest got a little emotional because Butch was what the family used to call her grandfather. A mare named Sinner gets credit for carrying first-timers smoothly through their first ride, and others like Gary, Hot Rod, and Diesel each have their fans.

Some of the horses also have a story behind them. One guest said he rode a rescued horse named Redemption and was struck by how well cared for and well trained the rescue horses were. That theme comes up throughout the reviews: guests keep noting that the animals here are clearly loved, not just put to work. If your group includes animal lovers, that matters, and it's part of why this ride feels different from a standard tourist trail ride.

Built for nervous first-timers

The stables recommend some prior riding experience, but the reviews show plenty of beginners do just fine. Several first-time riders described arriving nervous and leaving relaxed, and they credited guides who explained how to steer and stop before heading out and stayed close throughout the ride. One rider described a moment when her horse tried to leave the trail. The guide stepped in right away, got the horse back on course, and calmed her down enough to finish the ride, and she ended up loving it.

That's the real advantage of booking private for a group. Most bachelorette parties and birthday groups include one person who rides often and another who hasn't been near a horse since a childhood pony ride. A private ride lets the guides set a pace that works for both, and nobody has to keep up with strangers.

Who it's for

The reviews show a wide range of occasions. Couples have booked it for anniversaries. One group of three friends came to celebrate their 40th birthdays together and called it a must for anyone visiting the area. Visitors from out of state have planned return trips. It also fits well into a Nashville bachelorette weekend, especially as a slow Sunday morning or a day-two reset between the nights out. Right now is a particularly good time: late fall brings changing leaves to the park's hardwoods alongside the evergreen cedars the park is named after.

Before you go

The 1.5-hour private ride starts at $110 per person. Riders must be at least 7 years old and under 240 pounds, so check those limits early if you're planning for a mixed group. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you're comfortable riding in, and the stables provide everything else. You'll need a car to get there, since the stables are a drive from the city center, at 1301 Stables Rd in Lebanon. Booking is done through the stables' own site.

Book on Batch

Nashville will still be loud when you get back, and that's part of the fun. But for an hour and a half in the cedars, the only thing anyone needs to keep track of is which horse they're riding, and by the end of the trail, everyone will have a favorite.

👉 Book the 1.5 Hour Private Ride at The Stables at Cedars of Lebanon on Batch

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