Would you pay a fee to trail ride on private property?

Is that $40 per person or for a group up to 5?

I agree with the others that going for a day, the house wouldn't be needed. If we wanted to go camping for a night at a campground near trails, we would only have to pay $20 for the campsite and $5 per horse. We can also go camping nearby at the trailhead for free but there aren't any restrooms there.

Maybe start off only charging a vehicle fee of $10 or $20 and a $5 fee per horse.
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I pay $5 / day to trailer my horse to private property to trail ride. The property has campground facilities (ample parking with water, electric at each spot), restrooms with showers, and plenty of fenced areas for horses to graze. There are even stalls that can be rented at an additional rate of $10 per night. There is also a swimming hole thanks to a large creek that runs through the property. There is also a mess hall for group parties and the owner provides weekend events like bands and Bonfires at night.

So far I have only done day trips, there may be an additional fee for overnight camping.

The place I park has trails on the private property which butt up to other property where access to the trails is allowed. In fact, there are agreements with the competition to share trails between the two facilities. The trails are maintained to an extent and marked. I can ride for over 4 hrs and never cross the same trail twice.

I am in SW MO, which is horse country. The price may be cheap due to the fact that most people out here with horses keep them on their own acreage and ride at home. If it was much more $$ nobody would go. We are poor and cheap down here. Lol

$40 seems high for the day to me. But I don't kno, For your area That may be reasonable.

Although we have plenty of land around to ride on, I am sure that many folks around here would pay for what you listed. Many of the stables around here allow day trail riding on their land and the going rate is $10/horse. They're also pretty easy going, however...every time I've just ridden up to their barns (no trailer) while wandering around, they've just waived the fee (I imagine they just concentrate on trailers/groups).

I also wouldn't mind paying a fee but think yours is too high. MN has riders fees put in place for their state parks. Last time I bought one it was $21 for an annual fee.

Think about lowering your rates and getting in more people :)

I don't think the fee is at all high for 5 riders. It "could" be broken down as such:
3.00 per person for the use of the house
4.00 per horse for the trails
1.00 per horse for the parking and tacking area

If I paid this I'd expect:
Clearly marked trails
Timed trails (red trail 2.5 hours- blue trail 1.75 hours- green 4 hours-etc )
Optional jump logs/items
Maybe a small obstacle course or trail
Water crossings
Nice wide trails
Cleaned and cleared trails
Cantering or galloping space
Well maintained roads in and out
Well stocked first aid station for equine and human
Possible overnight trips considering the house could be put to good use (twin beds, kings. Sofa beds, kitchen etc.)
You could offset the costs of running it by hiring a live in with trail and pasture priledges

Sorry :) I have been thinking of something like this for a while now LOL

I think that 300 acres is a little small, depending on how the trails are set up.

How long would it take someone moving at a moderate pace to cover the whole property/all the trails? 45 minutes to an hour?

I worked at a 600 + acre farm, and you could ride every trail on the place in a little over 2 hours. We usually charged $15 if people wanted to haul in and ride, that's pretty standard. Riding in the State Wildlife Management Areas here is free, but there also is a private estate with 30 miles of groomed horse only trails on 1,600 acres that charges $20. To haul in. I understand it's lovely, but I usually choose the State WMAs because of the cost.

I would not haul away from home and pay to have access to 300 acres, but that's because of what I have available close by. I guess the best thing to do is to look at what's available to riders in your area, and talk to local horsepeople about what's reasonable.

ETA: Amenities that ARE important to me when hauling out to ride: Bathrooms, outhouses or portapotties. Water for the horses, or a place (like a outdoor wash rack) to hose them off after riding. Place to turn the rig around easily. Temporary corrals (not a must, but I like to let the horses roll after riding and hosing off.) Picnic tables.

There's a private 9,000 acre plantation here in my area that is having a 2-day camping/trail ride at the end of April. The cost per person, which includes lunch and dinner on Saturday, is $35.00.

I bought a hunting license this year for $18.00, which gives me access to all the state parks in VA where trail riding is allowed.

Even if you were offering overnight camping, your price is pretty high just for a ride on 300 acres, unless you're providing the horses.

Your price should be per horse, not per group of 5. Say $10 per horse per day, no trailer fees. -
You might make a bit of money if there is a high population of horses in your area with few trails to ride on. But you would have to research insurance costs and liability, which may cost more than any potential profit.-
Sounds like a nice idea that is unfortunately more fanciful than practical.

Oregon has a law stating horses are inherently dangerous critters and just by being around them you are on the hook for your own injuries. Most riding places post the ordinance in several places then have you sign a waiver referencing the oridance to keep on record. If your state doesn't have a similar ordinance then have each and every guest sign a waiver that essentially says the same thing. It will help covery your butt in case of injury.

Previous post does remind me, check with your insurance company prior to doing this. They likely will not cover you under home owners/farm insurance as you are suddenly running a business, might even drop you if they find out about this venture. Last thing you want is to have someone fall off, break their neck and have your insurance company say you are on your own with a multi million dollar lawsuit filed.