Private Tours

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey into the heart of wild horse country, where you'll witness hundreds of rescued mustangs roaming freely across breathtaking landscapes. Our experienced guides will take you where few visitors go, creating an intimate connection with these magnificent creatures and the sacred land they call home.

↓

The ultimate adventure into wild horse country.

Tour Highlights

Rustic visitor center with wooden cabin, metal roof, two horses grazing nearby, and trees in the background on a sunny day.

Photo: Karen Tweedy Holmes

Your journey begins

You'll arrive at the Visitor's Center, a century-old homestead house where you'll be welcomed and directed to your tour vehicle—either an SUV or van. As you climb the hill, you'll encounter your first wild horses—the Paint Herd, named for their stunning variety of colors. Here, Choctaw Indian Ponies, Adobe Appaloosas, Navaho Indian Ponies, American Mustangs, and Spanish Mustangs roam freely with access to the Cheyenne River.

Rocky grassland with red rocks and scattered trees under a partly cloudy sky.

Into the boulder fields

As the tour climbs the hill and goes through the first gate into the Ponderosa Pine rim rocks, you'll see the Boulder Field Herd. Wildflowers, yucca plants, blue bird houses and prickly pear cactus dot the sides of the road. Fort Polk Kisatchie Horses, American Mustangs, Spanish Mustangs, Curly Horses, along with Choctaw Indian Ponies make their home in this area. An Ancient Sundance Hill is located straight ahead, where for hundreds of years Native Americans came to pray around the Summer Solstice and perform a ceremony to bless their tribe.

Aerial view of a vast, grassy landscape with rolling hills and sparse forests under a clear blue sky.

America as it once was

Here you'll be immersed in the landscape and almost forget why you've come. When the tour guide pauses on the rise, you'll unexpectedly feel you are viewing America as it was hundreds of years ago with open vistas and views of sixty-five miles in every direction, into Nebraska, Wyoming and across the vast grasslands of South Dakota.

Group of horses in a grassy field under a clear sky.

Meeting the mustangs

Suddenly you may see the Sundance Mustangs right in front of you. At first there may be just a few and then all at once there are hundreds of them. Blacks, bays, buckskins, paints, and dappled greys—weathered veterans of the prairie. Heads up, nostrils flaring, they are curious and wary as you roll your windows down to take a photo.

Horses grazing and drinking water by a stream in a lush, green valley with trees and a rocky hillside.

Sacred waters & ancient art

For centuries this land had been a sacred spot for Native Americans because the Cheyenne River down below loops so vigorously through the short-grass plains that it flows, at different points, in all four directions. Native Americans traveled from all around to conduct ceremonies here. Hides were scraped by the Petroglyphs close to the river and messages for other travelers were etched on the sandstone cliffs. They are a sight to be gazed upon with awe.

Abandoned wooden house with a tree in front, in a rural landscape

Heritage herds and history

The tour goes through a gate into the home of the duns and grulla Spanish Mustangs and Sulphur Mustangs. The spectacular beauty of this herd takes your breath away. These mustangs were brought into this country from Spain and Portugal 200 years ago by Conquistadors looking for gold. The tour continues past the Coffee Flats School House where all the pioneer children went to school. Up the hill on the left are the ruins of the Ferguson Place, which show the history of the land. Highland Cemetery is on the right as the tour makes its way back to the Visitor's Center.

The Details

  • Yes. While we can't guarantee exactly where our free-roaming horses will be, our experienced guides know their patterns and favorite locations. The vast majority of our tours encounter multiple herds.

  • Tours run Monday through Friday, May through September 2025.

  • $350 per person (plus tax).

  • Our SUV accommodates 2-3 people, while our van can take up to 5 people.

  • Approximately 3-4 hours.

  • Yes! Please contact us here and we’ll get back to you—or call (605) 745-5955 to schedule a tour.

  • Comfortable clothing appropriate for the weather, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, hat, water bottle, and your camera.

  • Tours are weather-dependent. If your tour needs to be canceled due to weather conditions, we'll work with you to reschedule or provide a refund.

  • Morning hours generally offer optimal wild horse sightings.

  • 12165 Highland Rd
    Hot Springs, SD 57747

    The Sanctuary is 13 miles south of Hot Springs, SD off Highway 71. Cross the Cheyenne River Bridge, turn right on Rocky Ford Road, then right on Highland Road. The Visitor's Center for tour check-in is about 3 miles from the paved road.

Experience the mustang magic.

Reach out today to schedule your private tour.