How are permits handled?

Rainbow Pack Outfitters reserves USFS Wilderness Permits for you up to six months in advance and will have them ready for pickup at the pack station on your trip morning.

What is the weight limit?

The weight limit is 225 lbs. / 102.58 kg and is non-negotiable for rider safety and horse welfare; options may be discussed if near the limit.

Do I need my own camping gear?

Yes — you provide tents, sleeping systems, food, utensils, and personal items; the pack stock carries these items to your site.

What are the age restrictions?

Children under 7 are limited to a walk-and-lead in the yard at the guide’s discretion; riders under 10 have time and terrain limits at the guide’s discretion.

What is the deposit and cancellation policy?

A non-refundable 30% deposit is required at booking; full payment is due on the first day of the trip and no-shows are charged in full.

How large are groups?

Group sizes run from solo pack service to parties of up to 10 riders; pricing is based on days packer and stock are in use.

Spot Trips: Horse Pack Service & Wilderness Permits from Bishop, CA

East of the Sierra crest, in the Owens Valley town of Bishop, California, Spot Trips with Rainbow Pack Outfitters turns the logistics of backcountry travel into part of the adventure. Book a one-way or round-trip ride and let saddle stock carry your packs while you ride to high meadows, alpine lakes, and granite cirques of the eastern Sierra. Guides handle Wilderness Permit reservations under USFS rules and will have them ready at the pack station on the morning of your departure, so you ride straight into remote country.

Riding from the Bishop area places you between the high granite of the Sierra Nevada—glacially carved peaks, moraines, and shimmering alpine lakes—and the sagebrush-and-juniper floor of Owens Valley. Key landscape features reachable by pack stock include creekside meadows, subalpine aspen groves, and granite ridgelines. Wildlife sightings often include mule deer browsing in the evenings and golden eagles riding thermals over the valley. The pack trip itself emphasizes practical, old-style trail travel: sturdy pack stock, saddles and pommel bags, and the slow rhythm of a horse-borne approach to camp.

What makes Spot Trips special here is the combination of local expertise and logistical simplicity. Rainbow Pack Outfitters charges only for days the packer and stock are in use and reserves permits up to six months ahead; you supply personal camping gear and food, while they arrange transport and permit pickup. That system opens up classic eastern Sierra corridors with far less planning and heavy lifting, particularly for parties that want to reach lakes or meadows inaccessible to vehicles.

Practical policies reinforce safety and horse welfare: a non-negotiable 225 lb weight limit, rules about baggage carried in saddlebags or secured behind the saddle, and age-based limits for young riders. Groups run from solo pack service to parties of up to ten, so Spot Trips works for solo backpackers who want a one-way ride as much as for families seeking a guided approach to a basecamp.

If you go, bring sturdy soft-sided duffels for the pack stock, quick-dry layers for big temperature swings, and lightweight camp gear to keep loads manageable. Ask the outfitter about suggested pick-up times and permit details when you book; permits are first-come, first-served under USFS policy. For travelers based in Bishop, a morning meet at the pack station can put you into quiet high country by noon. Spot Trips pairs honest packhorse work with eastern Sierra scenery: it’s not glamour, but it’s how most of this country was explored—and still best seen. Rainbow Pack Outfitters requires a non-refundable 30% deposit at booking with final payment due on the first day, and their guides will brief riders on saddle care, trail etiquette, and low-impact camping before departure for safety and stewardship.

Spot Trips: Horse Pack Service & Wilderness Permits from Bishop, CA

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