The non-profit group has been organizing trail rides into the backcountry of Banff National Park since 1923. Ride organizers say the appeal for tourists is big. A lot of it is the place they are in. Riders meet at a central location in Banff and travel to the trailhead by bus or van. This authentic teepee camp is where riders stay for the duration of the camp, going out onto the trails for five or six hours a day.
Riders stay in authentic Indian-style, painted teepees.
Shel Bercovich, a past president of the association, and his wife have been riding with the group every year since 1978. Bercovich says the horses allow you to reach otherwise inaccessible sections of the park that even hikers can't get to. The rides change every year and some impressive sights promised this year include the Indian Paint Pots and Mount Isabel. Egeland says the ages of riders ranges from eight to 80. She says some people have come back for more than 20 years in a row and that it's not unusual for them to have elderly riders in the group.