Top 13 Michigan Sleigh Rides-Where to Experience Horse Drawn Carriage Adventures in MI | Elk Viewing Sleigh Rides in Northern Michigan | Top Winter Things To Do! Gaylord, Traverse City...


Top 13 Best Michigan Sleigh Rides-Where to Experience Horse Drawn Carriage Adventures in MI | Elk Viewing Sleigh Rides in Northern Michigan | Top Winter Things To Do! | By Sherry Trautman | Traveling Michigan

Did you know you can go on winter sleigh rides in Michigan in both the upper and lower peninsula? So if you are wondering, "Where can I go on horse drawn sleigh rides in Michigan near me," keep reading! 

  • There are several sleigh rides in northern Michigan, too!

We have an interactive map to help plan your winter activities and things to do, check it out!

  • Marquette, Gaylord, Traverse City, Frankenmuth, Hillman, Southeast Michigan are popular destinations for winter sleigh rides in Michigan.
  • Plus: See where you can embark on a Michigan elk viewing carriage ride with gourmet dinner! It's a top Michigan attraction!


Interactive Map of Winter Sleigh Rides in Michigan


We created this Sleigh Rides in Michigan Interactive Map to help aid in planning your trip. It's so hard to know where locations are without a map!

Helpful Map Tips:

  • Click on the plus and minus in the left corner to zoom in or out of the map.
  • Click on the icons for more info, addresses and photos of the stops.
  • Click on the map to drag and move it to view surrounding areas.
  • In the Header, click on the rectangle in the upper left of the map to see a menu of all of our stops. Click on anything that looks interesting to see where it is on the map. To hide the menu, click the rectangle in the header. 
  • In the Header, click on the "square" icon in the upper right side to expand the map for better viewing. 

Where to Experience Michigan Sleigh RidesWhere to Experience Michigan Sleigh Rides

Where To Go For Michigan Sleigh Rides

Nothing says winter like Michigan horse drawn sleigh rides! There are several sleigh rides in northern Michigan, too.

Crystal Mountain12500 Crystal Mountain Dr. Thompsonville, Michigan. Affordable Michigan Sleigh Rides! Be whisked away through a lovely winter wonderland by a team of gentle Belgian horses. Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and a warm campfire after your winter Michigan Sleigh ride. Advance reservations required. Purchase your ride at the Park at Water's Edge. Surrey Rides will depart and end at the Crystal Center.  If you are looking for romantic sleigh rides in Michigan, this is it!

Fantail Farm Wagon & Sleigh Rides - 4700 Wallaker Rd, Benzonia, MI, Sold as group rides, not by the seat.  Your group will be in a sleigh/wagon to yourself. These Michigan sleigh rides are 45-55 minutes in length, through the woods and fields of their 120 acre farm. You might see lots of winter critters along your journey so keep a look out! 

Sleighman - Horseback & Sleigh Rides -  2115 Olmsted Ln, Ishpeming, MI,  For incredible sleigh rides in Northern Michigan, hop aboard a one hour private horse drawn sleigh ride with two Norwegian Fjord Horses for up to six people for a set rate.  What a fun thing to do in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in Winter! Perfect romantic sleigh rides in Michigan...hint, hint, great Valentine's Day gift! 

Antler Ridge Farms-  6259 M-72, Williamsburg, MI, It's so fun to go on a sleigh ride in fresh falling snow!  Come out and enjoy an old fashioned sleigh ride through the woods for a great bonfire, hot chocolate and gooey marshmallows to roast. You will be pulled by two grand Percheron Draft Horses. If you are looking for romantic sleigh rides in Michigan, check out Antler Ridge Farms!

Fantasy Carriage Company and Frankenmuth Carriage Company - Frankenmuth, MI, Not a sleigh ride, but these lovely horse drawn carriages are a fun experience in the falling snow in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Frankenmuth is one of our favorite places to visit for things to do in Michigan in winter.

Black Horse Farm - 11177 S Plowman Rd, Empire, Michigan. Enjoy a sleigh ride through the wooded hilly terrain of the Black Horse Farm. Each Michigan sleigh ride is about an hour with a stop mid-way at a warming house for hot chocolate. The sleighs can carry up to 12 people so bring all of your loved ones. There are several scenic lookouts over Glen Lake and Lake Michigan. Awesome place for a Michigan horse drawn sleigh ride!  

Wild West Ranch - 1861 52nd St, Fennville, MI, Come out for a sleigh ride for a mini winter getaway in Michigan!  Bundle up and have some fun on horse drawn sleigh rides through the woods! Rides are 40 minutes long and are quite scenic. If you love horse drawn sleigh rides in Michigan, check out Wild West Ranch!

Common Gentry Carriage Co - 3665 15 Mile Rd NW, Kent City, Michigan. Create unforgettable memories on Common Gentry Carriage Co's  classic winter sleigh rides! It's a treasure to hear the sound of German sleigh bells ringing across the countryside, while you sit cuddled up with your loved one on their 1800's horse drawn sleigh. 

Pond House Ponies - 2115 Olmsted Ln, Ishpeming, MI 49849 Horseback, Carriage, Sleigh Rides.

Cook Family Farm - 4282 Hayes Tower Rd, Gaylord, MI 49735 Enjoy a gorgeous horse drawn sleigh ride through God’s country! Sleigh rides are approximately 40 minute with hot chocolate and cookies afterward.  Add these sleigh rides to your list of romantic things to do in Michigan in the winter! So be sure to book your sleigh rides in Gaylord Mi!

Ranch Rudolf Inc - 6841 Brown Bridge Road, Traverse City, MI, Ranch Rudolf offers horse-drawn sleigh rides from December to late February! Super popular sleigh rides Traverse City! 

Their beautiful Belgian horses, Prince and Monte, will take you for a scenic ride through the Boardman River Valley. The ride itself takes approximately 45 minutes. Be sure to book these wonderful Traverse City sleigh rides!

Triple D Ranch - 1086 N. Everett Road Come out and enjoy a lantern lit Carriage ride through their 40 acre wooded trail on the Ranch.  Cookies, hot chocolate, bon fire and smores for the kids.  Make your reservations early for the holiday season.

Fruit Ridge Hayrides - 11966 Fruit Ridge NW, Kent City, MI, Can you hear those sleigh bells jingling? Enjoy the winter wonderland on a snowy sleigh ride and later, get warmed up around a toasty campfire.

Rides are approximately one hour in duration and may be combined with a one hour campfire, either before or after the ride. One of our favorite things to do in Michigan in winter!

And check this out for elk viewing sleigh rides in Michigan: 

Thunder Bay Resort27800 M 32 Hillman, Michigan. If you want one heck of a cool experience, you gotta go on a Michigan elk viewing carriage ride with gourmet dinner! It's an incredible Michigan attraction and destination!

See elk from a horse drawn carriage or sleigh lead by massive draft horses!  You will be literally be whisked "over the river and through the woods" to the resorts elk preserve to see majestic Rocky Mountain elk.  If you are looking for sleigh rides in Northern Michigan, you will love it Thunder Bay Resort. 

Book an elk viewing ride on select dates November through March. Also check out their Elk Viewing Ride, Gourmet Dinner & Wine Tasting Events.

  • This incredible Michigan winter activity was named one of the “Best of The Best” Adventure Attractions in North America by Destinations Magazine. Also, it was awarded one of the “10 Best Sleigh Rides in America” by USA Today and in the “Top 10 Sleigh Rides” by FOX News.  How cool is that?!


Keep Reading For Fun Things to Do in Michigan in Winter!

Don't be bored this winter!  We have TONS of fun things to do in Michigan in winter...both inside and outside!  

Try Michigan dog sledding this winter!  What a fun winter activity for families and friends!  Oh, and it's a very romantic getaway for couples.



So guys, January in Michigan is packed with fun festivals (who doesn't want to watch people jump into ice cold water during Polar Bear Plunges?!), sleigh rides and events you don't want to miss!

Oh, and February...check out our list of Best Things to do in Michigan in February!  Snowmobile races, Winter Carnival in the UP, snow parties, WINE...

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