Mountain Rides strives to be as cost effective for the client as possible. Each tour is individually tuned to the client’s wishes so no two tours are exactly the same. This variability, along with the fluctuations in fuel and over night accommodation fees makes it impossible to have set prices. The client is paying for fuel, the use of a highly modified off road vehicle, and a guide with extensive experience in off roading, camping, wilderness survival skills, and cross-country travel. There are no fees to cover the use of camping equipment, even if the client elects for a cross country trip with a pull-behind camper. *

The following examples of tour prices are just that, examples. Your individualized tour price may vary. When considering the examples to follow, please keep in mind that the client is responsible for all food, beverages, accommodations fees (i.e. motels, cabins, campground), nationa or state park feels and side trip fees (i.e. horse trail rides, fly fishing, snowmobile rental etc.).

If overnight accommodations are chosen that prevent the guide from being able to use the camping equipment, sleeping accommodations must be provided for the guide (i.e. the guide can not set up a tent in the Holiday Inn parking lot). Please click on locations to get examples of where tours go and what might be experienced.

Pricing Examples
Half Day Off Pavement
4-5 hours (7:00 am to 12:00 or 1:00 pm to 6 pm.)
(6:00 am to 10 pm summers)
$120.00 1-2 people
$130.00 3-4 people

Mild or Wild Rides
Full Day on Pavement – 8 hours
$200.00 1-2 people
$10.00 for each additional passenger. 4 person limit.
Example: Leaf tours, scenic high way.

Full Day off Pavement
$220.00 1-2 people
$10.00 for each additional passenger. 4 person limit.
Example: Relaxing forest rides to intense off roading. You can mix it up.

Multi-day trips
Same rate as full day off road for up to a 4 day trip, over 4 days to be classified as a cross-country package. *Note that overnight accommodations are the client’s expense. A cash, certified check, money order or credit card check deposit is required for multi-day trips. The deposit is 40% of the trip and non refundable.

Cross Country Road Trips
True cross country trips are a whole different ball game. 5-25 day trips offer so many variables that any set package price would not be cost effective for the client, so no price will be listed. However, some clients prefer to pay a package price before the trip begins. In this case, a careful estimate based upon the proposed itinerary and all possible expenses will be given. The estimate is itemized to include fuel cost based on distance traveled, overnight accommodations and an hourly rate for the guide. Again, the client is responsible for food, beverage, side trips and toll roads etc…

Some clients prefer to control all money expenditures as the need arises and pay the guides rate at the end of each day. This system allows the client to know exactly where the money is going. The guide’s hourly rate will apply for each day of the trip from the first day on (example: the client hires a secondary guide for an overnight horse back camping trip. The Mountain Rides guide stays at a base camp while the client is gone for 48 hours. The Mountain Rides guide still makes an hourly rate in the client’s absence). A “day” on the cross-country trip is 8 hours. If the guid drives 10 hours and spends 1 hour setting up camp, that is an 11 hour day. In the above example of the client being on a side trip the term “day” refers to an 8 hour day. As this system can become complicated, some clients do opt for a “package price”. In the long run, the cost to you the client is about the same – the method of payment being the only difference. Cross-country trips work best if a face to face meeting is scheduled before the actual trip. At this meeting the trip can be planned thoroughly, expenses discussed and friends made. The only cost for this meeting is for the Mountain Rides Guide’s mileage to be covered at .50 cents per mile round trip. As clients can live any where in the continental U.S. these meetings would have to be scheduled around the guides regular trips. If the interested individual requests a pre-trip meeting and lives north of the Mason Dixon or West of the Mississippi, a travel fee will need to be negotiated.

Off-Road Lessons
Same price as the half day or full day off pavement tour.

Have 4x4…Will Travel
Design your own. Treated as a multi-day package if 4 or less days and Cross Country Road Trip if more than 4 days. For those that want any type of road trip – wilderness or not – helping individuals that want to travel without driving. Enjoy the security of doing so with a veteran traveler.

Policy
While Mountain Rides offers many travel services, there are some things that are not offered. At no time will a Mountain Ride Guide break any Federal, State or Local law or regulation. No cooking or maid services are to be expected (we have been known to grill some burgers, but we do not add your condiments and carry it to you). Guides never buy or serve alcoholic beverages to anyone regardless of age. Those choosing to partake on their own should do so in a reasonable, adult like manner. Any infraction of the laws or regulations and any display of poor behavior while intoxicated on any substance can result in immediate withdrawal of all services with no refund. At no time for any price will a guide risk damage to equipment or injury to clients or guide. We practice “Tread Lightly” techniques or in Mountain Rides terminology “Extreme without Stupid”. Please see our printable disclaimer page.