Arizona
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DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK

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Dead Horse Ranch State Park Main Entrance © vegasdesertfox
Dead Horse Ranch State Park, AZ
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Cottonwood © Carolyn Meehan
Verde River Greenway Trail
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Cottonwood © Carolyn Meehan
Verde River Greenway Trail
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Cat Tails © Carolyn Meehan
Verde River Greenway Trail
Dead Horse Ranch State Park AZ Sycamore Tree © Carolyn Meehan
Dead Horse Ranch State Park The Marsh © Susan Kordish
Worth the hike..this marsh has lots of birdwatching
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Signpost © vegasdesertfox
Dead Horse Ranch State Park, AZ
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Our Site © Susan Kordish
We practically had this loop in the park to ourselves
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Small Pond © vegasdesertfox
Dead Horse Ranch State Park, AZ
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Cactus Flower © Susan Kordish
Lots of flowers were in bloom
Dead Horse Ranch State Park © Richard Darby
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Running Water © Susan Kordish
The Verde River borders the park
Dead Horse Ranch State Park Heron © Susan Kordish
The heron live around the ponds at the park
DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK
DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK
675 Dead Horse Ranch Road
Cottonwood, Arizona   86326
(lat:34.7537 lon:-112.0216)

Phone: 928-634-5283
Reservations: 928-634-5283
The developed portion of Dead Horse Ranch State Park covers 423 acres. The 3,300 foot elevation accounts for the mild temperatures that are ideal for camping, mountain biking in the Coconino National Forest, hiking along the Verde River, canoeing, picnicking, fishing, or just wading in the cool water.

A six-mile reach of the river is known as the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area. Its unique ecosystem, the Cottonwood and Willow riparian gallery forest, is one of less than 20 such riparian zones in the world. Life along the river changes with the seasons, giving visitors a glimpse of the numerous species of raptors, neotropical migrants, resident songbirds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
Nature of the Area
Mammals common in the park include Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), Coyote (Canis latrans), Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus sp.), Coues or White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus couesi), Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Bobcat (Felis rufus), Mountain Lion (Puma concolor), Javelina (Pecari angulatus), and of course, the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis).

The park is also home to a huge variety of reptiles and amphibians.

The lagoons and the Verde River provide excellent habitat for birds. The park boasts an extensive bird list (almost 200 species) and is also home to the yearly Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival.
History of the Area
Dead Horse Ranch State Park is located adjacent to and across the Verde River from the community of Cottonwood. It is centrally located near several major population centers such as Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Prescott. When using Dead Horse Ranch as a base, one has a variety of attractions to visit, including: Jerome State Historic Park, Fort Verde State Historic Park, Red Rock State Park, Slide Rock State Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Montezuma Castle and Well National Monuments, Oak Creek Canyon, Prescott National Forest, Coconino National Forest, and the popular towns of Sedona and Jerome.

Calvin ¿Cap¿ Ireys purchased Dead Horse Ranch in 1950. ¿Cap¿ told State Parks Director Dennis McCarthy that his children named the ranch. The first time the family looked at the property, they saw a dead horse lying in the field, and after looking at a number of properties ¿Cap¿ asked them which one they liked the best. The answer was the one with the dead horse. After they acquired the property, they named it Dead Horse Ranch.

How Dead Horse Ranch Got Its Name

The story of the park's name begins with the Ireys family, who came to Arizona from Minnesota looking for a ranch to buy in the late 1940s. At one of the ranches they discovered a large dead horse lying by the road. After two days of viewing ranches, Dad Ireys asked the kids which ranch they liked the best. The kids said, ¿the one with the dead horse, Dad!¿ The Ireys family chose the name Dead Horse Ranch and later, in 1973, when Arizona State Parks acquired the park, the Ireys made retaining the name a condition of sale.
Visitors Center
The Dead Horse Ranch Ranger Station offers registration, park information, first aid assistance, and a gift shop. Hours: 8 am ¿ 5 pm every day, except Christmas.
Visitor Comments, Memories and Reviews
March 25 hiya! by wulf the ender
i loved the park it was amazing hope i can get back soon!
May 12 Loved Camping there!!! by Gaurav
I love the whole camping experience in Dead Horse Ranch. It was my first camping ever in US and I enjoyed there alot. Lots of things to do, to roam about. U can watch horses, do sm fishing, lots of trails. But at night it becomes too cold... its was 34F.. I would like to go there again soon!!! Very nicely built and very clean n perfect place to have fun!!!
June 21 by Suzie from MO
We just returned from our trip to Arizona/Utah. We stayed at Dead Horse for six days and it was great. Very central to all the things we wanted to do in Arizona. It was surprisingly cool at night but the camp host always had plenty of fire wood for sale. All of the volunteers and staff were friendly and helpful. The bathrooms were always clean, although it seems like they should have more than three showers. We would recommend this to anyone and hope to go back someday! I forgot to mention all the crazy critters! Lizards, quail, jack rabbits! What fun to watch them up close!
Private Area Campgrounds
Distant Drums RV Park
583 Middle Verde Road
Camp Verde, AZ
Verde Ranch RV Resort
1105 North Dreamcatcher Drive
Camp Verde, AZ
928-567-7126
Reservations
Arrival Date
Number of Nights
Directions
From I-17 take (exit 287) Hwy 260 to Cottonwood. Hwy. 260 intersects with 89A/Main Street. Turn left on Main Street and proceed to North 10th Street. Turn right (north) on North 10th Street. Continue on North 10th across the Verde River Bridge to the park entrance.
Arizona
180

DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK

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