Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Despite its distinctive name, Dead Horse Ranch is situated amidst an abundance of life along the Verde River.

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.

How Dead Horse Ranch Got Its Name

Dead Horse Ranch design 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.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area are located next to each other in Cottonwood, Arizona. The Natural Area conserves the land in its natural state, so you won’t find restrooms or modern camping facilities in the Natural Area.

Use Dead Horse Ranch State Park as your base camp to enjoy the hiking, canoeing, and natural surroundings of the Verde River Greenway. Please practice “Leave No Trace” ethics.

A fisherman displays an albino catfish caught in one of the Dead Horse lagoons.

Lagoons Stocked, February 2010

On February 18th, 2010 Arizona Game & Fish stocked the big lagoons at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Game & Fish has been stocking the lagoons every other week since early November 2009. On this particularly sunny morning, they put 1,690 rainbow trout into each of the larger ponds, and 1,400 fish into the nearby Verde River.

For information on fishing throughout the state, visit Arizona Game & Fish.

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Dead Horse Ranch State Park

How Dead Horse Ranch Got Its Name

Lagoons Stocked, February 2010