Rockin' River Ranch State Park

08/27/2026

Current most common question we get at the park:

⁉️What are those melons growing all over the park⁉️

🤠Answer: They’re Coyote Gourds (also known as as Coyote Melon or Buffalo Gourd), a native flowing plant in the squash family!

Follow up question is usually “Are they edible⁉️”

🤠Answer: Not for us! They have too high of levels of cucurbitacins for human consumption, but they’re an excellent food source for coyotes, deer, javelina, squirrels, 🐿️ and many other animals in the park 🌳

08/24/2026

We interrupted someone’s lunch….

08/23/2026

Update- Wrangler has been reunited with his owners 🥰

We have a lost visitor, if somebody is missing a very sweet young male corgi, he has ventured his way into the park. We will be kept safe until we can get him checked for a microchip.

08/16/2026

08/14/2026

🦎 Happy World Lizard Day 🦎

Did you know we have over 50 different species of lizards in Arizona? This Plateau Fence Lizard is ready to drop the story on all of them.

08/12/2026

We’ll just ignore that this visitor is going off trail… 🕷️🌵

Did you know Arizona is home to several species of tarantulas? These gentle giants spend much of their lives in burrows and are most often seen wandering around during the warmer months—especially when males are out searching for a mate.

A pretty cool trail-side encounter 💚

08/12/2026

Become an Otter Spotter 🦦👀

08/09/2026

Today’s visitor? A coyote passing through the field. The wildlife here always seem to love it after a good rain 🐺🌾

08/04/2026

🦦💦 A very special trail cam surprise! This family of river otters was recently spotted along the Verde River here at the park.

Not long ago, seeing otters in Arizona was incredibly rare. Due to habitat loss and unregulated trapping, river otters were nearly wiped out from the state by the early 1900s. Thanks to reintroduction efforts and the protection of healthy waterways like the Verde River, these playful mammals have made an inspiring comeback.

Today, every otter sighting is a reminder of how important conservation is and how resilient nature can be. Seeing an otter family thriving along the Verde River is something truly worth celebrating! 🦦🌿🌊