Dead Horse Ranch State Park

06/01/2026

Here’s our first Hard Work Highlight! Pictured here is our newest Park Ranger Aaron and our Volunteer Chris working hard on installing a brand new grill at one of our Quail loop sites. Thanks to them, the grilling goes on!

05/30/2026

In recognition of National Fishing and Boating Week, we’re hosting Verde Valley Fishing Fun Day! On June 6th, 2026, entry will be free at Dead Horse Ranch State Park from 8:00am to 12:00pm for the event. You must check in at the front office. No fishing license will be required. Fishing poles and bait will be available and catfish will be stocked for the event. Verde Valley Fishing Fun Day is hosted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona State Parks, and Prescott National Forest.

05/29/2026

Tomorrow May 30th, 2026 at 9:00am there is a bike ride with Mayor Ann Shaw of Cottonwood! We have collaborated with the BAC Bicycle Advisory Committee to bring you this fun opportunity which is starting at the Riverfront Park Youth Softball Fields and will span all the way to the beautiful lagoons at Dead Horse Ranch State Park! Helmets are required and all ages are welcome. The other photos featured are from the Ride of Silence which took place on May 20th, 2026. The Ride of Silence is an annual multi location, international bicycle ride which helps raise awareness about the dangers that cyclists face on the road as well as to commemorate those who have been killed or injured while riding on public roads.

05/23/2026

Freshly stocked lagoon alert! We had all three of our lagoons stocked with catfish this week and they’re ready to be caught!

05/21/2026

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is currently in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions.
Campfires are allowed in our park within the campfire rings.

Arizona Forestry is implementing additional fire restrictions on State Trust lands due to an uptick in fire activity and hot and dry conditions.

Starting Thursday, May 21, at 8am:

🔥Stage 1 restrictions for State Trust lands within Coconino, Mohave and Yavapai Counties. Under Stage 1 restrictions, campfires are allowed within a developed or designated campsite. However, no charcoal usage is permitted, only LPG.

***AND***

🔥Stage 2 restrictions for State Trust lands within La Paz & Yuma Counties. Under Stage 2, no campfires are allowed.

🚫Target shooting & fireworks are never allowed on State Trust lands.

✅Stage 1 restrictions are already in place for State Trust lands within: Apache, Gila, Maricopa, Navajo, and Pinal Counties.

More information on the latest round of restrictions: https://bit.ly/4uGTSPz

For state, federal, & tribal restriction info: WildlandFire.az.gov.

05/18/2026

Volunteer Mike is cutting cattails to get the lagoons ready for AZ Free Fishing Day!

"What is this AZ Free Fishing Day?", you may be asking. 🤔
It's the first Saturday in June from 8 A.M. - 12 P.M. where fishing and admission is free in our park! AZ Game & Fish will be here to loan out fishing polls with bait to help everyone catch their personal best!

05/13/2026

Make Way for Ducklings! 🦆

Everyone loves ducklings. We know they are adorable with their fluffy down feathers but did you know that baby ducks are never fed by their mothers? Unlike other bird species, they find their own food from birth, eating things like insects and small fish. The mother mallard duck does nest on the ground but the ducklings move pretty quickly into the water and are able to navigate both walking and swimming almost immediately. Ducklings imprint on their mothers (or even a human in captivity) and will follow both everywhere. Mother ducks due their best to protect their young from predators but sadly a dozen eggs laid rarely means a dozen ducklings growing to full maturity. This is why ducklings stick together so closely - and guess what? Those sibling bonds begin before they even hatch! They have been heard chirping to each other before the shells are broken! Ducks are incredibly social animals, even after they are full grown.

As cute as the parks’s ducklings are we would like to remind everyone not to feed them. Wild animals have specific dietary needs and bread doesn’t make the list. The three lagoons provide ample food for them so there is no need to worry. The best way to help our ducklings is to remember to clean up all finishing lines, lures and hooks. These items pose a great threat to all our animals. So, please pack out what you bring in and if you see any of these items not properly discarded, grab them and make a quick trip to a garbage can. The ducklings, coots, herons and many other species say thank you in advance for your help to keep the park clean and safe for all its inhabitants. 💚

Thank you Volunteer Tasha for this great information and photo! We sure do love our park's ducklings!

05/06/2026

Visitor Tim Lee took these incredible photos of some of the spectacular wildlife within our park! 🐦📷💙

Our park is connected to the Tuzigoot Important Birding Area (IBA), making Dead Horse Ranch a great place to see some incredible species.

How many of these birds have you seen, and can you name them?

05/04/2026

Soaptree yucca gets its name from it's tree like appearance, and it's roots and trunk that can be used for a soap substitute. They can bloom multiple times in their life, with their beautiful white flowers being pollinated by the yucca moth. In exchange, the moth has a place to lay it's eggs, and will eat the fruit produced by the soaptree. If too many seeds are eaten by the moth larvae, the yucca will absorb the fruit ultimately ending the lifecycle for the moth larvae.

05/01/2026

A HUGE shoutout to APS Northern Region for helping us remove trash and invasive tree-of-heaven along the Jail Trail!!

Park staff and APS volunteers spent approximately 4 hours picking up litter and removing the incredibly invasive tree-of-heaven. This invasive species is detrimental to native species with its fast rate of growing, and allelopathic qualities.

With all hands on deck, we can really make a difference!