Lagoon and Pier: Fishermen fish from a pier at one of the three lagoons at Dead Horse Ranch State Park near Cottonwood, Ariz. The large cottonwood trees surround the picnic area in the distance. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Campground: Our campsite in the campground at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. There are tent sites as well as cabins to rent while staying at the park. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Dead Horse Ranch State Park is just outside of Cottonwood, Ariz. on the Verde River.
One may wonder the origin of the name Dead Horse Ranch. In the late 1940s, the Ireys, a family from outside Arizona was looking to purchase a ranch in the southwest. After looking at several ranches, the dad asked the children which ranch they liked best and without hesitation, the answer was the one with the dead horse. There was a dead horse on the property the day the Ireys first visited the ranch. The Ireys bought the ranch in 1950 and named it the Dead Horse Ranch.
In the 1970s, the Ireys decided it was time to sell and they offered the ranch to the state of Arizona to be converted to a state park. Following negotiations, the state did purchase the property. The Irey family requested that the ranch retain the name Dead Horse Ranch. The 423 acre park was established in 1972.
At 3,300 feet in elevation, the climate is much milder than the valley where Phoenix is located but not as cold as the Flagstaff area, which is about 7,000 feet in elevation.
The Verde River runs through the park and there are three lagoons on the ranch, which are stocked with fish making for good fishing.
In addition to the river and lagoons, there are miles of trails for hiking and biking as well as horseback riding. Canoes and kayaks also are popular in the lagoons.
There is a large campground with full hook-ups for RVs as well as tent sites and camping cabins available at the park. Numerous picnic sites are also found within the park.
Because of the amount of water within the park, birding also is very popular at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.
This park is an oasis in the desert for those wishing to get away. The park is open for visitors to enjoy year round.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn were traveling around the country prior to the pandemic and he has been sharing his photographs, which appear in the ‘Posts from the Road’ series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Lagoon: Tall cottonwood trees reflect in a lagoon at Dead Horse Ranch State Park during a visit in January a couple of years ago. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Verde River: The Verde River runs through Dead Horse Ranch State Park. The river and three lagoons create an excellent area to spot the many variety of birds in the area, especially in the spring. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Old Cottonwood Trees: There are hundreds of cottonwood trees within Dead Horse Ranch State Park both along the Verde River and the three lagoons. Many of the cottonwoods are very old and beautiful trees. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com