Dead Horse RanchBrochure and Map |
Brochure and Map of Dead Horse Ranch State Park (SP) in Arizona. Published by Arizona State Parks & Trails.
featured in
Arizona Pocket Maps |
Nearby Parks
Hiking Trails
Park Rules
If you’re having a great time here, don’t forget
to visit one of these two nearby state parks!
Jerome State Historic Park (10 miles) This park
reveals the story of the city of Jerome inside
the historic Douglas Mansion. The museum
features photographs, artifacts, and minerals
in addition to a video presentation and a 3-D
model of the town with its underground mines.
(928) 634-5381
Fort Verde State Historic Park (19 miles)
Experience living history and life through the
eyes of a frontier soldier. The fort was a base
for General Crook’s U.S. Army scouts and
soldiers in the 1870s and 1880s. From 1865
– 1891, Camp Lincoln, Camp Verde, and Fort
Verde were home to officers, doctors, families,
enlisted men, and scouts. (928) 567-3275
Trails are located within the park and the
adjacent Coconino National Forest.
Canopy: A 0.25-mile ADA-accessible trail
that loops under a Fremont cottonwood tree
canopy. Bird watching and wildlife viewing
abound.
Creosote: 0.5-mile shortcut trail. Shared-use.
Dead Horse Trail System: A non-motorized
20+ mile shared-use mix of double track and
single track trails. Four trailheads throughout
the park lead up to the high desert of
Coconino National Forest. The Lime Kiln Trail
leg follows a portion of the historic Lime Kiln
Wagon Road from Cottonwood to Sedona.
Hikers and equestrians are encouraged to
travel counterclockwise on the basic loop
— Lime Kiln, Thumper, and Raptor Trails.
Mountain bikers usually find that starting at
the Roadrunner trailhead and riding the loop
clockwise is more fun. For most cyclists, the
trail is rated intermediate to expert.
Forest Loop: A 0.5-mile shared-use loop trail
that circles around and through a diversely
forested area with river access.
Hickey Ditch: A 0.5-mile shared-use trail that
follows along the Hickey irrigation ditch to the
Verde River. Intersects with Quail Wash Trail.
The trailhead is located at north end of the
west lagoon parking lot.
Mesa: A 1-mile loop that circles the top of the
hill west of Red-Tail Hawk campground with
scenic views.
Quail Wash: A 0.25-mile trail that intersects
with Hickey Ditch Trail. Hikers and bicycles
only.
Tavasci Marsh: 1-mile shared-use trail.
General Rules
• Do not litter! “Leave no trace” and pack
out what you bring in, or use the trash
receptacles provided in the park.
• Drive your vehicle only on designated
paved surfaces. Park only in designated
parking areas. Do not park on the side of
the road.
• Stay on designated trails. Cutting trails
degrades habitat and harms the landscape.
• Do not use glass containers in the park.
• All of our parks adhere to firearm and
hunting regulations. Please familiarize
yourself with this information.
Fires
• Keep fires in grills or designated state parks
fire rings. Never leave fires unattended!
• Do not gather firewood in the parks.
Firewood is for sale in most park stores.
• Fireworks are not permitted in state parks.
• Be “fire smart” and check fire restrictions at
azstateparks.com/fire-safety.
Camping
• Campsites are limited to up to six adults and
up to 10 people total. Cabins are limited to
six people total.
• There are designated dump facilities at the
park for your convenience.
Boating
• Review boating regulations before heading
out on the water.
• Only kayaks, canoes, and boats powered
by oars are permitted on lagoons.
• Paddleboarding is not permitted on
lagoons.
Pets
• Keep your pets on a maximum six-foot
leash at all times. Pets must be attended at
all times.
• Pick up after your pet.
• For additional information related to pets,
visit our website or ask park staff.
Additional Rules
• Do not hang hammocks from trees.
• Contain all grey water.
• Do not wash RVs or vehicles in the park.
• Generators are NOT allowed.
• Do not swim in the lagoons.
The rules of this park are not limited to the rules
listed above. Additional park rules may be
found at azstateparks.com.
DEAD HORSE RANCH
Cabins
The park has camping cabins available for
reservation. Each cabin has a covered porch, a
full-sized bed, two sets of bunk beds, a table
with chairs, electricity, lights, heating and air
conditioning, and a locking door. Campers
must supply their own linens or sleeping bags.
Restrooms and showers are within walking
distance. Cabins sleep up to six people.
Check-in time for cabins is 3 p.m. Checkout
time is 10 a.m.
Reserve a camping cabin and start your park
adventure at azstateparks.com/cabins.
Firearms
Discharging firearms within the park is
prohibited! This includes BB and pellet guns,
bows, and slingshots.
Established 1957
Dead Horse Ranch State Park
01/22
Dead Horse Ranch State Park has 423 acres,
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 of the Verde River.
The ranch got its name when the Ireys family
came to Arizona from Minnesota in the late
1940s looking to buy a ranch. At one property
they discovered a dead horse lying by the
road. When Mr. Ireys asked the kids which
ranch they liked best, they said, “the one with
the dead horse.” The family named it “Dead
Horse Ranch,” and when Arizona State Parks
acquired the park in 1973, the Ireys made
retaining the name a condition of sale.
Thank you for visiting!
675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd, Cottonwood, AZ 86326
(928) 634-5283 | 1-877-MYPARKS
azstateparks.com/dead-horse
AZStateParks
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Staying in the Park
Please observe the following in addition to the
Park Rules when in the park:
• Park fees are per vehicle, unless the vehicle
is in-tow.
• Stay limit is 14 days in a 30-day period.
• Quiet hours are 10 p.m. - 8 a.m.
• No loud music or public address systems.
• Check-in time for visitors with reservations
is 2 p.m.
• Checkout time is noon.
TM
Tu z i g o o t
N a t i o n a l
Trail Code
M o n u m e n t
Evil
Hill
!
( Cabin
Fishing
Trail
Restroom
Motorized Trail
Self-Pay Station
Shower
Wash
Stream
| Playground
!
Junction
3
!
"
Trailhead
AN
BL
BO
CA
CN
CR
EL
FL
HD
JA
KI
LK
LC
ME
ML
RH
RH
RL
TM
VR
WL
RH
TM
RH
! Gate
00
Ramada
HD
Verde R
iver
Parking
Dump Station
Ranger Station
Priva te
Gift Shop
!
@
_
!
g
!
p
!
Accessible Pier
!
!
b
»
!
l
!
h
!
i
!
!
BO
RH
Park Boundary
Pump
Track
Flycatcher
TH
i
!
RH
Roadrunner TH
Blackhawk
Loop
9 Cooper's
!
Hawk Loop
CN
C O C O N I N O
9
!
N A T I O N A L
84
83
110 109
Electric
95
108
96
107
85 97
106
94
86 98
105
93
87 99
104
103 92
88 100
102
89 101
90
91
55 54
53
56
!
Ph
nt
KI
RL
Park
Entrance
RL
HD
3
!
FL
!
!
!
_!
!
p Host
N 10th St
!
6
7
!
HD
HD
29
RL
2 1
28 27
26
43 42
Electric
25
9
31
24
_
!
p
!
10
32
44
41
23
45
11
40
22
12 3334
39
13
21
14
15 35 36 38
37
CR
16
17 18 19 20
FL
JA
Quail Loop
Main Street
Trailhead
i
!
N Main St
!
!
8
30
!
CA
! Cabin
_
3 Loop AN
!
9 !
!
i
!
3
River Day
Use Area
Pr i v a te
"
R iv e r fr on t Pa rk
City o f C o ttonw oo d
JA
0 0.05 0.1
Contour Interval: 20 Feet
le R
d
d
LC
Trail Horse
Adventures
!
|
0.1
b !
! !
i
3
ML
i
!
WL
i
!
l
!
3!
!
_West
i
!
Lagoon
-
0.2
Miles
Kilometers
0.2
Created by: ASPT GIS Team Date: 6/22/2021
VR
e Ri
ver
i
_ Dock !
!
3
!
Middle
Lagoon
VR
Ve
rd
Host
3
!
VR
VR
JA
0.05
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i
!
|
!
0
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Do Not Enter
Emergencies Only
AN
R iv e r fr on t Pa rk
City o f C o ttonw oo d
BL
Go
CR
Rd
Site s 2
01-22
3
5
3
4
LK
Ph
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s
HD
ME
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Reservation Only
anc
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9
!
@!
!
h »
!
RL
orse
R
Quail
Loop
Ranger Station
& Gift Shop
Lower Campgrounds
Raven Loop
Dea
dH
Raven
9 Loop
!
LK
rR
ME
!
VR
"
ME
Rd
ME
San Luis Rey
Cemetery
Dead
End
Owl Rd
_!
p
75 74 73 !
72
g
!
76 71
57
52
58
77 70
51
59
78 69
50
60
49
79 68
61
80 67
48
81 66
47
Red-Tail 62
82 65 46
Hawk Loop
63
!
Electric
64
CN
KI
R oa drunner
¬
«1 HD AN
Bobcat ¬
2
«
8 Hawk
¬
«
Host
7 Grizzly
¬
«
_!
!
p
3
Coyote ¬
«
¬
«6
Deer ¬
«4 ¬
«5 EagleFox
!
d
her Roa
atc
!
To
Red Rock
State Park
14.5mi
23.3km
c
Fl y
Antelope
runner Rd
ad
Ro
Tent Only
BDH
BDEH
BDEH
BDH
BDEH
BDEH
BDH
BDEH
BDH
BDEH
BDEH
BDEH
BDEH
BDEH
BDH
BDEH
BDEH
BDEH
BDEH
BDEH
BDH
* B=Mountain Bike D=Dog E=Equestrian H=Hike
KI
Cabin Loop
ea
sa
!
116
Blackhawk
Loop
9
!
HD
Cooper's
Hawk Loop
F O R E S T
Kingf
ish
e
_!
!
p
Red-Tail
Hawk Loop
Uses*
Rd
111
112 118 117
127
113 119 126
120
114
125
121124
122 123
115
ME
i
!
Private
g
!
Upper
Campgrounds
"
Length One Way
mi
km
Arroyo Nature
0.4
0.7
Blackhawk
0.3
0.5
Bones #180
5.9
9.5
Canopy
0.2
0.3
Coconino
0.6
0.9
Creosote
0.3
0.5
East Lagoon Loop
0.9
1.4
Forest Loop
0.7
1.1
Hickey Ditch
1.5
2.4
Jail
1.3
2.1
Kish
1.3
2.0
Lime Kiln #82
15.8
25.5
Lime Kiln Connector
0.2
0.4
Mesa
1.6
2.6
Middle Lagoon Loop
0.5
0.8
Raptor Hill Loop (In Park)
1.0
1.6
Raptor Hill (In Forest)
4.7
7.5
River Loop
1.2
1.9
Tavasci Marsh
0.9
1.5
Verde River Greenway
2.1
3.4
West Lagoon Loop
0.5
0.7
Trail Name
3
!
!
3
Woodpecker
Circle
b
!
3!
!
i
East Lagoon
l
!
Verde River
Greenway
State Natural
Area Office
Do Not
Enter
@
!
EL
VR
!