Dead Horse Ranch State Park

The name comes from a family joke. The Ireys family came to Arizona from Minnesota looking for a ranch in the late 1940s, and at one place they saw a large dead horse lying near the road. After two days of viewing properties, Calvin "Cap" Ireys asked his children which ranch they liked best, and they answered: the one with the dead horse. When the state bought the land in 1973, retaining the name was a condition of sale. Legislators enjoyed the joke too: the state's own park history records plenty of comments about buying a dead horse.

The park sits across the Verde River from Cottonwood, and water is what makes it work. Three lagoons, surrounded by cattails, are stocked by Arizona Game and Fish with rainbow trout in the cooler months and channel catfish in the warmer ones, and they also hold largemouth bass, bluegill and sunfish. Anglers 10 and older need an Arizona fishing license. Short accessible loops circle each lagoon. The historic Hickey Ditch, carrying water rights dating from the 1870s, still runs through the park and feeds the shady strip of trees along it.

Trails range from easy to serious. The Canopy Trail is a quarter-mile accessible loop under Fremont cottonwoods, good for birds. The Verde River Greenway follows the river for 2 miles through prime nesting habitat. The Mesa Trail, a 1-mile interpretive loop, gives views of Mingus Mountain. A larger network of more than 20 miles, shared with mountain bikers and riders, climbs out of the park into the Coconino National Forest, and the 15-mile Lime Kiln Trail continues along an old wagon road to Red Rock State Park at Sedona. Most cyclists rate this system intermediate to expert. A 1-mile trail also reaches Tavasci Marsh from the end of Flycatcher Road, though the marsh itself lies within Tuzigoot National Monument and is subject to its entrance fee.

Staying over is popular. The park has RV and tent campsites and eight log camping cabins near the river, all bookable through Arizona State Parks. It also makes a good base for the valley, with Tuzigoot, Jerome and Old Town Cottonwood all close by.

Summer afternoons are hot, so bring extra water and start early on the upper trails. In November 2026 several trails, including the Canopy, Verde River and Tavasci Marsh trails, were closed because of hazardous conditions, so check the park website for current closures.