Dead Horse Ranch State Park is a state park of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, United States, on the

Verde River The Verde River ( Yavapai: Haka'he:la) is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about long and carries a mean flow of at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona. Description The ...

in an area known as the Verde River Greenway. Located at approximately elevation, Dead Horse Ranch State Park covers of land with of hiking trails, 150 campground sites and several picnic areas, along with 23 group camping sites. It also offers trailhead access to the Dead Horse Trail System, located on adjacent

Coconino National Forest The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre (751,000 ha) United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", th ...

land. The ranch was originally named by the Ireys family, who sold the land to the state of Arizona to become a state park.

Special events

The annual Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival, the "Birdy Verde", with emphasis on

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

, is held each April. In 2010, about 70 field trips were offered for the four-day event, many led by nationally recognized experts. Headquarters for the festival is at Dead Horse Ranch, but events are held throughout the

Verde Valley The Verde Valley ( yuf-x-yav, Matkʼamvaha; es, Valle Verde) is a valley in central Arizona in the United States. The Verde River runs through it. The Verde River is one of Arizona's last free-flowing river systems. It provides crucial habita ...

. Another popular yearly event at Dead Horse Ranch State Park is Verde River Day, which is held annually in September to celebrate the protection of the river's

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks a ...

habitat.

References

External links

Dead Horse Ranch State Park
{{authority control State parks of Arizona Parks in Yavapai County, Arizona Coconino National Forest Protected areas established in 1972 1972 establishments in Arizona