Arizona State Parks acquired the property from the previous owners, the Ireys family. When the family was looking at different ranches to buy in the 1940s, one ranch had a dead horse lying on the road by the ranch. So, when the father asked his family which ranch they liked, “Out of the mouths of babes”-- their children unanimously voted, “The one with the dead horse, Dad!” And the name stuck ever since and became a condition of the 1973 sale of their property to the Arizona Parks.

    If you have never visited the Cottonwood area, you are in for another treat. There are many outdoor fun activities to discover and this park has some unique choices. First, it is located adjacent to the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area which is a six-mile long stretch of river. This is a unique riparian zone. There are less than 20 of these riparian zones in the world. It is situated in a climate area where visitors can enjoy the dramatic changing colors in the fall, for example. 

  If you are a newbie to camping and crinkle your eyebrows at pitching odd shaped tents and trying to find a soft spot in your tent to lie down at night, maybe this park’s cute rustic little cabins are for you. The one-room log cabin has a full-size bed, bunk beds and some other furniture. They are even equipped with electricity, heating and air conditioning. You supply your own linens or sleeping bag. (Check the information listed below for more details.) 
 Adventures can happen whether you pull into the park with a 40-foot motorhome, backpacking a tent, bicycling or using other creative ideas of how to arrive there. Your days can be filled with exciting discoveries at this park. Quail Loop is a good place for RVs -- with pull throughs and water and electric hookups. The “loops” have modern ADA accessible restrooms and hot showers. There is also a dump station at the Park Entrance Area. 

   Perhaps, if you are into mountain biking, you’ll enjoy the many trails with little stops for spectacular views. A birders’ paradise and photographers’ delight with so many animals in nature and abundant fishing. Carefully designed nature trails and biking trails offer places to see natural beauty. AND you can bring your LIVE horses and take the equestrian trails for fun rides. You can also rent trail horses. I would be remiss, if I did not mention that the three lagoons at this park are a fishman’s special treat -- with fishing for bass, trout and catfish. They have even created a complimentary fish cleaning set up for your convenience in cleaning those huge fish you catch. 

   Especially endearing for me was discovering lushly vegetated hiking trails around the three lagoons which are robustly fed from the Verde River. One trail I took at Quail Loop revealed the flume that brings the water down from the Verde River to the three lagoons. This flume, named The Hickey Ditch in earlier days, was an agricultural ditch for the local farmers’ crops and fruit tree orchards as well as pastures and was connected as its water source to the Verde River. The canal (ditch) was founded in 1874 and, at that time, supplied water to 175 acres. It is about 2.8 miles long. Since the State Parks acquired the Dead Horse Ranch, it uses the water to supply the lagoons and water green areas of the park, where black walnut, willow and mesquite trees grow abundantly.
 I found out that the three lagoons were built in 2002 and were lined with 3/8” rubber barriers. It took about a year and a half to complete them. The three lagoons together hold about 1,089,000 gallons of water which comes from the Hickey Ditch canal fed from the Verde River.

These lagoons support a habitat for birds -- and especially my favorite, the Bald Eagles. They tend to winter there and dine on the fish and ducks. Osprey like to eat the trout. Blue Herons visit also. Many mammals use the lagoons also -- such as beavers, white-tailed deer and mule deer and you may see a bobcat or mountain lion on occasion. You can also enjoy the lagoons in your oar-operated boats, kayaks, et cetera – no motors. This maintains the peaceful, serene environment for both visitors and animals. 

   If you are adventuring into Cottonwood, there is an Old Town Cottonwood which has certain nostalgically charming stores and restaurants. I ate at the Colt Grille for a casual early dinner and Georgie’s Restaurant on Main Street for a good breakfast. 
Dead Horse Ranch State Park is open year-round but they close their gates at dark. Seasonal hours may apply. Visitor Center/Park Store is open from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily.
Family Campout Programs are designed on weekends for families who have little or no experience camping. Introducing you to exploring the great outdoors in safe surroundings! Learn to set up a tent and how to cook outside and enjoy fun activities you can do while camping! Check with DHR Park for details.
Fees: Park reservations per site $5 (non-refundable).
Camping Cabins – a novel idea that mixes tent camping and some degree of shelter luxury. $35-$139 per night. $10 non-returnable reservation fee. Passes: Annual $75-200. See Annual Pass information on website.
Half-off day use entrance fees to Active Military, National Guard and Reserves, AZ resident Retired Military, Disabled Military and 100% free day use to Disabled Veterans. See website for details. 
Park’s fees for staying: Day use per vehicle: $7.00, Individuals $3.00, Tent Camp no electricity: $20, with electric hookup $30. RV spots in Quail Loop Sites $35, Cabins $60. Check with Park for more details and/or restrictions. 

   General information can be found at Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Arizona State Parks & Trails. 928 634-5283 
Camping Reservations: 877MYPARKS. 7x week 8am-5pm MST. 

My recommendation is that if you plan to go in summertime, hike and be outdoors in early morning and early evening. As you get into the summer, it is toasty. I plan to return during fall and spring. Whenever you get there, I hope your stay is a memory worth treasuring. The staff was delightful and the surrounds most pleasurable.