Finding Wild Horses and Burros in Arizona
(this page is still in progress)
Return to Finding Wild Horses & Burros here for tips on visiting the range and to find herds in other areas
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There are 8 wild horse and burro herds remaining in Arizona; 7 managed by the BLM and 1 managed by Forest Service:
• Alamo is northwest of Wickenburg • Big Sandy is 55 miles southeast of Kingman • Black Mountain 15 miles west of Kingman • Cerbat Mountains 5 miles north of Kingman • Cibola-Trigo is near Yuma and Quartzsite • Havasu is south of Lake Havasu City • Heber southwest of Heber • Lake Pleasant is 25 miles NW of Phoenix *the BLM map to the right still shows Tassi-Gold Butte as a herd area but notes it has been zeroed out and all the wild horses and/or burros removed. The HMA was 101,816 acres. As you can see by the map, all of the herds are located in western Arizona with the exception of the Heber herd on the east side. |
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Alamo Herd Management Area - Wild Burros
Size: 341,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 128-160
Size: 341,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 128-160
To get to the wild burros in the Alamo HMA, take Hwy 60 west out of Wickenberg or east out of Salome to the small town of Wenden and turn north on 2nd St which turns into Alamo Rd. This is a paved road all the way up to Alamo Lake State Park. Watch for burros on the hills along the paved road but it sounds like the burros may be found closer to Alamo Lake stretching north, east and west of the lake: along the Bill Williams river which heads west and east out of Alamo Lake, along the Santa Maria River wash east of Alamo Lake, and the Sandy River wash which stretches north out of Alamo Lake.
There are several roads that go both east and west off Alamo Rd and all around Alamo Lake - if you take the dirt roads then you should probably have a high clearance vehicle suitable for driving on soft dirt/sand roads, or a OHV. The Big Sandy HMA is the north border and the Havasu HMA is the west border.
There are several roads that go both east and west off Alamo Rd and all around Alamo Lake - if you take the dirt roads then you should probably have a high clearance vehicle suitable for driving on soft dirt/sand roads, or a OHV. The Big Sandy HMA is the north border and the Havasu HMA is the west border.
Big Sandy Herd Management Area - Wild Burros
Size: 341,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 128-160
Size: 341,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 128-160
Black Mountain Herd Management Area - Wild Burros
Size: 1,100,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 382-478
Size: 1,100,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 382-478
The Black Mountain herd area can found by taking Hwy 10 / Oatman Hwy southwest out of Kingman. Its a beautiful drive once you get out there and you may start seeing burros right away along the hillsides. Be sure to slow down as you go around corners on the curvy part of the highway (about a 9 mile stretch) as burros are in the road all the time. There are several turnouts and short dirt roads you can take to look for them.
Once you pass the mine you can turn right onto Silver Creek Rd which is a well graded gravel road suitable for all vehicles. I spotted a few bands along the hills (see bottom left photo) and a few of the bands approached my truck and tried to open the door with their teeth!
There are roads that stretch all the way between the Oatman Highway and Highway 68 to the north and I'm sure you'd spot burros everywhere in between since the herd area is over 1 million acres.
Once you pass the mine you can turn right onto Silver Creek Rd which is a well graded gravel road suitable for all vehicles. I spotted a few bands along the hills (see bottom left photo) and a few of the bands approached my truck and tried to open the door with their teeth!
There are roads that stretch all the way between the Oatman Highway and Highway 68 to the north and I'm sure you'd spot burros everywhere in between since the herd area is over 1 million acres.
Cerbat Mountains Management Area
Size: 341,000 acres
Number of wild horses the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 72-90
Size: 341,000 acres
Number of wild horses the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 72-90
The Cerbat Mountains wild horses are direct descendants of Spanish mustangs and that can easily be seen in their colors, markings, and conformation. It appears that the herd management area has been divided in two by fencing and that the horses are only on the west side. To get to the herd area take Stockton Hill Rd north out of Kingman about 10.5 miles to Vock Canyon Rd and turn west (left). You might also see wild horses along Stockton Hill Rd to the west before reaching Vock Canyon Rd and there are a few dirt roads you can take to possibly get closer to them.
The first part of the road is suitable for most vehicles; you will pass a corral on the left and notice there are several houses along this stretch of road. You might see horses straight away, if not, keep driving. This is a public road so you have every right to drive on it. Once you pass the larger group of houses keep an eye on the hills for wild horses. There will likely also be cattle in the area. The road quickly becomes quite a bit rougher and I do recommend you don't continue unless you have really good tires and a high clearance vehicle. I only made it about 5 miles up the road before it became too rough for the truck. If you have an OHV you could keep going, just keep in mind that ATVs/OHVs usually scare wild horses away because they are so loud.
Vock Canyon Rd keeps going for a few more miles and it also forks to the south and runs into Shadow Canyon Rd which takes you back out to Stockton Hill Rd. I found the Cerbat horses that are near the houses were used to people and didn't run away, but the horses further up the road were very skittish and ran when I approached.
The first part of the road is suitable for most vehicles; you will pass a corral on the left and notice there are several houses along this stretch of road. You might see horses straight away, if not, keep driving. This is a public road so you have every right to drive on it. Once you pass the larger group of houses keep an eye on the hills for wild horses. There will likely also be cattle in the area. The road quickly becomes quite a bit rougher and I do recommend you don't continue unless you have really good tires and a high clearance vehicle. I only made it about 5 miles up the road before it became too rough for the truck. If you have an OHV you could keep going, just keep in mind that ATVs/OHVs usually scare wild horses away because they are so loud.
Vock Canyon Rd keeps going for a few more miles and it also forks to the south and runs into Shadow Canyon Rd which takes you back out to Stockton Hill Rd. I found the Cerbat horses that are near the houses were used to people and didn't run away, but the horses further up the road were very skittish and ran when I approached.
Cibola-Trigo Management Area - Wild Horses and Burros
Size: HMA is 179,000 acres and the Herd Area is 263,700
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 165 and the number of wild horses is 150
Size: HMA is 179,000 acres and the Herd Area is 263,700
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 165 and the number of wild horses is 150
Havasu Management Area - Wild Burros
Size: 450,790 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 133-166
Size: 450,790 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 133-166
Heber Wild Horse Territory
Number of wild burros the Forest Service deems appropriate for the herd area is 50-104
Number of wild burros the Forest Service deems appropriate for the herd area is 50-104
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I have not yet visited the Heber wild horses. Click on the map to the right to open a larger PDF of the map which you can print out and refer to for directions. This map is provided by the Forest Service.
The Heber herd is located southwest of the town of Heber south of Hwy 260. There are a number of forest roads you can turn onto to access the herd area. |
Click on the map to see a larger version
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Lake Pleasant Management Area - Wild Burros
Size: 103,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 166 - 208
Size: 103,000 acres
Number of wild burros the BLM deems appropriate for the herd area is 166 - 208
The Lake Pleasant herd is 25 miles northwest of Phoenix, west of I-17, north of State Route 74, and northeast of Lake Pleasant. Take the SR 74 exit off I-17 and head west 11.9 miles to N Castle Hot Springs Rd, turn right/north. This is a paved road that stretches along the west side of Lake Pleasant. The road T's, if you go right you will go to the lake, if you turn left the road stays paved for a bit then becomes dirt/gravel. The gravel road will split again, feel free to explore watching the hills for wild burros and looking for fresh manure piles. This should be a fairly easy area to explore and find burros.
You can also continue west on SR 74 to N Quintero Ln and turn right/north. This will lead to a golf course and small neighborhood but there are dirt roads that travel north and east towards the lake that you could explore. The herd itself stretches north and west of Lake Pleasant.
You can also continue west on SR 74 to N Quintero Ln and turn right/north. This will lead to a golf course and small neighborhood but there are dirt roads that travel north and east towards the lake that you could explore. The herd itself stretches north and west of Lake Pleasant.