Adventures in Arizona

Salt River Wild Horses Encounter

We awoke at dawn, grabbed our photo & video gear and hit the road. I was on a mission to spot the Salt River Wild Horses. The news was awash with stories about how the horses were going to be rounded up and destroyed. Later the removal order was canceled, I was committed to finding the horses today; before it was too late. The night before I search for hours to identify the best locations to spot the horses.  Luckily for you, if you click on the link, you will have all the best sites! The drive to the recreation area is stunning; it is full of mountain views, cactus, and wildlife galore. After a short drive we arrived at the Blue Point Recreation Area, we hit the jackpot! There they were, beautiful horses of all colors walking on the shores of the river. The horses completely ignored us, wandering lazily along the river, without a care in the world. We watched quietly in awe as a foal nursed with his mother and the other horses peacefully grazed on the natural vegetation. It was a fantastic sight, wild horses in their natural environment! This kind of experience just cannot be purchased, yet the value is priceless. We continued to watch in wonder until the horses wandered off across the road.  So we loaded up the truck and quickly traveled to our next spot:  Butcher Jones Recreation Area. As we drove up, I couldn’t believe our luck…another herd of wild horses greeted us at this new recreation site! This new large herd of horses played in the lake & grazed on the shore without a care in the world. At this location, other photographers were capturing the beauty of the horses, but the horses didn’t mind. Despite being wild horses, they seemed to have no fear of humans. We continued to enjoy the horses until hunger and heat grew too much, heading home for lunch and air conditioning. I will always treasure the memory of my morning spent watching horses with my family. Beautiful morning temperatures, great company, and stunning desert views…who could ask for more?

Click here to view the full photo gallery and here to see some video too!

Cost:

Free with an annual Pass, $8.00 with a day use tonto pass.

Resources:

Horse Spotting map

Interactive Recreational map

Nearby camping

Costs and fees

Educational Info