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Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, AZ

Photo: Benjamin Cody, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Dead Horse Ranch State Park

A riverside state park on the Verde River near Cottonwood, offering hiking, camping, cabins, and access to nearby national forest trails.

675 Dead Horse Ranch Road, Cottonwood, AZ 86326 · Cottonwood, AZ

About Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Dead Horse Ranch State Park sits on the Verde River within the Verde River Greenway, at roughly 3,300 feet of elevation. The park covers about 423 acres and includes around 10 miles of hiking trails, a number of campground sites, group camping areas, and picnic areas. Visitors can also reach the Dead Horse Trail System, which runs onto adjacent Coconino National Forest land. The park's name comes from the Ireys family, who sold the land to Arizona when it became a state park in 1973 and required that the name be kept.

  • #state park
  • #Verde River
  • #hiking
  • #camping
  • #cabins

What's around here?

The closest stops to Dead Horse Ranch State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    Family Favorite

    Blazin M Ranch

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    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sightseeing

    Jerome State Historic Park

    Under $25

    A hilltop mansion-turned-museum above Jerome that documents the town's mining past and the Douglas family, with views over the Verde Valley.

    5.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Family Favorite

    Out of Africa Wildlife Park

    $25–$50

    A drive-through and walkabout wildlife park in the Verde Valley with big cat shows and safari tours.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    11 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Red Rock State Park

    Under $25

    A 286-acre Arizona state park near Sedona centered on Oak Creek's riparian habitat and environmental education.

    11 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Cathedral Rock

    Under $25

    Scramble a short, steep trail up a red sandstone butte to saddles between its spires with wide views over Sedona's red rock country.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    14 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Montezuma Castle National Monument

    Under $25

    Look up at a five-story Sinagua cliff dwelling set about 90 feet up a limestone wall above a short paved trail.

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

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