Pets allowed
Allowed
Guided tours
No
Backcountry camping
No
Lodging
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is a real gem in Arizona’s park system. Located in the Verde River Valley near Sedona, this park has access to all the outdoor adventures that the area offers.

The park has an excellent campground and eight rustic cabins for rent, and it makes a great base camp for exploring the Sedona area. Beyond that, there is a wealth of recreational options and resources in the park to keep campers busy. How about disc golf, picnicking, hiking on more than 20 miles of trails, boating and fishing on small lagoons, horseback riding with an on-site outfitter, a playground for the kids, paddling on the Verde River, great birdwatching, and one of the premier paved bike trails in central Arizona? This park is truly an outdoor playground.

The 20-mile network of hiking trails within the park is made up of several short trails that interlink, but a few of the trails are longer:

  • Verde River Greenway: 2 miles, follows the river
  • Tavasci Marsh Trail: 1 mile
  • Mesa Trail: 1 mile, loops around the hill next to the Red-tailed Hawk loop of the campground
  • Lime Kiln Trail: 15-mile shared-use trail that links Dead Horse Ranch park with Red Rock State Park

For day users, there are 11 fully reservable ramadas for picnicking groups and several other picnic areas along the river and alongside the three lagoons. All in all, this is a wonderful multi-use park for a wide variety of outdoor adventure lovers.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

State Park Fee

Pros

Wide variety of recreational options. Great campground and cabins. Great location.

Cons

None.

Features

ADA accessible
Campgrounds + Campsites
Showers
Flushing toilets
Mountain biking
Bicycling
Potable water
Picnic tables
Covered picnic areas
Mine
Fishing
Horseback riding
Playground
Bird watching
Wildlife

Site type

Full hookups
Cabins

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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