TRAVEL AWAITS: HOW TO SPOT THE WILD HORSES IN THE SALT RIVER VALLEY

The complete article was published in Travel Awaits in April 2021.

"Also called mustangs, from the Spanish word mustengo, which means 'ownerless beast,' they are believed to be descendants of Spanish horses brought by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. They must have escaped and lived without the caring of man through survival of the fittest. Thus, standing about 13 to 15 hands high, they have evolved to be an incredibly durable and tough breed.

"There are believed to be about 88,000 wild horses in the U.S. The Bureau of Land Management Wild Horses and Burros Program takes care of them, together with the US Forest Service, across 26.9 million acres of public lands in the 10 states of California, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, and Arizona. More than half are in Nevada. In the 1800s, the herds had grown to millions but, similar to the story of the bison, around 1850, they came to be considered competition for cattle. In fact, they still are.

"The wild horses in Arizona have been described as “a historic population of unbranded, unclaimed, wild and free-roaming horses.” According to historical records, the wild horses had been living in the Salt River Valley since well before the designation of the Tonto National Forest in 1902. An article, dated January 25, 1890, called them “native stock and animals.” To be classified as such, there had to have been five to six generations who knew about their existence. It is estimated that they had been here since before 1790."

They are considered competition to cattle, so their population is managed by the US Forest Service announced its plans for their “removal and disposal. Even with public outrage, led by the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, Arizona has only about 500 left. The extensive Salt River Valley has a drainage basin of about 13,700 square miles in the Phoenix metropolitan area. This is where the wild horses thrive and there are about seven viewpoints from which to see the wild horses. 

Coon Bluff Recreation Area

Due to lack of rainfall for the past two to three years, about a hundred congregate here because every day, at around 5 p.m., a couple of trucks bring some hay. There is a lot of frenzied action because they are hungry and when they see the trucks arrive, they race to the feeding spots.

East of Coon Bluff 

"Of course, you might also want to see the horses frolicking and drinking on the river. For this, you may have to wait for them to come after the feeding (which maybe later in the night) or chance upon them before they congregate at Coon Bluff. You can go east to the nearer Goldfield viewpoint or even further east to Pebble Beach."

West of Coon Bluff

"You can also go west from Coon Bluff. The nearest viewpoint in this direction is called Phon D. Sutton Recreation Area. Here, we’ve encountered people fishing in the low water areas. Further west is Granite Reef Viewpoint.,...the preferred access point for tubing and kayaking." There is also a beautiful hill across the river (headline photo).

Saguaro Lake

After taking so many photographs of the horses, we proceeded to Saguaro Lake. It has more than 22 miles of shoreline and is almost 118 feet deep — only 15 minutes from Coon Bluff. Shiprock Restaurant is perched on the lake’s western bank, overlooking the marina and the wider water section. Its extensive patio is a great place for outdoor dining. 

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