WILD BURRO TRAIL
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| Globemallow & lupine along the trail |
Lake Pleasant
Regional Park
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| Cove on Lake Pleasant |
Whether you love
’em or hate ‘em, you’re likely to encounter rogue donkeys on the Wild Burro
Trail. One of the newer routes in Lake
Pleasant Regional Park, the moderate two-mile path passes thru prime burro
territory. The desert-adapted, North African imports first arrived in Arizona
in the 1600s carrying supplies with Jesuit priests. Valued for their strong
backs and hardy work ethic, the burros soon found additional employment with
prospectors. During boom times, they hauled ore but when the mines went bust,
they either wandered off or were released into the wild where they thrived in
the arid territory. Today, their descendants wander in loose-knit social groups
and are easily spotted along the park’s lakeside trails. The free-roaming herds
and their habitat are protected by the Bureau of Land Management.
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| Globemallow are abundant along the trail in springtime |
The Lake
Pleasant Herd Management Area encompasses 103,00 acres around the Agua Fria River
where approximately 480 burros graze. Even if you don’t spot any burros, the
trail has plenty more to offer. The route winds around coves and rolling hills
studded with cacti and wildflowers. Look for flotillas of American coots, roosting
egrets and magnificent blue herons in flight. If you do luck out and run into
some burros, keep in mind that they are wild animals that are naturally distrustful
of humans. When approached, they will usually run but can bite and kick when they
feel trapped or threatened. Therefore, it’s best to observe them from a
distance.
LENGTH: 2 miles
one-way
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| Wild burros are best observed from a distance. |
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION:
1860’-1568’
GETTING THERE:
From Phoenix, go north on Interstate 17 to Carefree Highway
(State Route 74. Go 15 miles west on SR74 to Castle Hot Spring Road, signed for
Lake Pleasant. Turn north (right) onto Castle Hot Spring Road and continue past
the main gate (pay fee first) to the south trailhead located near a large water
tank just past the turn off for Peninsula Blvd. The trail begins across the
road.
FEE: $6 daily
fee per vehicle
About the wild
burros:
Posts
1 comment:
Started at the water tank,Short distance saw many burro's in the valley. The yellow flowers of the brittlebush was spectacular!Was a very good day for walking.
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