Salt River Wild Horse Area
Mesa, AZ
An area along the Lower Salt River near Bush Highway where herds of wild horses roam freely along the riverbanks. The Salt River wild horses are descendants of horses released or escaped over the past century and are protected by Arizona state law. The horses are frequently seen grazing, crossing the river, and interacting in family bands.
Photography Guide
- Best Time
- golden hour
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Shot Types
- portraitwidedetail
- Best Seasons
- springfallwinter
Author's Comments
The horses do not perform. That is the first thing to understand. They are not waiting for you at any particular bend in the road, and the guides who tell you exactly where to stand are guessing as much as anyone. I have driven Bush Highway at first light and seen nothing for two hours, then come around a curve and found twenty horses standing in the river with steam rising off their backs. That is the deal you are making here. The Salt River runs through Sonoran Desert that does not look like it should hold a river, and the horses know this in a way that shows in the photographs. Cottonwoods on the bank, saguaros on the slopes behind, water the color of weak tea in the late light. A bay mare crossing the shallows at golden hour with the desert ridge catching fire behind her is the photograph people drive out here for, and when it happens it is genuinely something. Bring the long lens. Four hundred millimeters is not overkill. The horses are protected and you are required by law and decency to stay back, which means the intimate frames have to be earned with glass rather than proximity. Coon Bluff and Phon D Sutton are the two access points I return to most, and I scan slowly between them rather than committing to one. Winter mornings are cold and clear and the light stays warm longer than it does in summer. Fall has the best chance of reflection in still water. Spring brings foals. Whichever season you pick, plan to be there before sunrise, plan to wait, and plan to leave with whatever the river decides to give you.
Gallery
You might also like
Nearby Places
Mesa, AZ
Phon D Sutton Recreation Area
A recreation area along the Lower Salt River below Saguaro Lake Dam where the river flows through a cottonwood-lined channel. The area provides access to shallow river crossings popular with wild horses and wading birds. Desert cliffs and riparian cottonwood forest create a striking contrast at the desert's edge.
Mesa, AZ
Saguaro Lake
A reservoir on the Salt River formed by Stewart Mountain Dam, surrounded by towering red and orange canyon walls. The Butcher Jones Recreation Area provides beach access with saguaro-studded cliffs rising directly from the shoreline. Wild horses from the Salt River herd are frequently seen along the lake's shores and surrounding desert.
Mesa, AZ
Usery Mountain Regional Park
A 3,648-acre Maricopa County park at the western end of the Goldfield Mountains featuring dense saguaro forests. The Wind Cave Trail leads to a shallow cave with views across the Salt River Valley to Four Peaks and the Superstition Mountains. The park is known for its high concentration of saguaro cacti, crested saguaros, and spring wildflower blooms.