Salt River Wild Horses: An RV Traveler's Guide
Free-roaming horses on the Lower Salt River, Tonto National Forest, Arizona
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The Salt River wild horses roam the Lower Salt River corridor of the Tonto National Forest, northeast of Mesa and Phoenix, Arizona. Bands of horses are often seen grazing and crossing near the river along the Bush Highway recreation area, against a backdrop of saguaro and desert mountains. They are free-roaming animals on public forest land, and for day-trippers and RV travelers based in the Phoenix metro they are one of the most accessible wild-horse sights in the Southwest.
Where can you see the Salt River wild horses, and how should you behave around them?
The horses range along the Lower Salt River recreation area of the Tonto National Forest northeast of Mesa, Arizona, often near the Bush Highway. They are protected under Arizona law (ARS 3-1491): keep a respectful distance of at least 50 feet, never feed or chase them, and treat them as the wild animals they are.
- ·Lower Salt River / Bush Highway recreation area, Tonto NF
- ·Protected under Arizona state law (ARS 3-1491)
- ·Keep at least 50 ft away; do not feed or harass
State
Arizona
Land
Tonto National Forest (Lower Salt River)
Near
Mesa / Phoenix metro; Bush Highway
Legal protection
Arizona state law (ARS 3-1491)
Minimum distance
Stay at least 50 ft from the horses
The Lower Salt River corridor inside the Tonto National Forest is a popular day-use area for tubing, paddling, picnicking and birding, and the free-roaming horses are part of what draws people there. Bands move between the riverbank and the desert flats, so sightings are never guaranteed — which is part of the appeal of seeing them on their own terms.
These horses are protected under Arizona state law, and it is illegal to harass, chase, feed, capture or harm them. Wildlife and land managers ask visitors to keep well back — a respectful distance of at least 50 feet — both for the animals' welfare and for visitor safety, because despite seeing people often they remain wild and unpredictable.
Phoenix-area RV parks and Tonto National Forest recreation sites make a comfortable base for a slow, quiet visit. Always check the Forest Service for current access, closures and conditions along the Lower Salt River before you go, and observe the horses without approaching, surrounding or feeding them.
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