Where to see wild burros in AZ: Havasu HMA

The Havasu HMA consists of 450,790 acres of Lower Colorado Sonoran Desert.  The Arizona side of the HMA is 372,568 acres, while the California side of the HMA encompasses 78,222.  The wild burros of the Havasu HMA roam freely throughout the area, which is characterized by arroyo-scarred alluvial fans to steep and rocky volcanic mountains.

How to get there:

This HMA is in west-central Arizona along the Colorado and Bill Williams rivers. The HMA is split into two units by the Colorado River. The Havasu HMA is also adjacent to the Chemeheuvi Herd Management Area on the California side.

About the burros:

Today, the population of burros is estimated to be about 540 animals (240 in Arizona and 300 in California). In this area, about 90 percent of the burros are gray in color, with the remaining 10 percent being black, brown, white, pinto or piebald. Some burros possess the shoulder cross characteristic of the ancestral Nubian wild ass and many have leg barrings associated with the Somali wild ass. Adult burros average 48 inches in height and weigh about 350 pounds. In the summer months,  the burros concentrate in the critical area, which is generally within one and a half miles of all major water sources. During cooler months, the wild burros normally move into the mountains and scatter throughout the area.

Information gathered from the Bureau of Land Management