Story and photos by Cheryl Hartz
Being startled from a sound sleep in the middle of the night by a braying burro next to the camper must mean you are camping at Alamo Lake State Park.
Sat me straight up, but we figured the burro was more startled, because he had set off a motion light at head height. We’re sure the sudden brightness scared the hee-haw out of him.
He galloped off down the road. Then, for good measure and to show who was boss, he galloped up and down the road a couple more times. I think he liked the sound of his hooves striking the pavement.
We saw all sizes of burros right below our campsite. We heard them braying in the night. And the morning. And the afternoon. And the evening. Because they can.
Wild burros abound at this western Arizona oasis in LaPaz county’s Sonoran Desert. They are donkeys, but somehow, the Spanish burro moniker better fits these hardy descendants of Wild West miners’ work animals. A group is called a herd, drove or pace. After watching them run, I can safely say a human could not keep pace, unless we drove. (Punsters Anonymous.)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, completed Alamo Dam off the Bill Williams River in 1968 for flood control, creating a permanent lake. Conservation and recreation figured in, along with the possibility of hydropower generation. But lacking feasibility, no power plant was built.
This is great news for those who seek an isolated refuge, including several protected bird, fish and reptile species. With the nearest city lights 40 miles away, dark skies offer amazing stargazing. Especially when the burros wake you up.
The State Park opened in 1969. At 3,500 acres, Alamo Lake has the reputation as one of the best largemouth bass and crappie fishing lakes in Arizona, with several annual fishing tournaments held there.
Kids are encouraged to try for sunfish and bluegill while parents angle for the larger piscines, including catfish and tilapia. Swimming also is allowed.
We enjoyed exploring this vast lake with our kayaks. And while the dam doesn’t compare to the monstrous likes of Hoover, it still made me feel tiny next to its massive face, 283 feet high.
Along with an abundance of burros, wildlife also includes turkey vultures, eagles, coyotes, foxes, mule deer and many species of waterfowl. While hiking area trails, you will, without a doubt, encounter burros.
Respect their space, as we did on the Wild Burro Trail and the offshoot Rattlesnake Overlook. I didn’t mind stopping to admire the lake and mountain vistas to allow the burros to mosey on.
Happy hee-haw hiking!
