Verde River Kayaking
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Morning found us at the lagoons at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, before the day heated up. The ponds along the Verde River Greenway were already busy with life. Herons stalked the shallows, ducks drifted between reeds, and cormorants perched nearby, wings spread to dry. A short walk along the Verde River Greenway Trail followed, shaded by cottonwood trees. The quiet morning at the lagoons was a prelude to the day. The real goal was finally getting ourselves and two very conspicuous kayaks on the river.
Lagoon at Dead Horse Ranch State Park
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After hauling two bright yellow kayaks across the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts — getting pointed at, photographed, and asked if we were lost — we finally made it onto the water. We paddled the nearby Verde River that flows in central Arizona, from the Tapco put in to Tuzigoot Bridge. We enjoyed a few miles of Class I and II rapids that had enough action to keep it interesting.
At one narrow, fast-moving spot, just ahead five ducks were to the right of my kayak. Then, three of them suddenly decided to cross right in front of me single filed. I started back-paddling (marginally helpful) and yelled “What are you doing??” They just barely cleared my path. The other two, thankfully, had more sense and waited. As I was passing by, I could have sworn I saw a look of annoyance in their little duck faces, like "No, what are you doing lady?". Happy to report: no ducks were harmed in the making of this kayak trip.
Later on, we passed a riverside farm where we witnessed what can only be described as a cow-alpaca brawl. The alpaca was pestering the cow, the cow jumped on top of it, and the alpaca retaliated with a bite. Hard to say if it was play or real drama, but “cow mounts alpaca mid-float” wasn’t something I expected to see on this trip.
All that to say: the kayaks have finally hit water. And it was 100% worth the wait.
That evening, we returned to the lagoons at Dead Horse Ranch State Park for sunset. As the sun dropped lower, birds began taking flight across the water. The sky shifted to soft pinks and oranges, and the colors reflected off the still surface of the ponds. After a day on the river, it was a quiet finale and a perfect way to close the loop on a day that started in the same place.
At one narrow, fast-moving spot, just ahead five ducks were to the right of my kayak. Then, three of them suddenly decided to cross right in front of me single filed. I started back-paddling (marginally helpful) and yelled “What are you doing??” They just barely cleared my path. The other two, thankfully, had more sense and waited. As I was passing by, I could have sworn I saw a look of annoyance in their little duck faces, like "No, what are you doing lady?". Happy to report: no ducks were harmed in the making of this kayak trip.
Later on, we passed a riverside farm where we witnessed what can only be described as a cow-alpaca brawl. The alpaca was pestering the cow, the cow jumped on top of it, and the alpaca retaliated with a bite. Hard to say if it was play or real drama, but “cow mounts alpaca mid-float” wasn’t something I expected to see on this trip.
All that to say: the kayaks have finally hit water. And it was 100% worth the wait.
That evening, we returned to the lagoons at Dead Horse Ranch State Park for sunset. As the sun dropped lower, birds began taking flight across the water. The sky shifted to soft pinks and oranges, and the colors reflected off the still surface of the ponds. After a day on the river, it was a quiet finale and a perfect way to close the loop on a day that started in the same place.