March 2018 – Continuing our theme this year of seeking out places where the southwestern deserts and waterways meet, we drove the scenic drive that follows the Colorado River from the town of Parker, Arizona, up to the Parker Dam. Starting in Parker, we went up the California side of the river to the dam and then we came back down the Arizona side to Parker.

The Colorado River is a favorite spot for boaters.
The Colorado River is a popular place for water sports and water play, and even though the river was cold and the air was springtime cool, there were still lots of boats out enjoying the water.

The desert mountain backdrop is beautiful and RV parks line the shore for miles.
From power boats to party barges, there was plenty of boating action going on.

A party boat rides the current on the Colorado River
The Parker Dam Road on the California side of the river south of Parker Dam is a combination of wild and natural recreation areas and RV parks. One RV Resort ends and then the next one begins with a smattering of BLM managed Rec areas tucked in between.
As we rounded one bend on this road, we noticed some wild burros in the road ahead of us. How cool!

We saw wild burros on the road in front of us.
We’d spent quite a bit of time with the wild burros in South Daktoa’s Custer State Park last summer, and we’d watched the wild horses of Arizona’s Salt River many times over the years, but it was still a great thrill to see these guys standing by the side of the road.

Wild burros of the Colorado River.
We slowed down as we approached them, and another car coming the opposite way did too. The wild burros slowly crossed the road over to the other car and said hello to the folks inside.

The burros crossed the road to say hi!
Then I noticed that there were more wild burros on our side of the road. They were standing around just hanging out.

A wild burro’s life is pretty chill!

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Suddenly one of them walked up to our truck and poked his head in our truck window.

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Buddy was fascinated and leaned way out of the truck window to have a closer look. The burro pulled his head back out. Buddy’s face was reflected in the mirror and it made a cool image.

Buddy leaned over for a closer look.
Then the burro poked his head in again. He seemed to be smiling. Buddy shied away a little.

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Then Buddy stared up at the enormous muzzle in amazement.

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“What kind of breed are you?” He seemed to be asking.
Buddy braced himself on the window sill to get a different perspective.

The two got a good look at each other.
Then the burro and the puppy touched noses for a brief second.

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I reached out and petted the burro’s mane. He didn’t seem to mind at all. Then the burro slowly moved away, and I noticed a young colt standing off in the distance. He looked like a little stuffed animal!

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What a cutie.

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By then, Mark had climbed out of the truck and was taking Buddy over to meet some of the other burros.

The burros were very calm and inquisitive too.
Everyone was relaxed and a bit curious as well.

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What a neat animal encounter that was!
If you are traveling in the northwestern corner of Arizona near Parker and Lake Havasu, the drive on Parker Dam Road on the western side (California side) of the Colorado River makes for a nice excursion. There are thousands of RV campsites to suit any budget, and the lake is a great place for recreation of all kinds.
Hopefully, the wild burros will come say “hi” to you too!

A kayak on the Colorado River.
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More info:
- RV Parks near Parker, Arizona – RV Park Reviews
- Loop drive on Parker Dam Rd and Route 95 – Interactive Map
Other blog posts about Wild Burros:
- Custer State Park Burros & Bison – Close Encounters of the Animal Kind
- Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road – Where the Animals Are!
Other blog posts from Northwestern Arizona:
- Drag Boat Races in AZ – Top Speed FUN on the Colorado River!
- Waterfront Dining in Arizona – Scorpion Bay & River’s Edge Cantina
- VW Microbus Mania in Lake Havasu Arizona!
- Balloons and VW Buses in Lake Havasu AZ
- Havasu Springs Resort, AZ – Lucky Break!
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