You need to allow them adequate space - at least 100 feet or more - and maintain a respectful viewing distance. Horses are prey animals, meaning they are instinctively wary of people. Lastly, like any outdoor adventure, tell someone your travel plans and give them a copy of your intended route. Stick to mornings and evenings to avoid the midday heat, to get your best chance at sighting these wild mustangs. These high temperatures are not only dangerous, but they decrease horse activity. Roads often become washed out and impassable after heavy rains, and in the summer, temperatures can rise to over 100 degrees. In addition, check recent weather conditions, especially during the winter or the rainy season. Always fill your gas tank in the nearest town - you’ll often go miles without seeing a station. If you decide to plan a longer excursion into the backcountry, be sure to get your car tuned before you leave, and gear up with extra water, food and gas. To catch sight of these mustangs, you’ll have to weave through nearly 20 miles of steep dirt roads: past petroglyphs, through forested canyons, and atop windy plateaus. The Range Creek HMA, three and a half hours from Salt Lake, requires an even more adventurous viewing experience. Another large group, comprised of the Conger and Swasey herds, grazes two and a half hours from SLC in the undulating hills beneath Swasey Peak in Central Utah. While you can visit the Onaqui Herd as a day trip from Salt Lake, other herds are much more remote. Most of the viewing locations are on very rural dirt roads, so making sure you and your vehicle are prepared for the adventure is crucial. Always check for signs and close the gate behind you. Once you’re out on those dusty backroads, you’ll encounter fences and gates to restrict the movement of both cattle and horse herds. Knowledgeable staff members can provide specific details and maps of the area and may offer valuable insight into recent herd sightings. It’s also important to remember that the areas you will be traveling in are fragile desert environments, so be sure to keep your vehicle on the road to limit your impact on nature.Īfter you’ve mapped out your route, visit the BLM field office that oversees the HMA you’re seeking. Many HMA routes are along rough dirt roads that often require 4WD and high clearance so you need to make sure your vehicle is up to the task, or choose a different path. Most HMAs are located in wilderness areas or wilderness study areas, so motorized travel is limited to established roads. It’s important to look into road conditions so that you have an idea of the types of roads you’ll encounter. Take the time to map out your route before you leave. Unpaved roads climb up and over mountain passes, while the straightaways through the basins lack shade, getting baked in the summer sun. Traveling through these dramatic landscapes is often difficult. Mustangs graze in these valleys, seeking the oases that pop up in the sun-parched desert. In Western Utah, long, sagebrush-filled basins stretch as far as the eye can see, bordered on either side by rolling, velvety mountain ranges. Their roadside accessibility makes them renowned as one of the most photographed herds in the United States. Often, this group lives and grazes within sight of dirt roads along the old Pony Express Trail (Read: What Hasn't Been Found). The Onaqui Herd consists of almost 450 horses: two large packs made up of smaller families. If this is your first time visiting an HMA - or even thinking about wild horses - the Onaqui Herd in Tooele County, one hour west of Salt Lake City, is an excellent starting point. Limit your time so that mustangs feel comfortable in this vital environment. Although watering holes are a great place to view horses, they are an integral part of the ecosystem, and visitors should observe respectfully and quietly. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) maintains these desert oases, so horses here are more accustomed to humans. Watering holes provide the greatest opportunity to observe natural horse behavior. Horses travel the same path frequently, and the careful observer will notice worn-down brush and faint trails. In addition to knowing about the herd you are visiting, research horse behavior so that you’ll know where to find them. Make sure you read up on wild horse herds and learn all you can about them before you hit the road to get the most of your trip. Unless you know where to look, your mustang-viewing adventure could turn up fruitless.
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