<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3tHBgo_1H295v7v00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3tHBgo_1H295v7v00" width="1280" height="853" ><figcaption>Wild burros at Biscuit Flat Segment</figcaption></figure>At some point over the last 500 years, a branch of Arizona’s burro population went from being beasts of burden to party animals. At parties and events, you might spot these socialized donkeys hauling beer (Google: “beer burro”) while dressed in sarapes, sombreros and “special sanitary garments,” providing photo ops for bachelorettes and conventioneers. On the behavior scale, these highly trained jacks and jennies barely resemble their OG cousins that roam wild – and diaperless – on Biscuit Flat. Descended from hardy African pack animals used by the military, ranchers, explorers and miners dating to the 1500s, these feral beauties graze in several Arizona ranges, including the Bureau of Land Management Lake Pleasant Herd Management Area, a 103,000-acre space located 25 miles northwest of Phoenix. This area is also an outdoor recreational hub bordered by Lake Pleasant, the Ben Avery shooting complex and the Arizona Game &amp; Fish Department headquarters. Running up the middle of it all is the Biscuit Flat Segment of the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail.Hiking Black Canyon Trail is one of the best ways to observe the feral burros. The Biscuit Flat Segment is the first leg of the historic 100-plus-mile route, which runs from Carefree Highway in Phoenix to the Town of Mayer, and was recently extended into the Verde Valley.Following a mashup of ancient travel corridors, wagon roads and livestock tracks that were replaced by Interstate 17, the route traverses mountain passes, valleys, dusty rangeland, defunct mining operations and heritage sites that date back thousands of years.Accessible from two different trailheads in Anthem, the 5.9-mile Biscuit Flat stretch meanders through thorny Sonoran Desert, crossing the New River floodplain where loud brays belie the presence of burros wandering among creosote and saguaros.While the burros are cute to look at, and they don’t usually act aggressively toward hikers, they’re not about to carry your cooler – and they can kick and bite if provoked. When approached, they might stop, stare and block the trail. This isn’t a donkey dare – they’re just being jackasses. They’ll move when they’re ready. The BLM and private agencies can assist those who are interested in learning more about burros, or who maybe even want to adopt one. But while hiking around the untamed beasts, it’s best to view them through a long lens and not expect party etiquette.LENGTH: 5.9 miles one-way RATING: Easy ELEVATION: 1,598-1,878 feet GETTING THERE: To access from Emery Henderson Trailhead, take the New River Road exit 232 from I-17 and go 3.1 miles west to the trailhead on the right. Hike begins across the road. There’s a restroom, site host and picnic areas at this trailhead. To access from Bob Bentley Trailhead, take State Route 74 (Carefree Highway), exit 223 from I-17 and go 1.8 miles west to the trailhead on the right. No facilities. INFO &amp; MAPS: bctaz.orgWild burro adoptions: Want to give one a good home?WHILE YOU’RE THEREAttend one or more of the Arizona Game &amp; Fish Department’s outdoor skills events that take place in the area. Offerings include boater education, firearms and archery courses, fishing lessons, wildlife workshops, conservation talks and ecology lectures. Campgrounds are available at nearby Lake Pleasant and the Ben Avery complex. azgfd.com/events</div></body>

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At some point over the last 500 years, a branch of Arizona’s burro population went from being beasts of burden to party animals. At parties and events, you might spot these socialized donkeys hauling beer (Google: “beer burro”) while dressed in sarapes, sombreros and “special sanitary garments,” providing photo ops for bachelorettes and conventioneers. On the behavior scale, these highly trained jacks and jennies barely resemble their OG cousins that roam wild – and diaperless – on Biscuit Flat. Descended from hardy African pack animals used by the military, ranchers, explorers and miners dating to the 1500s, these feral beauties graze in several Arizona ranges, including the Bureau of Land Management Lake Pleasant Herd Management Area, a 103,000-acre space located 25 miles northwest of Phoenix.

The Burros of Biscuit Flat

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At some point over the last 500 years, a branch of Arizona’s burro population went from being beasts of burden to party animals. At parties and events, you

The Burros of Biscuit Flat

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