Wild Burros: Saucy Symbols of the Silver State

Why Are There So Many Wild Burros In Nevada?

As we mentioned, Spanish explorers and settlers employed burros as pack animals out west in the 1500s. They also used plenty of horses for overland travel, but serious jobs called for the burro. For starters, these badass beasts can carry around 150 pounds of gear each, even during stretches with little food and water, through both searingly hot and bitterly cold climates. Unsurprisingly, in the 19th century, when prospectors and miners poured into Nevada, the mighty burro was king. Over the years, especially as the mining days began to wane, many burros escaped or were simply turned loose. Give a handful of jacks and jennies a little bit of privacy and a few generations, and voila — you wind up with a whole lot more of ’em!

Jim Butler and his wife Belle lived on a ranch not far from modern-day Tonopah in what is now the ghost town of Belmont. Jim was a businessman in the then-booming community, but was also described as a “sometimes prospector” — which basically meant it wasn’t uncommon for him to suddenly get a wild hair and hit the trail with his burro in search of the next big claim. In May of 1900 he did exactly that, setting off from his ranch in search of a promising vein and making his way to an undeveloped area called “Tonopah” meaning “greasewood” and “water” in the Shoshone language, which Jim spoke fluently. Suddenly a massive storm rolled in and Jim set up camp for the night near a spring in the foothills.

As the story goes, Jim awoke up the following morning to find that his burro had wandered off. When he finally tracked his ass down (see what we did there?), he wasn’t super interested in getting back on the trail. So, to get him moving, Jim picked up a rock to toss at them for some rude encouragement. Before letting it fly, Jim noticed this rock was unusually heavy. Turns out, that’s because the thing was mostly pure silver, prompting Jim to immediately stake his claim, which he named “the Mizpah” — the first of many seriously fruitful claims that would eventually make Tonopah one of the most profitable boomtowns in Nevada history.

When you’re out cruising the Nevada backcountry and you see a pair of distinctive ears pop up on the horizon, you might think what you’re seeing is a wild horse. However, a burro’s ears are almost twice the size of a horses and stand up straight, almost like a gigantic rabbit’s ear. Burros are also only about half the size of a wild horse (although they’re often about twice as loud). Like horses, burros can vary in coat color from so dark brown they seem nearly black to so light they almost seem white. Regardless of coat or color, all wild burros rock a dorsal stripe — markings that look like a cross on their shoulders and back, as well as dark earmarks, lighter coloring around their muzzle and eye rings, and a white or lighter colored belly and inner legs. Like wild horses, burros form bands (or herds) that are generally led by a dominant male (jack) and a lead mare (jenny).

Burros thrive in all kinds of Nevada locales, from sunny southern Nevada all the way up to the Black Rock Desert. Some herds have never strayed far from their original “hometowns” — now historic ghost towns (or “living ghost towns”), like Goldfield, Rhyolite, and Marietta. They also tend to set up shop near natural cold springs and hot springs, like Spencer Hot Springs and Soldier Meadows Hot Springs, which they treat as a big ol’ burro drinking fountain.

But you don’t need to venture too far out of civilization to spot wild burros. In fact, just 20 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, you can almost always see them bounding around Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area — especially at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, where they love to cool off with sips from cold springs and munch on the park’s sprawling lawn.

While enjoying a sunset soak or camping in the area, you’re likely to spot (or at least hear the telltale HEE-haaawws of) the Hickison Burro Herd. This group of fuzzy-faced friends has roamed this region for ages. In fact, they’re so well known that they have their own official herd name and are marked in the Benchmark atlas.

Spencer Hot Springs has four soaking pools (although the uppermost one is generally not hot). The “cowboy tub” (read: repurposed cattle trough) closest to the road flows into terraced ponds, which creates a marshy, grassy area that the burros love. It’s never cool (or legal!) to approach, or especially wildlife, no matter the circumstance, but don’t be alarmed if they come right up to the tub itself for a drink.