Burro Creek Canyon Overlook

What makes Burro Creek special is simply that it flows. In this stretch of west-central Arizona, most washes run only after rain, but Burro Creek carries water year round, fed by springs and a large watershed in the surrounding highlands. That reliable water has cut a rugged canyon into the desert rock and supports a green corridor of cottonwood, willow, and other water-loving plants utterly unlike the dry hills around it.

The creek and its canyon form an oasis for wildlife. Birds gather in the streamside trees, desert animals come down to drink, and the water sustains fish and other creatures found nowhere else in the immediate desert. For the traveler, the sight and sound of running water in such dry country is a small marvel, and the swimming holes below the bridge are a favorite way to cool off.

The most striking human landmark here is the Burro Creek Bridge, a graceful steel arch that carries US 93 across the canyon high above the creek. When the original span was built in the mid-twentieth century, it was a notable engineering achievement, a soaring arch leaping the gorge in a single bound, and a companion span was later added to carry the widened highway.

From the bridge and nearby pullouts, travelers get a fine view down into the canyon and along the green line of the creek. The graceful curve of the steel against the raw desert rock is a scene worth pausing for, and it marks the spot where the otherwise featureless highway crosses one of the region's hidden gems.

Burro Creek is known among desert lovers for its spring wildflowers. The area's mineral-rich soils, tied to the copper country nearby, can produce spectacular displays when winter rains have been generous, carpeting the hills and washes with color. Poppies, lupines, brittlebush, and a host of other desert blooms transform the landscape for a few brief weeks.

Even in ordinary years, spring brings the desert to life around the creek, with blooming cactus and flowering shrubs. The combination of running water, green canyon, and seasonal wildflowers makes spring by far the best time to visit, drawing photographers and naturalists who know that this quiet spot along the highway can put on a remarkable show.

Burro Creek lies in one of Arizona's emptier corners, the high desert country traversed by US 93 on its way between the Phoenix area and the Colorado River and Las Vegas beyond. The nearest settlement is Bagdad, an old and still-active copper mining town tucked in the hills to the east, one of the last true company towns in the state.

The surrounding land is rugged and thinly settled, a country of desert grassland, rocky ranges, and long views, rising toward the higher plateaus to the north. Against that backdrop of empty distance, the green oasis of Burro Creek stands out all the more, a reminder that even the driest-looking country hides pockets of water and life for those who stop to look.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.