Yes — free-roaming herds of wild horses still live in the United States, mostly across the western states. These horses, often called mustangs, are descendants of domestic horses turned loose or escaped over the past few centuries. Most herds today are managed under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, primarily by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Pryor Mountains, Montana & Wyoming
The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, straddling the Montana–Wyoming border, is home to the Pryor Mountain Mustangs — one of the oldest protected wild horse herds in the country. The BLM manages the range in cooperation with the nonprofit Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, which tracks individual horses and their family bands for the public.
Sand Wash Basin, Colorado
In the high desert of northwestern Colorado, the BLM-managed Sand Wash Basin herd is known for its striking variety of colors and markings, including a notable concentration of pinto and grulla coloring. Volunteer groups work alongside the BLM to document the herd's bloodlines and support its long-term genetic health.
Onaqui Mountains, Utah
West of Salt Lake City, the Onaqui herd is one of the most accessible and photographed wild horse populations in the country — visible from a public viewing loop near Tooele County. The BLM manages the herd's size through periodic fertility-control programs rather than only removals.
Virginia Range, Nevada
The Virginia Range near Reno and Carson City is home to one of the largest free-roaming horse populations in the country. Unlike most other herds, it falls under Nevada state jurisdiction rather than the BLM, and is managed by the Nevada Department of Agriculture together with local advocacy groups.
Other Free-Roaming Herds
These four are only a starting point. Wild and feral herds also roam Assateague Island (Maryland/Virginia), the Outer Banks of Currituck County, North Carolina, and dozens of BLM Herd Management Areas across Nevada, Wyoming, Oregon, and California — together home to most of the roughly 70,000+ wild horses and burros the BLM oversees nationwide.
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