These Mules At The Rose Parade Have Century-Long Ties To The Birth Of National Forests In California

On New Year's Day, more than a dozen equestrian groups will be on hand to showcase their horseback skills and the majesty of the animals at the Rose Parade as they trot down its 5.5-mile route.

Joining them will be their arguably less glitzy but equally mighty relatives: about a dozen or so mules that have traveled to Pasadena from California's six national forests.

They are the pack stock of the U.S. Forest Service — part of a legacy that hearkens back to the time when the state's wilderness was first being reimagined as recreational space.

"When the Forest Service first started back in the early 1900's, they really relied on horses and pack mules," said Nathan Judy, a spokesperson for the Forest Service based out of San Diego. "The mules are very strong, very smart animals that can carry heavy loads and balance those loads a lot better than some horses do."

Along treacherous terrain, these mules delivered logs and other equipment to build trails, fencing, ranger stations and fire lookout towers from scratch.

A century later, the agency still relies on these hearty creatures to manage and safeguard the forests, as motorized vehicles are banned in wilderness areas.

"When we have wildfires, we count on those mules and those pack stock to haul our equipment out into those areas, whether it be chainsaws or hoes or tools," Judy said.

Mules are used by the U.S. Forest Service to fight fire in remote forest locations, as motorized equipment and mechanized transport are prohibited in these areas.

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Nathan Judy

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USDA Forest Service

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Just earlier this year, mules were used to remove debris and recover wreckage after a Navy helicopter crashed in the Inyo National Forest near the California and Nevada border.

Despite the central role they play in forest maintenance, Judy said the herd at one point numbered at more than 2,000 at its peak but had dwindled to a tiny fraction of that by the 1990s. A subsequent reinvestment has brought the number back to some 130 mules in California today, which make up the majority of the mule pack stock in the country.

2024 Rose Parade

It would mark the third time this decade the Forest Service has participated in the Rose Parade. This time, the agency is celebrating the 80th birthday of Smokey Bear, the star of what Judy calls "the longest running ad campaign" in America.

But make no mistake, the fire-prevention spokesbear isn't the only icon being honored.

"The equestrian entry that we're putting into the Rose Parade really has to do showing off our firefighters [and] our pack stock," Judy said.

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Nathan Judy

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USDA Forest Service

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Leading the way will be the "color guards," mules bearing different flags including that of the United States. They'll be followed by Amy and Annie, a pair of mules that'll be pulling the parade wagon. The rest of the herd — joined by Forest Service firefighters — will round out the cavalcade.

"You're going to see a lot of mules out there on the road, representing what they do for the Forest Service," Judy said.

Training and preparation

Their participation requires months of preparation, which Judy said started in April when the agency found out it had been accepted into the parade.

Since around early December, the mules have been training with their packers at Inyo National Forest to get ready for the big day.

One in a deck of trading cards of the mules created by the U.S. National Forest.

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USDA Forest Service

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"When you're in a parade, you have audiences on either side screaming and yelling. There could be flying debris like bags or something that's flying by," Judy said. "They'll bring out trash cans and start banging on [them] to get the animals prepared for loud noises."

Earlier in the week, the mules started arriving at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, their new home base until the parade.

The 75-acre venue in Griffith Park is also the site of Equestfest on Dec. 29, where the public is invited to meet the parade's equestrian units and watch them perform.

The Forest Service's pack stock of mules will also be there to strut their stuff.

"You get to talk to our packers, see the mules firsthand, and that's where you might even be able to get some of our trading cards of the mules," Judy said.