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Dead Horse Point is perhaps Utah's most spectacular state park. Towering 2,000 feet directly above the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands' sculptured pinnacles and buttes. Dead Horse Point is on State Route 313, 18 miles off Highway 191 near Moab. The visitor center, interpretive museum, modern rest rooms, 21-unit campground, sewage disposal station, group camping area, pavilion and large overlook shelter make Dead Horse Point comfortable and informative as well as spectacular.
The Legend Of Dead Horse Point:
Dead Horse Point is a peninsula of rock atop sheer sandstone cliffs. The peninsula is connected to a mesa by a narrow strip of land called the neck. There are many stories about how this high promontory of land received its name. According to one legend, around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck, which is only 30 - yards-wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush.
This created a natural corral surrounded by precipi tous cliffs, affording no escape. Cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and let the culls or broomtails go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.
Activities:
Interpretive exhibits at the visitors center include informational displays about canyon country geology, local plants and animals, prehistoric cultures and park history. Videos are available for viewing upon request. A self guided nature walk around the visitor center educates visitors about the plants, animals, geology and the park environment. Rangers present interpretive programs each evening in the visitors center amphitheater from May through September. A Junior Ranger program is offered for young visitors who want to learn more about the park and earn a Junior Ranger badge. Ten miles of hiking trails in the park include two adjoining loops around the rim and several spurs to beautiful view points.
Lodging / Campgrounds:
Dead Horse Point State Park Campground
Moab Utah Hotels (Affiliate Link)
Moab Utah Campgrounds and Primitive Camping Areas
Tours by Viator (Affiliate Links)
Sunrise photography in Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands National Park
Dead Horse Point Half-Day Guided Mountain Biking Tour in Moab
Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab
Moab Daytime Jet Boat Tour on the Colorado River
Scenic Tour of Canyonlands National Park & Dead Horse Pt - Morning or Sunset
More Information:
Dead Horse Point State Park
P.O. Box 609
Moab, UT 84532-0609
Visitor Information - (435) 259-2614
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