Dead Horse Point State Park: Don’t Skip This Stop on Your Utah Road Trip
Dead Horse Point State Park is easy to overlook if your focus is on national parks. We did exactly that on our first visit to the area and skipped it altogether. Big mistake.
The park is not huge, only about 5,300 acres, but it makes up for its size with the views. Lookouts sit 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, and the scenery below is the main event.
A river runs through the view
The Colorado River flows far beneath the rim, cutting a deep gooseneck through the canyon. It’s easy to see how the river shaped this desert landscape. At sunrise and sunset, light moves across the rock walls, and the river shifts from dark green to silver. This is one of those places where the activity is simply to take in the moment.
The main overlook is an easy walk from the parking area on a paved path, but the best way to experience the park is on foot. The West Rim Trail, our favorite hike in the park, follows the edge of the mesa with changing views down to the river. The trail is mostly flat and easy to follow, which lets you focus on the scenery rather than what is under your feet. Every bend offers a different angle on the canyon.
Staying in a yurt comes with a free Milky Way
A couple of years back, we spent a night in one of the park’s yurts, which sit back from the rim in their own little cul-de-sac. It’s an evening we remember fondly, enough so that it has landed back in Karen’s wish bucket for some time in the future. After dark, quiet settled over our circular home for the night, and the stars put on a show we’ll never forget.
Close to many other attractions
Dead Horse Point State Park sits close to Canyonlands National Park, the town of Moab, and the Shafer Trail, which makes it an easy add-on stop if your plans take you to any of these nearby attractions.
If your goal is a big view with little effort, this park is the place to be.
Listen to us discuss Dead Horse Point State Park
Below is the audio clip from our podcast where we talk about the park.
