About Dead Horse Point State Park

This Utah state park is 30 miles from the town of Moab and boasts an immense desert landscape of canyons, high desert woodland, miles of hiking and biking trails, and incredible views. Dead Horse Point, after which the park is named, is a peninsula of rock atop sheer sandstone cliffs, located at the end of a mesa 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, on the edge of Canyonlands National Park.

There are many stories about how Dead Horse Point received its name. According to one legend, cowboys used the mesa as a corral to round up wild horses, they would then choose the ones they wanted and let the others go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point and they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.

The park is home to a variety of wildlife. Watch for bighorn sheep near rocky areas, mule deer in the early morning or late evening hours grazing on grasses and shrubs, and bald eagles and peregrine falcons in the sky.  The park is also home to several nocturnal creatures including mountain lions and kit foxes.

Let us book a mountain bike tour of the park for you where your guide will take you on exciting trails to see breathtaking views as you explore.  At night, enjoy stargazing from your campground; there is no light pollution here and the park is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park. On nights when the moon is low or new, there is a good chance you will see the Milky Way.

Interesting Facts About Dead Horse Point State Park

• The famous ending cliff scene in the movie “Thelma and Louise” was filmed here.
• The park is at an elevation of 5,900 feet.