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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
Dead Horse Point State Park is located near Moab in southeastern Utah. From Moab, proceed north on US191. Turn west onto Utah State Highway 313, which also leads to the Island In The Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. From Utah State Highway 313 a clearly marked spur road leads south to Dead Horse Point State Park. All access roads and roads within the park are paved. However, access to the plateau below the park's overlook is via an unpaved road and requires a four wheel drive vehicle.
There are some interesting stopping points along Utah 313, which climbs up fairly steeply from the US191/Moab valley.
Dead Horse Point is a place where you will want to linger and look for a long time.
Of all the various overlooks in this part of Utah, we felt Dead Horse Point State Park was the most spectacular.
As well as the river, several distant snow-clad mountain ranges, including the La Sal Mountains and the Henry Mountains, can be seen on the horizon.
Sometimes boats on the river can be seen disappearing from sight and re-appearing some minutes later.
The area the park now occupies was once used as a horse corral, since it is only connected to the "mainland" by very a narrow neck of land. For some reason a group of horses were abandoned here and died of thirst, within site of the river far below. Hence the name of the point and the park.
The large turquoise coloured areas visible in the distance from some of the overlooks in Dead Horse Point State Park are almost certainly potash works, located at the end of Utah State Road 279.
The soil at Dead Horse Point has a cryptobiotic crust, which means that it contains many living organisms. To avoid damaging this soil you should be sure to keep strictly to the established trails in the Park.
This part of Utah often gets extremely hot in summer. However, due to the altitude it is usually a little cooler at Dead Horse Point State Park than at Moab.
By the way, the Gooseneck of the Colorado River visible from Dead Horse Point State Park should not be confused with the Gooseneck Overlook in Capitol Reef National Park, or with Goosenecks State Park.
The Gooseneck visible from Dead Horse Point State Park is also visible from the Gooseneck Overlook close to the Island In The Sky section of Canyonlands National Park, but that overlook lies at the end of a lengthy unpaved road suitable only for fourwheel drive vehicles.
I think the entrance fee is valid for one day. Provided you keep your receipt stuck on your windscreen, you are free to re-enter the park on the same day, perhaps after visiting the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park.
The entrance fee for this park does NOT entitle you to entrance to the nearby Canyonlands National Park or Arches National Park.
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Most recently modified 3-Sep-02