Dead Horse Point

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Elevation gain: 40 feet
Difficulty: 1
Overall: 8
Reference: Southeastern Utah, about 15 miles southwest of Moab, near Canyonlands National Park.
User groups: Hikers. Great trail for kids. No wheelchair access.
Permits: The park charges an entry fee.

Directions

From about nine miles northwest of Moab, UT, on US 191, turn southwest on State Route 313. Drive about 15 miles to where the signed turn to Dead Horse Point State Park leads another eight miles to road's end at the park.

Maps

Trails Illustrated's Needles & Island in the Sky Canyonlands National Park. For a USGS topographic map, ask for Shafer Basin. A park brochure describes the trail.

Contact

Dead Horse Point State Park, P. O. Box 609, Moab, UT 84532; (435) 259-2614.

Trail notes

The overlook from Dead Horse Point down 2,000 feet to the Colorado River and across the rust and white and buff sandstone of Canyonlands defies description and certainly ranks among the best overlooks in the entire world. The point can be accessed by car, but take the easy main trail from the visitor center along the rim, watching the view grow more and more dramatic to the east and south, feeling the sense of wonder deepen. More trail miles can extend your hike all the way around the top of the magnificent jut of the point, providing more overlooks west and north.

Information courtesy of Buck Tilton, author of Utah Hiking.