Park Guidelines
Please observe the following park regulations to
ensure everyone’s visit is pleasant.
♦♦ Most overlooks are not fenced. Please use
extreme caution!
♦♦ Lightning danger is severe on exposed canyon
rims. Seek shelter in a building or vehicle during
thunderstorms.
♦♦ Stay on established trails. Follow signs and rock
cairns (stacks of rocks).
♦♦ Please do not throw rocks or objects off the cliffs.
♦♦ Drink plenty of water—one gallon per person per
day in summer.
♦♦ Wear a hat, sunscreen, and sturdy shoes while
hiking.
♦♦ Do not leave people or pets in vehicles. Sunlight
will heat up a vehicle’s interior to dangerous
levels. Cracking windows and leaving water is not
enough to ensure safety.
Gas, food, and medical care is available in Moab,
32 miles away. Come prepared and be safe to
prevent lengthy emergencies.
Camping — Camp only in designated areas. Each
camping permit covers one vehicle and any attached
recreational equipment. Up to eight people are
allowed in a campsite. There is an extra fee for
additional vehicles or camping equipment. Tents must
fit on tent pads or on the pavement in the campsite.
Fires — Fires are permitted in fire rings only. Gathering
firewood is prohibited. Firewood is available for
purchase. Charcoal may be used in grills.
Fireworks — Fireworks of any kind are prohibited.
Parking — Park only in designated areas.
Pets — Pets are allowed at Dead Horse Point State
Park, but must be on a maximum six-foot leash. For
safety and courtesy, please keep pets under control
and clean up after them. Pets are not allowed on the
Intrepid Trail System.
Plants and animals — All plants, animals, minerals,
and other natural features in state parks are protected.
It is unlawful to remove, alter, or destroy them.
Trails — Hiking trails are for foot traffic only. Please
stay on established trails. Bicycling is permitted on the
Intrepid Trail System and established roads. Motorized
vehicles must remain on established roads.
Vandalism — It is unlawful to damage or deface any
natural or constructed feature or structure. Please
help keep the park beautiful.
Wastewater — It is unlawful to dump or drain water
from campers or trailers onto the ground. A sanitary
disposal station is provided for registered campers.
Quiet hours — 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Park Location:
The park is located nine miles north of Moab on US 191
and 23 miles south on SR 313 at the end of the highway.
Operating Hours:
The park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for day-use yearround. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Address Inquiries To:
Dead Horse Point State Park
P.O. Box 609
Moab, UT 84532-0609
(435) 259-2614
or
Utah State Parks and Recreation
P.O. Box 146001
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6001
(801) 538-7220
stateparks.utah.gov
Gooseneck Meander of the Colorado River as seen from Dead Horse Point
Safety Tips
Bicycling — Bicycles and e-bikes are permitted on
established public roads and in parking areas. Singletrack mountain biking is available on the Intrepid Trail
System. Bikes are not allowed on hiking trails.
Dead Horse Point
State Park
Your park fees provide for the care, protection,
and enhancement of this park.
For Reservations Call:
(800) 322-3770
Utah State Parks Mission:
To enhance the quality of life by preserving and providing
natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the enjoyment,
education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
for the latest park updates.
facebook @DeadHorsePointStatePark
instagram @DeadHorsePoint
Information contained in this brochure was accurate at the time of
printing. Policies, facilities, fees, hours, and regulations, etc., change
as mandated. For updated information please contact the park.
Printed on recycled paper 4/19
Utah State Parks
DEAD HORSE POINT
ACTIVITIES
STATE PARK
The Legend of Dead Horse Point
A
ccording to one legend, the point was once used as a corral for
wild mustangs roaming the mesa. Cowboys rounded up these
horses and herded them across the narrow neck of land onto the
point. The neck, which is only 30 yards wide, was then fenced off
with branches and brush, creating a natural corral surrounded by
precipitous cliffs. The cowboys then chose the horses they wanted
and, for reasons unknown, left the other horses corralled on the
waterless point, where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado
River 2,000 feet below.
Plants and Animals
Moenkopi
Yurts
B
ecause the park receives only 10 inches of precipitation a year,
vegetation and wildlife have adapted to live in this arid desert
environment. Plants have developed ways of minimizing water loss,
maximizing water gain, and even going dormant during droughts. For
their seeds to take root, plants rely on cryptobiotic soil crusts, which
took hundreds of years to develop. Animals are often active during
cooler periods of the day while resting in the shade or burrows through
the middle of the day. Some animals get their water needs from the
food they eat, while others will travel many miles or wait several weeks
for rain.
MTB
Desert ecosystems survive in a delicate balance. Please respect
wildlife and plants encountered during your visit and stay on marked
trails to reduce your impact.
Geology
M
illions of years of geologic activity
created the spectacular views from
Dead Horse Point. Deposition of sediments
by ancient oceans, freshwater lakes,
streams, and wind-blown sand dunes
created the rock layers of canyon country.
Volcanic activity formed the high mountains
that rise like cool, blue islands out of the hot,
dry desert.
Ten million years of erosion sculpted this land
of canyons, mesas and buttes. The Colorado
River has carved its path deep into the
ancient rock layers on its journey to the sea.
Arch Forming
Stratum at Arches
National Park
Entrada Sandstone
Mountain Bike Trail
Skill Level
Easiest
Petrified Sand Dunes
Navajo Sandstone
What You Stand on at
Dead Horse Point
Kayenta Sandstone
Cliff Forming Layer
Wingate Sandstone
Uranium Bearing
Layer
Level of
Colorado
River
Chinle Formation
Moenkopi Formation
Cutler Formation
Honaker Trail Formation
W
N
S
More Difficult
E
Most Difficult
Raven Roll
Intrepid
Great Pyramid
Big Chief
Crossroads
Whiptail
Twisted Tree
Prickly Pair
