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Dead Horse Point State Park provides some of the most dramatic views in Utah. It’s located near the entrance to Canyonlands National Park’s Island in the Sky district and also not too far from Arches National Park and the town of Moab.
Visiting the Park
If you’re in the area to see the two national parks, it’s well worth making time for Dead Horse Point State Park. It costs US$20 per carload to enter (as of September 2023). It’s open daily from 6am to 10pm.
Campsites and yurts are available if you plan to stay the night. They can be reserved here. One negative is that there are no showers available so you must come prepared.
Visitor Center
Although there are about seven miles of trails at the park, we came strictly for the views. We started at the visitor center where we got a quick bite to eat and looked through the store. There’s also a short ⅛ mile loop nature trail but we didn’t do it.
Dead Horse Point
Next, we drove to Dead Horse Point, where the most spectacular views can be found. We first looked to the southeast, where we could see the Colorado River winding through the landscape. It took 10-15 million years for the river to carve the canyons in front of us.
To the southwest we saw a gooseneck formed by the river. We could also see into the Island in the Sky district at Canyonlands National Park.
Looking to the south is more rugged desert landscape. Some is located within the Canyonlands boundaries while the rest is not.
Potash Road
Looking down it was possible to spot Potash Road, which leads into Canyonlands and connects with White Rim Road. It’s not within the park boundaries of either Dead Horse Point State Park of Canyonlands National Park.
If you’ve see Thelma and Louise, you’ve seen Potash Road because the canyon below doubles as the Grand Canyon for the film. At the end of the movie (spoiler alert!), the duo plunge their car into the Colorado River from Potash Road. If you have the chance to drive along the road with a 4×4, you can visit Thelma and Louise Point to see where that scene was filmed.
Meander Overlook
Finally, before leaving the park, we stopped at the Meander Overlook for a few more amazing views of the landscape.
