Access to Dead Horse Point is nine miles north of Moab on US 191.(Turn west on SR 313, then go 22 miles.) The visitor center, interpretive museum, developed campground and large overlook shelter make the park comfortable and informative as well as spectacular. The park is open 24 hours a day.

Things to remember while traveling in our Parks:

• Bring plenty of food and water with you. There are NO concessions in Dead Horse State Park.
• Overnight sleeping in the park is allowed in the designated campgrounds only. For a list of lodging properties & campgrounds near the park please click here.

Reservations

Advance reservations are available for group-use and individual campsites. Individual campsite reservations may be made a minimum of three days in advance of arrival and up to 16 weeks in advance of park check-out date. Group areas may be reserved up to 11 months in advance.

To make a reservation, please call 322-3770 in the Salt Lake City calling area or toll free 1-800-322-3770. Reservations are not required but recommended March through October. Unreserved sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

User Fees

Day-use and camping fees are charged year-round. Additional fees are charged for group-use and reservations.

Utah's Grand Canyon - Dead Horse Point State Park is perhaps Utah's most spectacular state park. Towering 2,000 feet directly above the Colorado River, the mesa that is Dead Horse Point provides breathtaking views of the canyon country of southeastern Utah and the pinnacles and buttes of Canyonlands National Park.

Millions of years of geologic activity created the spectacular views from Dead Horse Point State Park. Deposition of sediments by ancient oceans, freshwater lakes, streams and wind blown sand dunes created the rock layers of canyon country. Igneous activity formed the high mountains that rise like cool blue islands out of the hot, dry desert.

The plants and animals of Dead Horse Point have adapted to a land of scarce water and extreme temperatures. Plants grow very slowly here. Trees 15 feet tall may be hundreds of years old. Leaves of most plants are small and some have a waxy coating to reduce evaporation. Most desert animals are nocturnal, active only during cooler evenings and mornings. Some have large ears to dissipate heat, while others metabolize water from food.

The Legend of Dead Horse Point

Dead Horse Point is a peninsula of rock atop sheer sandstone cliffs. The peninsula is connected to the mesa by a narrow strip of land called the neck. There are many stories about how this high promontory of land received its name.

According to one legend, around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck, which is only 30-yards-wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush. This created a natural corral surrounded by precipitous cliffs straight down on all sides, affording no escape. Cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and let the culls or broomtails go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.

Facilities and Services

• Visitor center
• Open year-round
• Facilities for disabled
• Information area
• Exhibits
• Rest rooms
• Water
• Publications
• Souvenirs and snacks
• Paved, self-guided nature trail.
• Evening ranger programs - In amphitheater May through September.
• Day-use facilities - Shade pavilion at overlook. Accessible viewpoints for the disabled. Picnic areas, rest rooms and water at the point. Ten miles of paved and primitive hiking (rails.
• Kayenta campground - 21 campsites. Electricity, tent pad, sheltered table and charcoal grill at each site. Modern rest rooms, dishwashing and sewage disposal stations. One campsite is wheelchair accessible (available by reservation). Recreational vehicles should fill water tanks before coming to park. All water is trucked from Moab - please conserve! No showers. Campground may be full. Reservations are recommended.
• Group site - Available by reservation only for groups of nine to 30 people. Pavilion with picnic tables and charcoal grill. Modern rest rooms, tent pads. No electricity.
• Other services – Gas, food, lodging, commercial tours and medical care are available in Moab, 32 miles away. Additional camping may be available at Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Bureau of Land Management areas and commercial campgrounds in Moab.

Safety in the park

• Most overlooks are not fenced so 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 (heaps of stones).
• Do not throw rocks.
• Drink plenty of water - one gallon per person per day in summer.
• Wear a hat, sunscreen and sturdy shoes while hiking.

Contact Dead Horse Point:

Dead Horse Point State Park
PO Box 609
Moab. UT 84532-0609
(435) 259-2614
1 (800) 322-3770 Camping reservations