Dead Horse Point

The view from Dead Horse Point is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world. Towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, the overlook provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculpted pinnacles and buttes. Millions of years of geologic activity created the spectacular views from Dead Horse Point State Park.

Before the turn of the 19th century, mustang herds ran wild on the mesas near Dead Horse Point. The unique peninsula provided a natural corral into which the horses were driven by cowboys. The only escape was through a narrow, 30-yard neck of land controlled by fencing. Mustangs were then roped and broken, with the better ones being kept for personal use or sold to eastern markets. Unwanted culls of “broom tails” were left behind to find their way off the Point.

According to legend, a band of broom tails was left corralled on the Point. The gate was supposedly left open so the horses could return to the open range. For some unknown reason, the mustangs remained on the Point where they died of thirst within sight of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below.

Today, Dead Horse Point provides a beautiful mesa where you can look for miles into Canyonlands National Park or 2,000 feet down to the Colorado River.

Location:  Dead Horse State Park; Moab, Utah.