Dead Horse holds intriguing stories and exceptional scenery!
| Distance from Moab | 33 miles (52 km) |
| Directions from Moab | Take Highway 191 10 miles (16 km) north to Highway 313, then make a left and drive southwest 15 miles (23.5 km) on Highway 313. Partway down 313, about 15 miles (23.5 km), you will turn left to continue onto 313 for 7 miles (12 km) into Dead Horse State Park. |
| Park Hours | Open year-round, 6 am-10 pm |
| Entrance Fee | $20/vehicle |
| Visitor Center & Hours | Dead Horse Visitor’s Center is open year-round from 9 am-5 pm, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day when the visitor’s center is closed for the holiday. The park is still open during these holidays, however. |
Dead Horse State Park is the smallest park in the Moab area but has exceptional views of the area, especially Canyonlands National Park. Dead Horse State Park is located 33 miles (52 km) north of Moab on Highway 313.
The most popular attraction for this state park is Dead Horse Point, where you have an exceptional view of the area. The point is named as such due to its usage in the 19th century. Dead Horse Point is a plateau with a slim entrance point. Cowboys used to utilize this plateau to corral horses when roaming across the ranges because it was easy to corral the animals with only fencing the entrance to the plateau. Every other side of this plateau is sheer cliffs that are impossible to safely get down. It is known as “Dead Horse Point” because legend says that the cowboys would leave the sick and lame of their horses here because they wouldn’t have survived the trip. The abandoned horses would die of exposure and dehydration.
From the famous Dead Horse Point, you can see a rock formation below that is shaped like a horse. There are many different stories and legends as to what the formation is and represents, but the most popular story states it is the spirit of the abandoned horses.
Dead Horse State Park has camping facilities suitable for both RV camping and tent camping. The park also has various overlooks besides the famous Dead Horse Point that tourists often come to experience. Along with these attractions and facilities, the park also has access points to various biking trails as well.
Suggested Activities in Dead Horse State Park
| AVAILABLE TIME | SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES |
| 2-3 hours | Drive up to Dead Horse Point to go through the Visitor’s Center and experience the breath-taking views the famous plateau has to offer. |
| 1/2 day | Drive up to Dead horse Point Overlook and hike the Rim trails. Following your hikes, spend some time exploring the Visitor’s Center. |
| Full Day | See Dead Horse point from below on the 3-Hour Fun Run Jet Boat tour. Then, drive up to Dead Horse Point Overlook to see everything from above and go on the West and East Rim trail hikes. |
| Several Days | Camp in a Yurt inside the park. Spend these few days exploring through the Rim hiking trails to the various overlook points in the park along with biking through the many trails on the Intrepid Trail Circuit. |