Dead Horse Point State Park
Encyclopedia
Dead Horse Point State Park is a state park
of Utah
, USA, featuring a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River
and Canyonlands National Park
. The park is so named because of its use as a natural corral by cowboys in the 19th century. The "dead horse" part of the name is that the corral was abandoned, but the horses did not leave the corral, even after the gate was left open, and died there. The park covers 5362 acres (21.7 km²) of high desert at an altitude of 5900 feet (1,798.3 m).
The plateau is surrounded by sheer cliffs 2000 feet (609.6 m) high with only a narrow neck of land 30 yards (27.4 m) wide connecting the mesa to the main plateau. Thus it was easy for cowboys to simply fence off this narrow neck, and keep rounded up wild horses from running away. Legend has it that one group of horses was inadvertently left fenced in and eventually died of thirst. The area was also used in the final scene of the 1991 film Thelma & Louise.
The park has several overlooks, a visitor center, a 21-site campground and a group campsite, one picnic area, and a 9 miles (14.5 km) loop hiking trail with two cutovers to allow shorter trips. Safety concerns include the relative isolation of the park (gas, food and medical care are over 30 miles (48.3 km) away in Moab), lightning danger and unfenced cliffs . While nearby Moab is a noted center for mountain biking, bikes in the park are only allowed on paved roads. Hunting is not allowed in the park.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, USA, featuring a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
and Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
. The park is so named because of its use as a natural corral by cowboys in the 19th century. The "dead horse" part of the name is that the corral was abandoned, but the horses did not leave the corral, even after the gate was left open, and died there. The park covers 5362 acres (21.7 km²) of high desert at an altitude of 5900 feet (1,798.3 m).
The plateau is surrounded by sheer cliffs 2000 feet (609.6 m) high with only a narrow neck of land 30 yards (27.4 m) wide connecting the mesa to the main plateau. Thus it was easy for cowboys to simply fence off this narrow neck, and keep rounded up wild horses from running away. Legend has it that one group of horses was inadvertently left fenced in and eventually died of thirst. The area was also used in the final scene of the 1991 film Thelma & Louise.
The park has several overlooks, a visitor center, a 21-site campground and a group campsite, one picnic area, and a 9 miles (14.5 km) loop hiking trail with two cutovers to allow shorter trips. Safety concerns include the relative isolation of the park (gas, food and medical care are over 30 miles (48.3 km) away in Moab), lightning danger and unfenced cliffs . While nearby Moab is a noted center for mountain biking, bikes in the park are only allowed on paved roads. Hunting is not allowed in the park.