Utah's Dead Horse Point State Park & Canyonlands National Park

Utah's state and national parks systems are some of the largest in the country thanks in part to it's countless parks offering unbelievable views of the states natural beauty and landscape views. From views of arches, hoodoos, canyons, and rivers; Utah has it all. We ventured through many of Utah's parks this past week and here we will detail our time in both Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park is situated just 9 miles north of Moab in the state of Utah where it encompasses over 5,000 acres of desert terrain at 5900 ft of elevation. 2,000 ft below sits the massive Colorado River. Dead Horse Point sits on the edge of Canyonlands National Park. Interestingly the park got its name due to the sites history of being used as a natural horse corral by cowboys in the 19th century. Legend has it that one time these horses were corralled out through the neck and onto the point where they were then left stranded and eventually succumbed to the heat and dehydration, hence the park's name.

From the park you can see amazing views of both the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. Amenities include a visitor center, coffee shop, picnic areas, and a small campground which includes a couple yurts, ample space for RVs, and a few spots for hike-in-tent only sites. The park consists of 8 miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of mountain biking trails. The Intrepid Trail is the easiest hiking trail and the Twisted Tree Trail is the most challenging trail within the park. The park is a certified international dark sky park meaning it is a perfect place for star gazing throughout the night. We were here a little bit before sunset so the scenic views were a bit more colorful due to the sun being closer to the horizon. We spent about an hour or so walking around parts of the park before heading around the corner to Canyonlands.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is a massive 527 sq mile area encompassing over 300,000 acres of deep red rock canyons, sections of the Colorado and Green Rivers, and many smaller, but still magnificent arches as well as many spectacular hoodoos. The park is split into 4 distinct districts each with their own characteristics. The Island in the Sky district is the most popular and where we spent our evening. The four best trails throughout the park are the Mesa Arch Rim Overlook, Pothole Point Trail, Peekaboo Trail, and Chesler Park Trail. Each vary in degree of difficulty so choose what best fits your capabilities and liking.

If you're looking for more of an adventure and have more than a day to spend in Canyonlands then the White Rim Road may be just what you're looking for! We only had a few hours in the park so did not get to explore this trail at all; however, this would be a unique experience and something I would come back for in the future to do. This 100-mile road loops around and below the island in the sky mesa top and provides the best views in the park and is probably one of the most scenic drives you'll ever encounter. 4WD trips usually take 2 days and mountain bike trips 3-4 days depending on individual experience and how much time spent enjoying the views, etc.

The terrain is rough at times and can be challenging even for mountain bikes or 4WD vehicles so extreme caution is advised for anyone undertaking this feat. Be prepared for a variety of weather conditions and always keep safety in mind. During periods of rain the Green River may rise to high levels which can often flood parts of the road rendering a complete loop of the park not viable so plan accordingly. Although we did not have anywhere near the time to explore more of the park the White Rim Road is now on my bucket list. After seeing the road down below from the overlooks, the scenic drive you will encounter on that trek are undeniably beautiful and likely some of the best around. I hope to go back soon.

We did not do any significant hikes while at Canyonlands, instead we stuck to a few of the main overlooks and focused more on relaxing and watching the sunset. The views across the park as the sun sets below the horizon and above the canyons brings out amazing color both in the sky as well as bringing out the vibrant colors of the red rock canyons.

Click here to check out more of our photos from our short trips to each of these parks.

Utah has some of the most jaw-dropping parks in the southwest U.S. We only spent a small amount of time in these two parks and only got a glimpse of what they offer. I would highly recommend a full day in Dead Horse Point State Park and 1-2 days in Canyonlands National Park depending on how much hiking and exploring you hope to do (definitely need at least 2 days if your goal is to include the White Rim Road adventure.) We will be venturing off to explore Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks over the next couple days and will add a few posts about those parks and our adventures in the coming days so keep an eye out for those in the near future.