Road Trip 2008: Dead Horse SP

Stopping by at Dead Horse Point SP was recommended to me by Mike, and, as always, his recommendation was well worth following. The views from the overlook into the Colorado River were simply stunning. Only on the overlook itself we spent more than an hour, admiring the forces of erosion that formed this spectacular landscape. We also wanted to go there for a hike, but we couldn't find any trail that would form a loop. So instead we just did a bit of backcountry hiking trying to get as close to the rim of the plateau as possible.

The park is called "Dead Horse Point" because in the 19th century the cowboys were using it to trap wild mustang herds. The only escape for the horses was through a narrow, 30-meter wide neck of land that cowboys controlled by fencing. After selecting the better mustangs, the unwanted ones were being left behind to find their own way off the Point. According to a legend, once, for an unknown reason, the group of horses remained on the Point and died of thirst, giving the park its name.

Dead Horse Point SP overlook:


Me, near the overlook: