Just outside Canyonlands National Park sits Dead Horse Point State Park, one of the most photographed spots in the Southwest. With sweeping canyon views, rim trails, and even overnight yurts, it’s the kind of place that’s easy to add onto a Canyonlands trip but spectacular enough to deserve its own spotlight.
I spent an afternoon here and quickly realized it lives up to the hype. The overlook is jaw-dropping, the trails are approachable, and it has that rare mix of “easy to access” and “feels like the edge of the world.”
If you’re exploring Moab and love unique lodging, check out my Hoodoo Moab Review before planning your Dead Horse Point trip.
Before we get into trails and overlooks, let’s clear up the name. In the 1800s, cowboys used the mesa top as a natural corral for wild mustangs. Legend says horses were once left fenced in without water, dying within sight of the Colorado River below. It’s a grim story, but the name stuck—and now it’s one of Utah’s most iconic viewpoints.
Trail Length: 0.5 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Best Time: Sunset
This is the showstopper. From the overlook, the Colorado River makes a dramatic U-turn 2,000 feet below. On clear days, you’ll see glowing cliffs stacked in shades of red, orange, and brown stretching for miles. At sunset, the light deepens, the canyon walls glow, and the whole place feels surreal.
If you’re short on time, this is the stop you can’t miss. If you’re already visiting nearby Canyonlands, my Canyonlands National Park in 24 Hours: How to See the Best in One Day fits seamlessly with a stop at Dead Horse Point.
Trail Length: 5 miles total if you combine East and West Rim Trails
Difficulty: Moderate (mostly flat with some rocky footing)
Elevation Gain: About 500 ft
Estimated Time: 2–3 hours
If you want more than a quick overlook, the rim trails give you multiple perspectives of the canyon.
Runs along the canyon edge almost the entire way, with wide-open views of the Colorado River, Potash Road, and cliffs in the distance.
Best For: Sweeping panoramas and photo ops
Tip: Do this earlier in the day—the afternoon light can be harsh.
Feels quieter and less crowded, winding through desert plants and slickrock before opening up to overlooks of the Colorado River bend.
Best For: Quieter views and softer late-afternoon light
Trail Length: 2 miles round trip (off the West Rim)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (a little rocky)
Estimated Time: 1 hour
This spur trail leads to one of the best views in the park, perched directly above a river bend. It’s named after the bighorn sheep that live in the area, so keep your eyes peeled. Sunset here is magical if you don’t mind hiking back in fading light.
The visitor center is small but worth stopping into. It has geology exhibits, local art, and a few unique souvenirs. It’s also the best place to grab trail maps before heading out.
Want to wake up with canyon views? Dead Horse Point rents rimside yurts. They’re cozy, unique, and perfect if you want to catch both sunrise and sunset without the drive back to Moab. Bonus: this is a designated dark-sky park, so stargazing from a yurt deck is unbeatable.
Main Overlook: The postcard shot, especially at sunset.
West Rim Trail: Quieter overlooks with soft afternoon light.
Bighorn Overlook: A raw, rugged bend in the river—perfect for wide-angle shots.
Dead Horse Point State Park is home to more than just views. Keep an eye out for:
Bighorn sheep (especially near Bighorn Overlook)
Ravens swooping dramatically through the canyon air
Lizards sunning on slickrock
Desert cottontails darting between shrubs
Spotting wildlife against that canyon backdrop makes the experience even more special.
As a certified International Dark Sky Park, Dead Horse Point is one of the best places in Utah for stargazing. With almost no light pollution, the Milky Way cuts across the sky like a glowing ribbon. If you stay in a yurt, you’ll have stargazing right outside your door. Otherwise, bring a blanket, a headlamp, and settle in at the overlook—it’s a whole different kind of “wow.”
Fee: $20 per vehicle (not included in your National Park Pass)
Drive Time: 45 minutes from Moab, 15 minutes from Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky entrance
Food & Water: Bring your own—there’s no restaurant inside the park
Best Seasons: Spring and fall for mild temps. Summer evenings are hot but stunning; winters can be icy.
Late Afternoon: Stop at the visitor center and orient yourself.
Hike: Walk the West Rim Trail (add the Bighorn spur if you’re up for it).
Sunset: Head to the main overlook for the iconic finale.
Optional Overnight: Book a yurt and stargaze before turning in.
Dead Horse Point may not carry the “national park” title, but it deserves one. The overlook rivals the Grand Canyon in drama, the rim trails give you a sense of scale, and the yurts make it an unforgettable place to stay. Whether you stop in for half an hour or linger for a night, you’ll leave with photos—and memories—that feel larger than life.
If you’re building a full Moab itinerary don’t miss my post Spend a Weekend in Moab: The Perfect 3-Day Itinerary.
A hotel that’s also a free 24-hour contemporary art museum penguins included. We booked a Corner Suite at 21c and it was massive: separate bedroom, living room, dining area, 699 square feet to spread out in. The bathroom alone had a double vanity and custom Rookwood Pottery tile that made getting ready weirdly entertaining.
The location is downtown, two minutes from Fountain Square, walkable to Boca for dinner, and close enough to hop the free streetcar into Over-the-Rhine. If OTR is where most of your plans are, you might want to stay closer to that neighborhood instead downtown worked for us, but we spent more time in OTR than we expected to.
And yes, there’s a recycled-plastic penguin sculpture that will absolutely scare you the first time you open your door and forget it’s there. Link in bio for the full review rooms, parking, walkability, and everything else before you book 🎨
Three neighborhoods, one streetcar, and more Cincinnati specialties than I could finish in one afternoon.
We hit a goetta breakfast sandwich, chocolate chip ice cream from a shop that’s been at it since 1870, a Liège waffle that earned its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives spot, and Cincinnati chili the way it’s actually meant to be eaten... over a hot dog, buried in shredded cheddar.
$75 got us three and a half hours, a local guide, free streetcar rides, and a genuinely full stomach. Don’t eat breakfast before this one, the portions add up fast.
My third Secret Food Tour in my third city, and it’s still undefeated.
Link in bio for the full review cost, route, parking, and every stop we hit 🥟🌶️
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
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