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Dead Horse Point State Park is perhaps Utah's most spectacular state park. Dead
Horse Point is a promontory of stone surrounded by steep cliffs near Moab, Utah.
The overlook at Dead Horse Point is 6,000 feet above sea level. Two thousand
feet below, the Colorado River winds its way from the continental divide in
Colorado to the Gulf of California, a distance of 1,400 miles. From the
overlook, canyon erosion may be viewed on a grand scale. This erosion process
has taken approximately 150 million years. Much of it is caused by the river
slicing down into the earth's crust as land is forced upward. These powerful
forces are still sculpting the fantastic shapes of the precipitous bluffs and
towering spires.
Before the turn of the century, mustang herds ran wild on the mesas near Dead
Horse Point. The unique promontory provided a natural corral into which the
horses were driven by cowboys. The only escape was through a narrow, 30-yard
neck of land controlled by fencing. Mustangs were then roped and broken, with
the better ones being kept for personal use or sold to eastern markets. Unwanted
culls of "broomtails" were left behind to find their way off the Point.
According to one legend, a band of broomtails was left corralled on the
Point. The gate was supposedly left open so the horses could return to the open
range. For some unknown reason, the mustangs remained on the Point. There they
died of thirst within sight of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.
Vegetation and wildlife in this desert environment exist on a severely
limited water supply. Plants have adapted by diminishing the size and physiology
of their leaves--smaller leaves tend to lose less water through evaporation.
Most of the animals are nocturnal. They venture out in the evenings when the
relentless heat has subsided and there is less need for water, Other wildlife
and vegetation may have dormant periods depending upon precipitation patterns.
These desert plants and animals have only a slight edge on their environment.
Please do not disturb them in their struggle for survival.
Dead Horse Point State Park is on SR 313 18 miles off Hwy 191 near Moab. The
visitor center, interpretive museum, and 21-unit campground make Dead Horse
Point comfortable and informative as well as spectacular.
Water is limited. Visitors should fill their recreation vehicle water tanks
before coming to the park.
Day-use - $7
Camping - $15
Group camping - $3/person, $27 min
(P.O. Box 609, Moab 84532-0609, 259-2614)
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