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Dead Horse Point State Park

Coordinates: 38°30′30″N 109°44′32″W / 38.50833°N 109.74222°W / 38.50833; -109.74222
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Dead Horse Point State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
View of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park from Dead Horse Point
Map showing the location of Dead Horse Point State Park
Map showing the location of Dead Horse Point State Park
Location of Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah
Map showing the location of Dead Horse Point State Park
Map showing the location of Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park (the United States)
LocationSan Juan County, Utah, U.S.
Coordinates38°30′30″N 109°44′32″W / 38.50833°N 109.74222°W / 38.50833; -109.74222
Area5,300 acres (21 km2)[1]
Elevation5,900 ft (1,800 m)[2]
Established1959[2]
Visitors560,783 (in 2017)[3]
OperatorUtah State Parks
Websitestateparks.utah.gov/stateparks/parks/dead-horse/
view of large red rock canyon
View from Dead Horse Point lookout

Dead Horse Point State Park is a state park in San Juan County, Utah in the United States, featuring a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park.[4] The park opened to the public in 1959 and covers 5,362 acres (2,170 ha) of high desert at an altitude of 5,900 feet (1,800 m).

Nature

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The plants and animals of Dead Horse Point have adapted to a land of scarce water and extreme temperatures.

Animals

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Mule deer, coyote and Hopi chipmunk live in the park.

Flora

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Plants grow slowly due to the extreme conditions and usually have small leaves with a waxy coating to reduce evaporation. Some plants in the park include singleleaf ash, cliffrose, Utah juniper, Mormon tea, blackbrush, claret cup cactus, pinyon pine and narrowleaf yucca.

Amenities

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The park has several overlooks, a visitor center, and picnic areas. The Kayenta Campground has 21 RV campsites with electricity and tent pads. The Wingate Campground features 4 yurts, 20 RV campsites and 11 hike-in tent-only sites. There are five additional yurts at the Moenkopi Yurt area. A coffee shop serves food and beverages.

Dead Horse Point State Park features an 8-mile (13 km) hiking trail that includes loops and overlooks on the East Rim Trail and the West Rim Trail. The Intrepid Trail System contains 17 miles of single-track mountain bike trails with loops of varying levels of difficulty. Bikes are also allowed single-file on paved roads.

Hunting is not allowed in the park. Safety concerns include the relative isolation of the park (gas, food and medical care are over 30 miles (48 km) away in Moab), lightning danger and unfenced cliffs.[5]

Dead Horse Point name

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According to legend, the park is so named because of its use as a natural corral by cowboys in the 19th century, where horses often died of exposure.[6] Dead Horse Point has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.[7]

Film and television

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dead Horse Point State Park Resource Management Plan" (PDF). Utah State Parks. April 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 13, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Dead Horse Point State Park: About the Park". Utah State Parks. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  3. ^ "Utah State Park 2017 Visitation" (PDF). Utah State Parks Planning. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  4. ^ Leigh, Rufus Wood (1961). Five hundred Utah place names: their origin and significance. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press. p. 17.
  5. ^ "Dead Horse Point State Park" (PDF). Utah State Parks. February 2004.
  6. ^ Van Atta, Dale (January 22, 1977). "You name it - there's a town for it". The Deseret News. p. 15. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  7. ^ Parker, Quentin (2010). Welcome to Horneytown, North Carolina, Population: 15: An insider's guide to 201 of the world's weirdest and wildest places. Adams Media. pp. ix. ISBN 9781440507397.[permanent dead link‍]
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