Legend has it that Dead Horse Point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa. Cowboys rounded up these horses and herded them across the narrow neck of land onto the point. The neck, 30 yards wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush, creating a natural corral surrounded by the precipitous cliffs. The cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and left the others corralled on the waterless point, where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. (Reference: Dead Horse Point State Park brochure)
Great heart-lifting story, huh? We’re not sure that would be the brochure story if we we in charge of Utah State Park marketing. And it definitely wouldn’t be the name of the park. Let’s go with Wild Mustang Point to celebrate the wild scenery and spectacular views!
The point is a short, up-canyon Como ride where you can walk the edge of a rim trail to test your heights tolerance, be taunted by middle school boys on a field trip or perfect your down dog on boulder for instagram. Eric is doing his best “soaking it all in” pose while Sheri is doing her “split the boulder but don’t step backward pose.”
Arches is 28 miles from Dead Horse while Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky sect is 12. Both parks are spread out, meaning overlooks and trails are multi-miles apart. With no Zion shuttle service to either, we decided to take the Betty tram to Upheaval Dome and the Green River and Grand Mesa overlooks as our Canyonlands excursion, skipping the double digit trail hikes so we could get Eric some off-roading time in Moab’s version of an ATV and saving Arches for another day.
Upheaval Dome was first on the list, as it has the least amount of RV parking and is the most visited attraction. The guidebooks call it “perhaps the most interesting geological feature in Utah.” We hiked the mile in and out to see what this mysterious crater was all about. According to geologists, rocks formerly buried a mile underground are now on the surface of the crater. It’s a hot debate as to how it got this way. Some back the “salt dome” theory while others are “meteorite impact” theorists. Either way, we were unimpressed, which I guess puts in the “whatevs” camp.
The Green River and Grand Mesa overlooks were essentially identical. The differentiator came down to parking, making Green River the clear winner.
We have come to expect stunning vistas in Utah and these did not disappoint. Were they on goblin or hoodoo level? Definitely not for us. As a high mesa wedged between the Colorado and Green Rivers they are a natural observation platform. We want full sensory immersion in our quest for the point!