Everything to Know About Dead Horse Point State Park

Just minutes from Canyonlands and Arches National Parks is a beautiful Utah state park known as Dead Horse Point State Park. This state park is stunning at sunrise and offers a great campground and both hiking and biking trails.

Whether you visit for a quick sunrise or you camp here for a week, you’ll love visiting Dead Horse Point State Park.  The park is beautiful and there is something for everyone!

So let’s take a look at all the details and everything you need to know.

Important Links

• Dead Horse Point State Park website
• Camping at Dead Horse Point State Park – Make Reservations Here
• Park Brochure and Hiking Map (PDF)
• Top Things to do in Moab Utah
• Everything to know about Canyonlands National Park
• Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!
• Camping Journal – Never Forget Your Camping Trips Details Again!

Location

Dead Horse Point State Park is located 35 minutes from downtown Moab, UT.  This little park is also just 15 minutes from Canyonlands National Park. 

However, if you’re looking to do a Utah road trip, this park is about 4 hours from Salt Lake City, 5 hours from St. George, and about 2.5 hours from Capitol Reef National Park.  

Fees

At Dead Horse Point State Park, there are lots of fees to be aware of.  I’ll lay it all out here, but you can also check this website for more details.  

Day-Use Fees

• $20 per Private Vehicle (8 person limit)
• An Additional $2 per Person over the 8 person limit (Example: If 10 people are in a van, you would pay $20 for the first 8, and the $4 for the extra 2 people = Totaling $24).
• Motorcycles are $10 per bike
• Utah Resident Seniors are $15 per Private Vehicle
• If you Bike or Walk into the park, $10 per 4 bikers/hikers
• Commercial Vehicles are $5 per person (Buses, Tour Vans)

Now, if you intend on visiting multiple state parks within a year, there are also a few annual park pass options.  Unfortunately, they only offer state parks passes to Utah Residents.  But here they are.

Annual Passes (Utah Residents Only)

• $125 for Utah Resident Annual Pass
• $65 for Senior Utah Resident Annual Pass

Again, annual passes are for Utah Residents only.  This pass is good for 12 months from the date of purchase. It allows the pass holder and up to 7 people in a car to enter, or the pass holder and up to 3 on a bike to enter any Utah state park.  

If you’re not a Utah resident, you’re stuck paying the daily fees to enter Dead Horse State Park.  

Hours

Dead Horse State Park has the following hours of operation.

• Day Use: 6am – 10pm
• Visitor Center: 9am – 5pm (hours may vary in Winter)

As always, make sure you are checking ahead for operating hours, but you can find all the general information about times and fees on their website.

What to Expect

Now you might be wondering what to expect.  And here are a few things that you’ll want to be aware of when you visit here

• Dead Horse Point State Park sits at 5,900 feet and is a high desert. This means you might feel out of breath if you’re coming from sea-level.  
• Sun Protection is imperative!  Sunscreen, hats, and sunshirts will help protect your skin
• Drink a lot of water.  Between the desert heat, the dry air, and higher elevation, make sure you are staying hydrated.
• The nearest gas station is over 30 miles away, so plan accordingly with your vehicle
• Be very careful around the ledge of the canyons, as most of the overlooks are not fenced.
• And finally, be weather aware.  Summer thunderstorms are extremely dangerous and the heat of the desert is no joke. Also be weather aware of the cold as this area can get very cold in the winter.

While this is hardly an all-inclusive list to keep you safe, it’s a solid start.  But let’s get into what there is to do in Dead Horse Point State Park.

Things to Do Here

At Dead Horse Point State Park there are a few main things to do.  You can go hiking on their 8 miles of hiking trails or biking on their 18 miles of bike trails.  If you don’t have a bike, you can check out this website and it’ll give you all the info about bike rentals in this area.  

You can go camping in a tent, camper or even a yurt.  There are 2 campground sections in Dead Horse Point. The first is called Kayenta Campground which has 22 campsites and the second is Wingate Campground which has 31 sites.  There are also 4 Yurts at Wingate and there are 3 additional yurts in the Moenkopi area.  

There is also a very impressive night sky at Dead Horse Point State Park. So impressive it was classified as an International Dark Sky Park in 2016.  So if viewing or photographing the night sky is your thing, this is a great place to do it.

Hiking

As far as hiking goes, there are 8 miles of hiking trails that run in and around the cliffs of Dead Horse Point State Park.  The 2 rim trails are beautiful and definitely worth hiking.  The trails here are either easy or moderate, but offer beautiful views of the canyons below.

Trails

Dead Horse Point has 8 hiking trails. Here’s a quick overview.

• Nature Trail – 0.25miles (One Way)
• East Rim Trail – 1.5 miles (One Way)
• West Rim Trail – 3 miles (One Way)
• Big Horn Overlook Trail – 1.25 miles (One Way)
• Desert View Overlook Trail – 0.5 miles (One Way)
• Dead Horse Point Loop – 1.25 miles (Round Trip)
• Hi Ho Hi Ho Trail – 0.8 miles (One Way)
• Keyenta Cliffs Connector Trail – 0.4 miles (One Way)

Some of the shorter trails can be connected to make a larger loop.  For example, you could connect the Big Horn Overlook Trail with the West Rim Trail.  

Biking

Biking in Dead Horse Point State Park is pretty much the same story, with 17 miles of trails that can be connected.  

• Intrepid Trail – 0.5 miles – Easy
• Raven Roll – 1.7 miles – Easy
• Big Chief – 3.6 miles – Moderate
• Great Pyramid – 2.2 miles – Moderate
• Crossroads – 1.7 miles – Moderate
• Whiptail – 2.6 miles – Moderate
• Twisted Tree – 1.5 miles – Difficult
• Prickly Pear – 3 miles – Difficult

You can either bring your own bike, or you can look into renting a bike.  You can check out this website for more information about renting a bike from, or going on a bike tour with, Bighorn Mountain Biking. 

Now let’s get into how to stay here!

Camping 

In Dead Horse Point State Park, there are 3 different ways to go camping here.  They offer hike-in tent sites, electric campsites, and yurts.  So let’s start with the cheapest way to stay.

Hike-In Camp Sites

Your first and cheapest option is to book a “hike-in” campsite and tent camp.  These sites require you to park by the bathrooms and walk up to 500 feet to your assigned campsite.  You’ll want to pack light, as you’ll be lugging all of your things to the site instead of just unloading right at the site.  A maximum of 8 people can camp on one site per stay.   

Electrical Camp Sites

The next option is an electric site for tenters, or campers/RV users.  These sites have 20/30/50 amp service, a paved pad to park, a tent pad, a shade shelter, a fire ring, a picnic table, and access to a dump station.

Unfortunately, there is no potable water here.  Not at the site or at the dump station.  So you will have to fill your fresh water tanks prior to arriving here.  A maximum of 8 people can camp on one site per stay.  

Yurts

And finally, for all you campers who want a little luxury, you can rent a yurt.  This is your most expensive option, but it is also the nicest option.

If you rent a yurt, you will have heat/air conditioning, electrical outlets and lights, a bunk bed with a full mattress on top, and a queen mattress on the bottom, a futon, a BBQ grill on the deck and indoor/outdoor tables.  Yurts do not come with bedding, a bathroom, or kitchen, but you will be out of the elements when you stay here.  A maximum of 6 people can camp on one site per stay.  

Camping Costs

Which leads us to the cost.  Now that you know what to do here, the fees and the ways to stay, let’s discuss the cost of camping here.

**DISCLAIMER: These prices are based on prices from November 2025 and they are subject to change.  These prices do not include taxes and fees, and are just here to give you an idea of what it costs to camp at Dead Horse Point State Park.**

Hike-In Tent Site (8 People Max)

• $40 per night 
• $280 per week

Camper/RV Site (8 People Max)

• $50 per night 
• $350 per week

Yurt (6 People Max)

• $150 per night 
• $1,050 per week

Again, these prices can and will change, but this is to give you an idea of a budget.  

Things To Do in the Area

Once you’ve decided to stay here, you might be trying to decide on what else there is to do in the area.  Well I am here to help!

Less than 20 minutes away from Dead Horse Point State Park is the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands National Park.  With dozens of hiking trails over there, you can enjoy this unique part of the national park.

You are only 35 minutes from Moab, Utah.  There are hundreds of tours to do in Moab. There are also some great breweries, restaurants, and shops to explore as well as excursions you can book.  Our favorite breweries were Proper Brewing and Moab Brewing. 

And finally, you are only about 30 minutes from the entrance of Arches National Park.  You can hike to the iconic Delicate Arch, or you can hike the longer Devils Garden Trail. Whatever you decide to do over there, you’ll love this beautiful national park.  

Conclusion

Dead Horse Point State Park is a bit of a hidden gem in an area that heavily focuses on national parks.  However, if you’re headed to Moab, you have to make time to see a sunrise or take a hike in this Utah state park.  

Whether you come to hike, bike, view the stars, or just relax at a campsite, you can’t go wrong with a trip to Dead Horse Point State Park.  

As always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com if you have any questions about the park.

-Happy Exploring!