Today we’re taking a short day trip to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point from Moab. Along with our daughter, we’re going to Canyonlands National Park, our 3rd on our trip to Utah. But before we do that, we’ll stop at Dead Horse Point State Park first. And afterwards we’ll return for a special dinner and boat tour with Canyonlands by Night and Day!
Check out more of our experiences in the Utah Mighty 5.
Planning Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point from Moab
After The Fiery Furnace Experience in Arches NP yesterday, we’re planning a relaxing day in Canyonlands National Park. The largest of Utah’s 5 national parks has 4 distinct districts. Though the most popular and accessible is the Island in the Sky district. It sits on a mesa over 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscape, offering spectacular views. It’s also the closest district from Moab, about a 35-minute drive away. You can read more about it here: Island in the Sky – Canyonlands National Park.
Dead Horse Point State Park also sits on an elevated mesa. Though Dead Horse Point is on a rocky peninsula connected to the mesa by a narrow strip called the “Neck”. And it’s only 10 minutes from Canyonlands, making it a must-stop. You can read more about it here: Dead Horse Point State Park | Utah State Parks. Since closer, we plan on visiting Dead Horse Point first in the morning. After stopping at the visitor center, we’ll drive out to the main overlook at Dead Horse Point. We’ll walk out to the edge, and then take the short loop trail around the peninsula. Afterwards we’ll have a picnic lunch since there are no restaurants in or near either park.
After lunch, we’ll drive over to the Island of the Sky Visitor Center in Canyonlands. And we’ll hike the short Mesa Arch Trail before driving to the end to Grand View Point. Then we’ll return to Moab to freshen up before our dinner and boat tour just across the Colorado River. Dinner starts at 6:30PM followed by the boat tour and light show. So Dead Horse Point in the morning, Canyonlands in the afternoon and a boat tour and show in the evening!
Dead Horse Point State Park
We leave our resort in Moab just about 9:00AM and drive north. Once we leave the interstate to turn on to Utah 313 West, the landscape becomes more remote and beautiful. We also go through an open cattle-grazing area where we see many cows. Though when we arrive at the park sign 35 minutes later, we’re still surprised to see some cows next to it.
I get out of the car first to take a few pictures with the cows by the sign. But once Becky gets out, she spooks them and they leave. Oh well, at least we can take some more pictures before getting back in the car. Once past the sign, we stop at the entrance station to pay the $20 entry fee. And it’s just a 5 minute drive to the visitor center. When we arrive at 9:45AM, we park upfront since there’s only a few cars in the lot.
Dead Horse Point Visitor Center Area
Once we walk up the steps to the visitor center, we enter into their store. They have the typical souvenirs and some limited snacks. There’s also a park ranger here I talk to about some of the trails you can take from here. He also points out the museum downstairs, and the viewing area upstairs.
The museum has some interesting exhibits about the history of Dead Horse Point, including how it got its name. But I really want to go outside. So we go upstairs, which does have a nice seating area. But below, we see some paved trails which lead out to the edge.
One of the things we had wanted to see was the potash ponds. These solar evaporation ponds are used in processing potash, or potassium chloride, a salt found here. A blue dye is added to speed up the evaporation.
These ponds can be really bright blue, a real contrast from the desert landscape around them. Though today, we can only see a portion that looks super bright. It is cloudy today, so it may look brighter with direct sunlight. But still a sight to see amidst the surrounding rock walls. We then take the short trail back to the visitor center and stop at the restrooms before we leave. These restrooms are nice with flush toilets, so worth the pit stop. After about 40 minutes, we are ready to drive to Dead Horse Point.
Dead Horse Point and Rim Trail
From the visitor center, it’s just another 5 minutes through the “Neck” to the end and Dead Horse Point. There’s another lot here where we easily find parking. And it’s a short paved pathway through a large shelter to the rim.
The main attraction of the park offers easy and safe viewing down 2,000 feet to the winding Colorado River. The river loops through towering sandstone cliffs and colorful canyon walls creating a breathtaking panorama. We take the path left leaving the pavement on the rocky East Rim Trail.
As soon as we start I wish I would have brought my hiking boots I left in the car. And our daughter doesn’t want to hike after our Fiery Furnace experience yesterday. But I convince her it’s short. We pass a park ranger painting over the faded white trail blazes on the rocks. At least that’s better than yesterday.
Our daughter steps in some of the fresh paint leaving tracks as she goes. But it’s only about 10 minutes to the “Neck” and the crossing point across the road to the West Rim Trail. On this side are new views of the Colorado River and more. We can easily see the Shafer Trail, a dirt road that starts from Moab through the park to Canyonlands.
At the end of the West Rim Trail, we see the stairs to a large overlook. And from here we can really see the horseshoe bend in the Colorado River below. Even with taking our time on the 1.3 mile loop trail, we’re here for less than hour.
Picnic Lunch at Dead Horse Point
By now it’s almost 11:30AM, and we’re getting hungry for lunch. Just past the parking lot is a turn off for some picnic pavilions. So, we drive our car right next to an open covered shelter with a picnic table.
There’s nothing like packing some ham and cheese sliders in a Styrofoam cooler, and getting to eat wherever you want. Though, we couldn’t have picked a better spot. This park has some really nice amenities. With our bellies full, we are ready to head to Canyonlands.
Entering Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point are only about 10 minutes apart. And in between we start our GuideAlong app to learn more about the park before we get there. We make it to the park entrance right before noon, but pull-off at the entrance sign first.
Just like Dead Horse Point, there is only 1 way in. So, there’s only 1 place to get your picture with the park sign. When we arrived, there were no cars at the entrance. But sure enough, back in the car there are about 6 in front of us waiting to get in. But in less than 5 minutes, we show our annual pass and it’s another 5 minute drive from here to the visitor center.
More crowded here, but we get a parking spot and head inside. Becky gets her passport stamped, her 3rd this trip, and we check out the park store and museum. Outside are the restrooms. Note they are pit toilets and not as nice as the state park. From here there is also a walkway across the street.
Across the street is the aptly named Visitor Center Overlook with plenty of space to walk around. Though there are no guardrails near the edge. There is a sign that talks about the air quality and visibility here. And we get our 1st glimpse of Canyonlands seeing all the way to the La Sal Mountains.
The Shafer Trail
Back at the visitor center, we get in our car and turn on GuideAlong. As we start the drive, the app recommends stopping at out 1st viewpoint on the left called Shafer Canyon Overlook. Here you can walk out to see inside the walls of Shafer Canyon, as well as multiple views of the Shafer Trail below. This is the same road we could see from Dead Horse Point.
The Shafer Trail is an iconic road that descends 1,500 feet through the colorful canyons. It has a lot of history, but today it’s a challenging backcountry road used for recreational use. It truly looks likes the experience of a lifetime, but not today. As we continue down the road, we stop at another overlook to take a quick picture before arriving at Mesa Arch.
Mesa Arch Trail
The Mesa Arch Trail is just off the scenic drive about half way to Grand View Point. And it’s also very popular. The large parking lot is packed, but we’re able to get a spot up-close when someone is leaving. Rated as easy, it’s only 0.6 miles round trip to the iconic arch and back.
At the start of the loop we go left. It’s a sandy and gravel trail with some steps. Along the way we see some large lizards and a chipmunk as we walk around some large rocks. And on the other side, in just 12 minutes, we can see Mesa Arch. And it’s also packed.
There is a line of people in front of the arch waiting to take pictures. We kid they need a natural park photographer here. They could make a lot of money! But each group is taking pictures of the group in front of them. And about 5 minutes later, we take photos of the group in front of us.
When it’s our turn, I quickly take a few unobstructed views of the arch of the cliff’s edge. After our picture session, we head right of the arch where people are hanging around some rocks.
We climb up a large rock to sit atop and look back at the arch. We also gaze out at the surrounding landscape beyond. It’s a nice place to relax and take it in as well as another photo opportunity. Once down, we complete the trail back to the parking lot. After spending about 20 minutes at the arch, we complete the trail in less than 45 minutes.
Scenic Overlooks
Back in the car we continue on the scenic drive stopping at a couple overlooks. At Candlestick Tower Overlook, I jump out to take a quick picture of the named rock formation in the distance. And Becky jumps out at Buck Canyon Overlook just before Grand View Point.
If you have time for one, choose Buck Canyon Overlook. It looks like a tear in the landscape. It’s just another canyon in the sprawling park. Though at Grand View Point, we’ll see another more interesting one.
Grand View Point
At the end of the scenic drive is a loop parking lot with plenty of spots if you continue around. After parking, we take the short paved path to the overlook. And here there’s a large railing to look out at the vast remote areas of Canyonlands.
What grabs our attention is the hand-shaped Monument Basin. From here we can also see the White Rim Road that meanders around it. Though neat to see from up top, it would be amazing up-close. But up here is a trail we can get at least get little closer.
From the overlook, you can take some steps down to a ledge that leads to a 2nd overlook. It’s an easy 1.8 mile out-and-back trail, but Becky and our daughter are not up for it. We also don’t want to spend a lot of time here. But I can at least walk down to the ledge to check it out.
Once on the ledge, it is flat and wide. So I walk a little bit while the girls sit on some rocks overhead. Once on the other side, the trail continues back up, so I turn around. Reunited, we head back to our car stopping at the restrooms here first. Pit toilets again and only one is open, but we take turns. Because from here it is 20 minutes back to the visitor center, and almost an hour back to Moab. And we have one stop we have to do on the way back.
Shafer Trail Overlook
Though we got great views of the Shafer Trail from the Shafer Canyon Overlook earlier, there’s an even better overlook. From here you can look down at the road as it descends to the canyon floor and beyond.
We can see a vehicle cruising by and can only imagine how cool it has to be. Maybe next time. We make it back to Moab just before 4:00PM and have time for the pool before dinner.
Canyonlands by Night and Day Check-in and Dinner
After a great day at Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point, and some relax time in the pool, we’re ready for dinner. Just 2 miles north of Moab, and a few minutes from our resort, we arrive about 5 minutes early. Canyonlands by Night & Day is just over the bridge to the Colorado River. You can’t miss it.
We easily find parking, walk inside their store, and go up to a window to check-in. We booked online about 2 weeks before our trip, but you can buy tickets in person if available. Check out their tours at: Canyonlands By Night & Day. Since we already paid, they checked our names and told us we are good to line up for dinner. And right at 6:30PM the doors open to the building next door, and we’re seated at a large table.
We are seated together on one side as others sit after us. Our cups are on the table, so we get our drinks first. They have a soda fountain, water and tea. They also have a full bar not included. After dropping off our cups, we grab plates for the buffet.
The “Cowboy-style Dutch Oven Dinner” starts off with a small salad bar before we see some veggies. They include coleslaw, corn, baked beans, cowpoke potatoes with cheese and more. And then it’s on to the meats – pulled pork, roast beef, BBQ beef and BBQ chicken. I enjoy the BBQ beef and coleslaw, and go back to get more. For dessert, they have small portions of peach cobbler, and coffee. It’s all good and very filling. And before we leave for the boat tour, we are encouraged to use their restrooms.
Starting the Canyonlands by Night and Day Jet Boat Tour
At 7:30PM sharp, we’re escorted outside and down to our boat. Captain Ron welcomes us as we settle into our front-row seats. Fortunately, I found an online promo code that covered the extra $10 per seat. Although only 62 of 144 seats are taken tonight. With the river so low at about 3 feet deep, it’s too low for a full boat.
We head down the Colorado River toward the bridge as Tasha starts the tour. She gives us a little history of the tour operating for over 60 years. And continues by pointing out faces, animals and other images on the canyon walls.
It is still light out, so Tasha is using a green laser pointer to point out different layers in the rock walls. Captain Ron also has one and points out something on the shore in front of us. It’s a beaver!
When we get closer, we see 2 beavers. And then we see another 2 down the shore. Tasha continues to entertain, telling us jokes and asking us questions. She then explains how the light show will work. A truck will drive alongside us on the road next to the river. And it will shine over 40,000 watts of light on the canyon walls. It is dark at 8:30PM when the light show begins.
A pre-recorded audio tour comes out of the boat speakers, while the truck is lighting up the canyon walls. Together, they tell the history of Moab as we glide down the river. A couple times the lights go off leaving us in the dark with a few stars in the cloudy sky. And after almost an hour, we return to the dock by 9:30PM.
Summary of Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point and more
Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point are great parks next to each other. We stopped at Dead Horse Point State Park first. It’s a small but beautiful park, with nice amenities and amazing views. However, Canyonlands National Park is very large. And seeing the Island in the Sky area is only a small part of it. But it also has some amazing views, and Mesa Arch was a nice short hike. We definitely recommend doing Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point in the same day. From Moab it’s an easy drive, just pack some food and water for the trip. And topping off the day with the Canyonlands by Night & Day boat tour and light show was great. The dinner was very good, and being on the Colorado River when the sun is going down is special. We highly recommend this tour while staying in Moab.
Check out more of our experiences in the Utah Mighty 5!