One of the things our son really wanted to do on our Utah vacation was mountain bike around Moab. Moab is considered one of the premier mountain biking areas of the USA. We decided the perfect place to do this was in Dead Horse Point State Park. The Park is located on a mesa with the Colorado River approximately 2000 feet below. The vast majority of the mesa rim does not have guardrails. The canyon is so deep and the views so impressive that looking over the edge is a little intimidating. As you can see from the picture below, our sons crawled to the edge to look over the rim.😳 The 4 men were the only ones interested in the biking, so by biking in the park, the women could venture out on another hike, and we could meet up later.
Dead Horse Point State Park is 34 miles southwest of Moab and is located near Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky entrance. From Moab take 191 north to Utah 313. Take a left on Utah 313 and follow until you see the sign to Dead Horse Point State Park. Make a left turn into the Park entrance (if you follow Utah 313 straight, you will come to the Island in the Sky entrance to Cayonlands). The park entry fee is $20 per day, per vehicle, for up to 8 people. The Park overlooks an oxbow of the Colorado River and there is a gorgeous view of the river from a viewing station at the Visitor Center. Dead Horse Point is a peninsula connected to the mesa, by a narrow neck of land approximately 30 yards wide. The story is, cowboys used to drive wild mustangs onto the point and pen them up with a fence. They would then pick which horses they wanted and leave the rest penned up on the point without water, where they died from thirst. 🥺 As you drive to the point you will see just how narrow the strip of land connecting the point and the mesa is (thank goodness for guardrails on the road to the point).
A perk to mountain biking in Dead Horse Point State Park, is that bike rentals are available at the bike trailhead, by Bighorn Mountain Biking, Bighornmountainbiking.com, 434-200-5871. My husband made the reservations for the bike rentals before we left on our trip. We wanted to make sure they had bikes available when we arrived. Their site states, that walk up rentals are not always available. The guys checked in at the bike shed and received their bike, helmet, instructions and a map. Water, maps and helmets were included in their bike rental. Reservations that are paid in advance can be canceled within 2 days of your scheduled bike trip with a full refund. Bighorn Mountain Biking did tell my husband that they usually close mid to late June for the summer season, due to the heat, and reopen during the fall.
The Parks Intrepid Trail System is considered beginner and intermediate, but they highly recommend having biking experience before attempting. The trail system is 16.6 miles of single-track trails. The trails go over mixed terrain with slick rock and dirt. The trail system offers spectacular views (see pictures below) of the Colorado River and the canyon below.
After exploring the Visitor Center as a group, we drove to the bike rental shed and sent the men on their way, and then the women drove back to the Visitor Center, parked and headed out on our hike. We decided to do the Bighorn Overlook Trail. The trailhead left from the back of the visitor center and crossed the road. Due to the rocky terrain the trail was marked with cairns. This trail had minimal elevation gain, but the rocky trail could be slick if wet. The trail goes along the rim of the canyon and it does not have guardrails, so sturdy footwear would be wise and young children would need to be supervised. We took the trail to the end which is approximately 1.5 miles one way from the Visitor Center. At the end of the trail the rocks on the overlook had numerous deep potholes. We were there during June and it was quite dry, but we were told in the Visitor Center that these potholes could be filled with water and if so, tadpoles, fairy shrimp and other forms of life could be visible. The views at the overlook were magnificent and we sat for a bit to enjoy the scenery. Due to the hot and arid climate, make sure you take ample amounts of drinking water before you venture on this hike.
After returning from our hike we headed to the point where we met up with the guys and had a picnic lunch at one of the many picnic tables available at the point. A short paved path leads to breathtaking views of the Colorado River and the canyon. A large shelter at the overlook provides relief from the heat and bad weather.
Most visitors to the area travel into Canyonlands and Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park gets lost in the drafting of visitor’s itineraries, but we would highly suggest venturing into this gem.
