The Dead Horse Point State Park

August 11

The Dead Horse Point State Park

DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK sits atop a narrow peninsula 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. At the end of the peninsula are breathtaking 270 degree views of the red-orange canyons of Canyonlands National Park and surrounding areas. Whenever we came to Denver we also "had to go" over to Utah, and the reason wasn't always the National Parks. There is a particular pretty and impressive place called the Dead Horse Point State Park. 

Stunning views from the high plateau

The Colorado River - 2000ft below

  Molly takes a good look and discovers a squirrel. 
She almost jumped over the Rock Wall. Luckily 
we hadher on the leash, otherwise she would have
ended hundreds of feet below in the canyon.

If you wonder about the name I can understand it, as we did too. But the  story is simple: 

The Legend Of Dead Horse Point

Before the turn of the century, mustang herds ran wild on the mesas near Dead Horse Point. The unique promontory provided a natural corral into which the horses were driven by cowboys. The only escape was through a narrow, 30-yard neck of land controlled by fencing. Mustangs were then roped and broken, with the better ones being kept for personal use or sold to eastern markets. Unwanted culls of "broomtails" were left behind to find their way off the Point.According to one legend, a band of broomtails was left  corralled on the Point. The gate was supposedly left open so the horses could return to the open range. For some unknown reason, the mustangs remained on the Point. There they died of thirst within sight of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.

Another reason for us visiting this area of Utah has always been CASTLE VALLEY and the FISHER TOWERS.

The Fisher Towers are a remarkable piece of eroded landscape, where mother nature has carved out the most stunning rock formations. 

From I-70 turn south at Cisco (rare Ghost Town) and follow Hwy 128, which will bring you down to the Colorado River. Besides of being an extremely scenic drive it is also a shortcut to Moab. 

The Colorado along Hwy 128

There are wonderful campsites along the river and if I remember the fee correctly we paid $13.00 for a non-serviced site. (except garbage removal and pit toilets)
The valley offers excellent hiking trails f.ex. through the Fisher Valley. Due to the often extensive heat it is necessary to carry a good supply of water. At times also hefty winds can occur here.


Everyone staying in the valley for a few days will fall in love with the exceptional sunsets and sunrises. 

The Fisher Towers

Campground "Hittle Bottom" which is right beside an
old cabin site where a German by the name of "Hittle"
once lived.

Not Monument Valley...

Hwy 128 towards Moab

August 05

Canyonlands National Park

The other big National Park in the Moab area is the Canyonlands National Park. In order to get there we took Hwy 191 north to the turn-off of Hwy 313 which turns into Country Road 142.  This National Park offers views down into various canyons rather than leading the visitor to the bottoms of the canyons. Spectacular views from many different places show how the land has been eroded by water and wind. Here are our pictures:

Canyonlands preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. While these areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character and offers different opportunities for exploration.

                                                 

NPS PHOTO BY NEAL HERBERT   Fall colors in Horseshoe Canyon

Horseshoe Canyon contains some of the most significant rock art in North America. The Great Gallery, the best known panel in Horseshoe Canyon, includes well-preserved, life-sized figures with intricate designs. Other impressive sights include spring wildflowers, sheer sandstone walls and mature cottonwood groves along the intermittent stream in the canyon bottom. Horseshoe Canyon was added to Canyonlands in 1971.

August 03


Arches National Park

View across the Park with the Manti LaSalle Mountains building the backdrop

Utah! The State of Utah is one of my favorites in the U.S. From the very outset on I was amazed about the formations and colors. When ever I was bound for the great National Parks I went to the town of Moab.           

For any traveler to the Moab area an exploring visit to the Arches National Park should take priority over everything else. This National Park is showcasing the extreme variety of the Utah Red Rocks landscape. Sandstone formations like you never have seen them before and most important within the park should be a hike to DELICATE ARCH, a true Utah trademark as it also appears on a series of the State's license plates. WELCOME TO DELICATE ARCH!

We took the hike on a rather cool day. An almost icy wind blew out of the north into our face as we ascended the slope leading up the spectacular view across from a deep canyon.
Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual rock formations. 

The extraordinary features of the park create a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures that is unlike any other in the world. 
The forces of nature have acted in concert to create the landscape of Arches, which contains the greatest density of natural arches in the world. Throughout the park, rock layers reveal millions of years of deposition, erosion and other geologic events. These layers continue to shape life in Arches today, as their erosion influences elemental features like soil chemistry and where water flows when it rains.

Arches is located in a "high desert," with elevations ranging from 4,085 to 5,653 feet above sea level. The climate is one of very hot summers, cold winters and very little rainfall. Even on a daily basis, temperatures may fluctuate as much as 50 degrees (F).

The plants and animals in Arches have many adaptations that enable them to survive these conditions. Some species are found only in this area. The diversity of organisms reflects the variety of available habitat, which includes lush riparian areas, ephemeral pools, dry arroyos, mixed grasslands and large expanses of bare rock.

This formation is called: The Gossips