Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park contains one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the American West -- a 2,000-foot sheer drop to the Colorado River, which carves a massive goose-neck bend through layers of red, orange, and white rock far below. The park sits on a narrow mesa 30 minutes from Moab and delivers its jaw-dropping view with minimal effort: the main overlook is a 30-second paved walk from the parking lot.

The view is genuinely staggering. Standing at the railing, you look straight down 2,000 feet to the Colorado River, across to the La Sal Mountains, and along miles of canyon carved through 300 million years of rock layers. The scale defies comprehension -- the river below looks like a blue ribbon, and the canyon walls reveal geological time in colored strata.

This view rivaled the Grand Canyon in the final scene of Mission: Impossible 2 and the opening of the Westworld TV series.

For families, the accessibility is the key advantage. No hiking required. No timed entry reservation. No crowds comparable to Arches. You drive to the parking lot, walk 30 seconds on a paved path, and experience one of the most powerful landscapes in North America. This makes it suitable for all ages including infants in carriers and grandparents with mobility issues.

Beyond the main overlook, the park offers hiking and mountain biking trails along the rim. The Rim Trail (3 miles, easy) follows the canyon edge with continuous views. The Intrepid Trail system provides mountain biking loops of varying difficulty on the mesa top. A small visitor center has exhibits on the park's geology and the legend of the dead horses.

Dead Horse Point sits on the same road as Canyonlands National Park's Island in the Sky district (15 minutes further). Combining both in a half-day is a common Moab itinerary -- Dead Horse for the overlook, Canyonlands for Mesa Arch and the Grand View Point.