Dead Horse Point State Park Winter 2009 Newsletter Clear Skies
Frequently Asked Questions
You are lucky to be visiting an area with very little pollution, whether it’s light, noise or air pollution. The Green River Overlook at Canyonlands National Park next door has some of the darkest night skies in Utah. Even in the spring when it’s busy, it is possible to find solitude and enjoy some peace and quiet on our hiking trails. On a clear day, it’s possible to see over 90 miles into the distance. Wind, fires and cold days may temporarily bring a haze to the air but it never lasts too long. So go out there and enjoy the park!
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Why do I have to pay to visit this park? Your fees provide for the care, protection and enhancement of this park. This includes paved roads, running water and garbage collection. How did this park get its name? Dead Horse Point was home to wild mustangs. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herding them across the Point, where they built a fence. The rest the mesa is surrounded by 400-foot cliffs. The cowboys either left the fence up or the horses got trapped and died of thirst, 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. Are you open year-round? Yes! The park and campground are both open yearround. What are those blue ponds in the canyon? Those ponds are part of the Intrepid Potash Mine. See “Potash” description below for more details! Are there any animals here in the park? Yes! The park is home to many animals. See how many you can spot while you’re here!
Potash in Canyon Country The big, blue ponds you see below the park are part of the Intrepid Potash Mine. The mine is on land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Potash is potassium chloride, a salt used mainly in plant fertilizer. Water is pumped into over 100 miles of tunnels inside a salt deposit underground. That salt water is brought to the surface, dyed blue (to make it evaporate faster), then placed in shallow ponds. The water evaporates, leaving the salt behind.
About the Mountains: The mountains you see just east of the visitor center are called the La Sal Mountains. La Sal means “salt” in Spanish; they were named by the Dominguez-Escalante party as they came through this part of Utah. These mountains are igneous intrusions, or volcanoes that didn’t quite reach the surface. o
Dead Horse Point State Park
Hey Kids! Ask at the visitor center to become a Junior Ranger. Help park rangers care for and protect park resources.