Top driving day trips in Moab Utah featuring Dead Horse Point to Day Canyon and down Long Canyon.

1. The drive to Dead Horse Point State Park, which offers panoramic views of the Canyonlands.
2. The scenic drive on Route 128 along the Colorado River, which offers views of red rock cliffs and arches.
3. The drive to the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, which offers several hiking trails and overlooks.
4. The drive to Arches National Park, which is home to over 2,000 natural stone arches.
5. The drive to the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park, which offers several hiking trails and scenic drives through colorful rock formations.
6. The drive to the La Sal Mountains, which offers scenic views and access to hiking trails and back-country roads.

 

 

Drive to Dead Horse Point Starting in Moab. 

Dead Horse Point State Park is located in Moab, Utah, and is named for a legend about cowboys who corralled wild mustangs on a narrow peninsula, only to find that they were unable to get the horses off the point, resulting in their deaths. The area has been used by humans for thousands of years, with evidence of Ancestral Puebloan and Ute tribes living in the area. The park was officially established in 1959 and offers stunning views of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. It is a popular spot for hiking, camping, and photography.

From Moab this is about 45 minutes to an hour outside of the town (depending on traffic) Follow the signs to Canyonlands Isle in the sky entrance. Right before the entrance to the National Park you’ll see another sign pointing left to the entrance of Dead Horse Point State Park. Here you can hike, just snap photos or even mountain bike on the trails. There are lots of kid friendly activities to do here and is a great starting point on your journey today. This State Park requires an entry fee and NO your National Park Pass doesn’t work at the State Park. 

 

 

Traveling from Dead Horse point down to Moab

Heading out of the State park and right before you hit back up with the main road coming back from the Canyonlands National Park, you’ll find a dirt road on the right. Its graded and heavily trafficked from the oil rigs and machinery in the area. This road will take you to the top of Long Canyon. Here, from the Top of the canyon you can travel down the graded dirt road down to the valley floor, it takes about 1 hour even our 4×4 camper made it. If you have a 2 wheel drive vehicle, I wouldn’t suggest going down this road as its uneven and changes every time it rains and you could bottom out. So you need a high clearance vehicle. There is an underpass near the top where a rock has fallen, so height of your vehicle could be an issue. On this road you’ll see vehicles, ATV’s, and an occasional biker.  Be sure to give room if someone is passing or wants to pass. 

Camping near Dead Horse Point

These high desert cliffs rise 2,000 feet above Moab. We have spent countless nights on the rim, days and mornings soaking up the dry air and afternoons playing frisbee and cooking. We’ve been lucky to be guests on this land for years while observing the constantly changing landscape in this area. Right down the road from the state park is a view point, where these pictures and its steep cliffs offer views overlook the rushing Colorado river. These cliffs were originally carved by wind, water and ice. This area where we were allowed to once camp is now occupied by 3 separate oil pumps. This BLM land that surrounds the state and national park is now home to oil development and no longer being able to be used as dispersed camp areas. You can find spots that pop up, but they seem to be pushed further and further back from the main road every few years.

 

 

As for the land around the state park, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages public lands in the Moab, Utah area. These lands are used for a variety of activities such as hiking, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and off-road vehicle use. The BLM also manages important natural and cultural resources, including prehistoric and historic sites, as well as wildlife habitat.

The BLM Moab Field Office manages over 1.8 million acres of public land in the Moab area, including popular destinations such as Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and the Dead Horse Point State Park. The land is open for recreational use, but also has environmental protections and regulations in place to preserve the area’s natural and cultural resources. The BLM also works with other agencies, organizations and local communities to manage the land and its resources sustainably.

 

 

 

How to take night photography photos

If you’re wondering how these photos were taken, you can try night photography yourself. By capturing long exposures with night photography you can produce stunning images with a unique sense of motion and light. Here are some tips for capturing long exposures at night:

1. Use a tripod: A stable base is crucial for long exposures as even the slightest movement can cause blur.

2. Use a remote shutter release or self-timer: This will help prevent camera shake caused by pressing the shutter button.

3. Adjust your camera’s ISO and aperture: Lowering the ISO and increasing the aperture (smaller f-number) will allow more light into the camera and create a longer exposure.

4. Use a low shutter speed: This is the key to creating a long exposure. The longer the shutter is open, the more light will be captured and the more motion will be recorded.

5. Use a flashlight or a LED light to light your subject: This will help to create more details and contrast on your subject in the dark.

6. Experiment with different shutter speeds: Long exposures can range anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. It’s important to experiment with different shutter speeds to see which one creates the desired effect.

7. Keep an eye on your battery life: Long exposures can drain your camera’s battery quickly, so make sure to bring extra batteries or a portable charger.

8. Consider using a neutral density (ND) filter: This can help to reduce the amount of light entering the camera, allowing for longer exposure times even in brightly lit scenes.

Remember that long exposures require patience and a bit of trial and error to get the desired results. It’s also important to have fun and be creative with your night photography.