Looking to the south from the eastern viewpoint of       the Lower Dark Horse trail. Review by Bruce on May 29, 2025.
Looking to the south from the eastern viewpoint of the Lower Dark Horse trail. Review by Bruce on May 29, 2025.
Dead Horse Point Viewpoint Trails

The Dead Horse Point State Park viewpoint trails opened in 2025. A set of branching out-and-back trails go to six viewpoints on the eastern side of the state park. Although all these trails are listed as "difficult" on the park's map, two of them are actually very easy doubletrack rides. And all of them can be managed by an experienced intermediate rider.

All of the viewpoint trails are reached by riding a portion of the Big Chief loop to the Miner's Point doubletrack trail. For information on the main trail system in Dead Horse Point State Park, see these trail pages:

Dead Horse Point East Side
Dead Horse Point West Side

Note that Dead Horse Point is a fee area. The trail system has become very popular with mountain bikers, and now has a separate parking lot just for bikes.

Bruce rolls over a sandstone dome on Lower Dark       Horse.
Bruce rolls over a sandstone dome on Lower Dark Horse.
View south from the western viewpoint of Lower Dark       Horse.
View south from the western viewpoint of Lower Dark Horse.
The viewpoint trails are:
(1) Miner's Point. Very easy dirt-road ride of 0.9 miles. It's the route to everything else.
(2) Upper Dark Horse. Very easy doubletrack, 0.5 miles plus 0.3 miles of Miner's Point.
(3) Cable Line. Intermediate singletrack trail forks off Upper Dark Horse, 1.4 miles (plus 0.5 miles of Miner's Point and Upper Dark Horse).
(4) Lower Dark Horse. More-difficult singletrack that forks off Cable Line. It splits to go to eastern and western viewpoints. 1.1 miles plus portions of Miner's Point, Upper Dark Horse, and Cable Line.
(5) Midpoint. Short intermediate trail between Cable Line and Lower Dark Horse with a viewpoint spur.
See below for in-depth discussion of each trail.
At the time of this review, some stretches of the singletrack trails are still soft. Cairns and dead wood are used to mark the general path, but in 2025 you may need to look around occasionally when the riding line isn't obvious.

Trail intersections are well-marked with signs that include maps with "you are here's."

Branches indicate the path in the stretch of the       Cable Line trail.
Branches indicate the path in the stretch of the Cable Line trail.
View east toward potash evaporation ponds from the       Midpoint trail viewpoint.
View east toward potash evaporation ponds from the Midpoint trail viewpoint.
The viewpoint trails are a nice addition to the options as Dead Horse, with easy cruising (like Miner's Point) for beginning riders and some more-difficult singletrack (like Lower Dark Horse) for experienced bikers.
Trailheads and connection
Looking north at the entry into the Intrepid trail       from the Visitor Center parking.
Looking north at the entry into the Intrepid trail from the Visitor Center parking.
Visitor's Center Parking

About 10 miles north of Moab, turn west off Highway 191 towards Canyonlands National Park on Highway 313. Drive 14 miles and turn left toward Dead Horse Point. Four miles later, pay your entry fee ($20 per car in 2025) at the gate house and drive another two miles to the visitors center. The trailhead is at the north end of the parking lot (at the end opposite from the actual visitor's center building).

Looking east in the new mountain bike parking lot.       The connector trail is to the left.
Looking east in the new mountain bike parking lot. The connector trail is to the left.
>Mountain Bike Parking

Drive up Highway 313 as above, turning left off of the road to Canyonlands National Park toward Dead Horse Point at mile 14 from Highway 191. Go 4 miles to the entry gate. Then 0.9 miles later, turn left and drive to a large parking area. There's a small bathroom and a bike-rental shop (open during peak tourist season). The connecting trail is found near the buildings, running 0.1 miles to the Raven Roll trail.

Just turned off Big Chief to head east on Miner's       Point.
Just turned off Big Chief to head east on Miner's Point.
Getting to the viewpoint trails

From the mountain bike parking lot:  Turn to the right when you reach Raven Roll, then around 150 yards later turn left onto Great Pyramid. Pedal 0.6 miles, then turn left onto Big Chief. After another 0.4 miles, the singletrack crosses a dirt road. Turn right here. You're now on the Miner's Point trail.

From the visitor's center:  Get on Intrepid northbound. 0.4 miles later, keep right at the 4-way intersection with Raven Roll and Prickly Pear. In another 0.2, stay to the right again at the connector over to Raven Roll. You're now on the Great Pyramid trail. At mile 2.3 from parking, keep right onto Big Chief. Go 0.4 miles and turn right on the Miner's Point doubletrack.

Easier Rides!

Miner's Point Trail
Looking east toward the La Sal Mountains on Miner's       Point. Straight as an arrow, flat, and smooth.
Looking east toward the La Sal Mountains on Miner's Point. Straight as an arrow, flat, and smooth.
The Miner's Point trail is an easy dirt road ride. It's a 1.7-mile out-and-back when done alone. (Miner's Point is also the starting route for all the viewpoint trails.) There's very little elevation change. An occasional slab of Kayenta sandstone breaks through the dirt surface of the road, but it's a cushy trip on flat doubletrack.
At mile 0.3 from Big Chief, keep straight (left) and uphill as the Upper Dark Horse doubletrack forks away from Miner's Point. (Upper Dark Horse is the route to all the other viewpoint trails. You can hit Miner's Point first, then come back to Upper Dark Horse.)
Looking north from Miner's Point.
Looking north from Miner's Point.
View east toward the Colorado River.
View east toward the Colorado River.
Miner's Point ends in a small loop, as the doubletrack follows the edge of the mesa around the Point before heading back. You'll be pedaling through mounds of mine tailings at this spot in the ride.
Upper Dark Horse Trail
Typical trail on Upper Dark Horse.
Typical trail on Upper Dark Horse.
The Upper Dark Horse trail is a short doubletrack ride. It's smooth and easy to pedal. It forks downhill away from the Miner's Point dirt road at mile 0.3 from the Big Chief trail. This is a right turn if you're coming from Big Chief.

Upper Dark Horse is 0.5 miles in length. It will gently drop downhill, losing 100 feet of elevation from the Miner's Point trail to the Upper Dark Horse viewpoint. At mile 0.2, go to the right as the Cable Line trail branches off on your left.

A sign marks the end of the trail and the Upper Dark Horse viewpoint. If you're continuing on to Cable Line or Lower Dark Horse, head 0.3 miles back uphill and turn right on Cable Line.
Looking southwest from the end of Upper Dark Horse.
Looking southwest from the end of Upper Dark Horse.
Intermediate Rides

Cable Line Trail
Looking east down the Cable Line trail as it forks       away from Upper Dark Horse (which is on the right in the photo)
Looking east down the Cable Line trail as it forks away from Upper Dark Horse (which is on the right in the photo)
The Cable Line trail forks away from the Upper Dark Horse doubletrack at mile 0.2 from the Miner's Point road. It heads straight east on a combination of doubletrack, dirt singletrack, and Kayenta slickrock. Cable Line is also the access route if you're planning to ride Lower Dark Horse or Midpoint.
After around 1/10th mile on easy doubletrack, Cable Line turns to singletrack and begins dropping elevation. Here the trail becomes intermediate in tech requirement. At mile 0.3, keep to the left as Lower Dark Horse forks right. Then at 0.4, stay uphill and left again as the Midpoint trail joins.
Cable Line begins an intermediate-tech descent to the       trail fork with Lower Dark Horse.
Cable Line begins an intermediate-tech descent to the trail fork with Lower Dark Horse.
Following the cable east, with the La Sal Mountains       in the distance.
Following the cable east, with the La Sal Mountains in the distance.
After a stretch of easy dirt-singletrack cruising, you'll reach a slickrock area where you'll get a chance to roll some sandstone bumps. This stretch is easily done by an intermediate rider.

During these later stretches of the ride, you'll often be following the cable itself as it lies on the ground.

Cable Line is easy to follow through the dirt stretches. As you hit the slickrock area, you may need to look around occasionally to spot the continuing trail. There are cairns and old tree limbs placed on the rock to herd you along.
Bruce rolls up a soft ledge. Not much tech here.
Bruce rolls up a soft ledge. Not much tech here.
Final approach to the spot where the cable plunges       off the mesa.
Final approach to the spot where the cable plunges off the mesa.
As you approach the end of the mesa, a hiking trail turns away on your right. Veer to the left and approach the cable support structure.
The cable was in operation during the early 1950s. It was used to hoist supplies between the canyon bottom and the mesa as an oil pipeline was being constructed.

Note that any old bits of cable, bolts, wood etc are considered cultural artifacts and are protected. Look and explore but leave things as you found them.

View to the south.
View to the south.
Cable Line spends some time running along a narrow       stretch of the mesa. Here's a view to the north.
Cable Line spends some time running along a narrow stretch of the mesa. Here's a view to the north.
The view from the top includes the Colorado River and several evaporating ponds where potash (a source of potassium) is recovered.
Midpoint Trail
At the viewpoint spur on Midpoint. Not much of a       trail here yet!
At the viewpoint spur on Midpoint. Not much of a trail here yet!
The Midpoint trail is a very short intermediate singletrack that links the Upper Dark Horse singletrack to Cable Line. It angles downhill when done from Cable Line to Upper Dark Horse. It's only 0.2 miles in length.
There's a short spur to the Midpoint view, where you can look across several potash evaporation ponds between the mesa and the Colorado River.
View south at Midpoint.
View south at Midpoint.
Expert Ride
 
Lower Dark Horse Trail
Riding east toward the La Sal Mountains. The trail is       occasionally hard to see.
Riding east toward the La Sal Mountains. The trail is occasionally hard to see.
The Lower Dark Horse trail is the most satisfying ride of the new viewpoint trails. The riding is intermediate to upper-intermediate in tech requirement. There are some twisty narrow areas where you'll dodge tree branches, and a bit of rock to navigate.
Rolling sandstone alternates with stretches of dirt singletrack. It's fun riding, and has a very different feel from the broad trails elsewhere in the park. But because the trail is new, you may encounter spots where your tires bog down in soft red dirt.
Bruce approaches the eastern viewpoint on Lower Dark       Horse.
Bruce approaches the eastern viewpoint on Lower Dark Horse.
An area of well-marked slickrock.
An area of well-marked slickrock.
The riding route is not always obvious in May 2025. The trail is brand new, so riding lines aren't worn in. The park trail-builders have placed dead branches to mark the path, but many of them seem to have been hit by bike tires and knocked askew. Some trail signs are lying on the ground, possible wrenched out of their rock cages by wind storms. Until the path is ridden-in, you may need to stop occasionally to look for the trail.
Dark Horse drops 0.9 miles from Cable Line to a trail fork, where it splits. The western spur (to the right at the trail fork) goes 0.1 miles to the west viewpoint, while the left fork goes 0.2 miles to the east viewpoint.
Twisting through pinion and juniper, with a short       drop coming up.
Twisting through pinion and juniper, with a short drop coming up.
Looking to the west from the western viewpoint of       Lower Dark Horse.
Looking to the west from the western viewpoint of Lower Dark Horse.
The western viewpoint overlooks a huge canyon, with exposure of the Kayenta, Wingate, Chinle, and Moenkopi formations. It's 0.2 miles out-and-back on the viewpoint spur from the trail fork.
The trail to the eastern viewpoint is a bit more technical, passing over more-difficult sandstone. But it's still easily done by a solid intermediate rider.
Arriving at the eastern viewpoint.
Arriving at the eastern viewpoint.
Potash evaporation ponds with the Colorado River       barely visible.
Potash evaporation ponds with the Colorado River barely visible.
The eastern viewpoint looks down on potash evaporation ponds and the Colorado River. You can see over to the Navajo sandstone in the Poison Spider area, and the La Sal mountains form a scenic background.

Lower Dark Horse and Cable Line

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Bottom Line!

Lots of nice views. Makes a good add-on to rides on the main trail system. But if you can't do both, do the other trails instead.

Looking south from Miner's Point.
Looking south from Miner's Point.
map from 2025
map from 2025
Getting there!

Visitor's Center Parking: About 10 miles north of Moab, turn west off Highway 191 towards Canyonlands National Park on Highway 313. Drive 14 miles and turn left toward Dead Horse Point. Four miles later, pay your entry fee ($20 per car in 2025) at the gate house and drive another two miles to the visitors center. The trailhead is at the north end of the parking lot (at the end opposite from the actual visitor's center building).

Mountain Bike Parking: Drive up Highway 313 as above, turning left off of the road to Canyonlands National Park toward Dead Horse Point at mile 14 from Highway 191. Go 4 miles to the entry gate. Then 0.9 miles later, turn left and drive to a large parking area. There's a small bathroom and a bike-rental shop (open during peak tourist season). The connecting trail is found near the buildings, running 0.1 miles to the Raven Roll trail.