Legend has it that the cowboys would round up the wild mustangs on the mesa and drive them over the "neck" onto the point. Then, they would fence off the escape route with branches.
The cowboys would choose the horses they wanted. For some reason, or maybe just meaness, the cowboys left the remaining horses to die, instead of removing the branches. The horses died of thirst while looking down on the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.
The drops are sheer, and there are no guardrails!
There is also a legend that a ghost pony can be seen on the rocks below, next to the river.
Hard to tell in this picture, but I thought I could see one!
The road is part of an old system when they used to mine uranium in this area. Now it is all protected, but in the desert environment, it takes a long time to recover. The area only gets about 10 inches of rain per year. Despite the harsh climate, animals and plants have adapted. I was surprised to read that the bare spots are actually a thriving biological "crust" - they are living and along with the potholes, are very important to the survival of other living things here.
I was glad we made it a point to see Dead Horse Point - less crowded than the other parks this time of the year - and views just as spectacular.
Next time - one more national park!
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