Dead Horse Point and Island in the Sky by motorcycle
SR-313 is the Dead Horse Point Mesa Scenic Byway (Wikipedia). It leaves US-191 north of Moab, climbs a set of hairpins onto the plateau, then "mellows out" across the mesa (Discover Moab). One branch ends at the Dead Horse Point overlook, 2,000 ft above the Colorado River; the other runs into Canyonlands' Island in the Sky, with about 20 miles of paved park road out to the viewpoints (Discover Moab). Short miles, all paved, and some of the biggest views in Utah.
The route at a glance
- Road: SR-313 from US-191 to the Dead Horse Point overlook; Island in the Sky Road branches off it into Canyonlands (Wikipedia).
- Start: turn west off US-191 about 9 miles north of Moab, at the "Dead Horse Point State Park" sign (Discover Moab).
- Length: SR-313 is 22.5 miles by the mileposts, US-191 to the overlook (Wikipedia). Discover Moab gives 35 miles for its whole byway trip (Discover Moab).
- Grades: the road was rebuilt from 1989; the rebuild cut the steepest grade from 11% to 8% (Wikipedia).
- Height: the road reaches about 6,000 ft on the ridges (Wikipedia); the high point of the ride is 6,184 ft on Big Flat (Visit Utah).
- Time: 2 hours at least, and several more to see both parks (Discover Moab).
- Season: the state park is open all year, 6 am to 10 pm (Utah State Parks).
Mileposts
SR-313's mileposts run backwards: zero is at the overlook, and they count up toward US-191.
| Milepost | Place |
|---|---|
| 22.5 | US-191 (Moab / Crescent Junction); start of the climb |
| 7.96 | Turn for Canyonlands, Island in the Sky |
| 3.77 | Dead Horse Point State Park boundary |
| 3.4 | Park fee booth |
| 1.43 | Visitor center |
| 0.0 | Dead Horse Point overlook parking |
Mileposts from Wikipedia's junction list. The Canyonlands turn is about 14.5 miles from US-191, which matches Discover Moab's "about 14.6 miles" to the park fork (Discover Moab).
Fees
- Dead Horse Point State Park: $10 per motorcycle, day use; $20 for a car (Utah State Parks). You pay at the booth at milepost 3.4, so the ride to the Canyonlands turn is free.
- Canyonlands National Park: a separate national-park entry at the Island in the Sky entrance station. Check the rate at the entrance; Visit Utah advises carrying cash for entrance fees (Visit Utah).
Up onto the mesa
The first miles from US-191 are the hairpins: the old descent into Seven Mile Canyon was 11% before the rebuild (Wikipedia). Above them the road runs across open mesa on smooth pavement, lightly travelled outside peak summer (Visit Utah).
Island in the Sky
Turn south at the Canyonlands junction. Distances below are Visit Utah's, measured on its road-cycling route (Visit Utah): - Junction to entrance station: 5.6 miles. - Visitor center: about 1.1 miles past the entrance station. Lavatories and a water vending machine; the park has no running water. - The Neck: 5,800 ft, where the road crosses onto the Island. - Entrance station to the Upheaval Dome turn: 7.3 miles. The spur to Upheaval Dome parking is 4.7 miles more; Upheaval Dome is the low point of the ride at 5,639 ft. - Grandview Point: the end of the main road, at the tip of the mesa (Discover Moab).
Every road on the Island is out and back, so you ride each one twice.
Before you ride
- Fuel: none of our sources list gas on SR-313 or in either park. Fill up in Moab.
- Water: carry your own. Dead Horse Point's visitor center is open 9 am to 5 pm (Utah State Parks); Canyonlands only sells water from a machine (Visit Utah).
- Heat: it is high desert with little shade. Ride early in summer.
- Cyclists: the Island loop is a popular road-cycling ride (Visit Utah).
- Rules for visiting riders (helmets, eye protection, lane filtering): Riding in Utah.
Join it up
- From Moab: the turnoff is about 9 miles north of town. More day rides: Moab by motorcycle, and the Colorado River Byway (SR-128).
- From Salt Lake: the SR-313 turn is on US-191 on the way into Moab. Salt Lake City to Moab.
- All five parks: the Mighty 5 by motorcycle.
- Down by the river: Potash Road (SR-279), petroglyphs and arches in the canyon below the mesa.
- Into the mountains: La Sal Mountain Loop.
Rent a bike
Booking opens soon. Until then, use the ride guides to plan your trip.