The Ghost Horses of the Canyonlands

The sound of thundering hooves and whinnying of abandoned mustangs in the Canyonlands National Park and the Dead Horse Point State Park is said to haunt the canyons. Left by the cowboys trying to break them in, Ghost Horses were left to starvation and thirst.

Canyonlands National Park in Utah, with its otherworldly rock canyons and vast landscapes, offers visitors a journey through the remnants of the Wild West. Amid the breathtaking scenery, however, whispers of an eerie tale persist—a haunting legend that brings forth the mournful echoes of ghostly mustangs.

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Dead Horse Point State Park in San Juan County offers a dramatic view over the National Park, often called Utah’s Little Grand Canyon and also where the movie, Thelma and Louise was filmed. According to legend, the park is so named because of its use as a natural corral by cowboys in the, where horses often died of exposure. Dead Horse Point has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park, located in southeastern Utah, is a stunning expanse of dramatic desert landscapes sculpted by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Divided into four distinct districts—Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves—the park offers a diverse array of geological features, including towering mesas, expansive canyons, unique rock formations, and ancient petroglyphs. Each district provides a unique experience, from the breathtaking panoramic vistas at Island in the Sky to the intricate sandstone spires in The Needles and the remote, rugged wilderness of The Maze.

The Dead Horse Point State Park is much smaller and under another administration. It is located near the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park and is easily accessible from Moab, Utah.

The Abandoned Mustangs

In the moonlit solitude of Canyonlands, the air is said to stir with the phantom clamor of hooves and the sorrowful whinnies of spectral horses among the Juniper trees. These apparitions are believed to be the lingering spirits of a once-vibrant herd of wild mustangs whose tragic fate was sealed by the negligence of heartless wranglers in the 1800s.

The tale unfolds with a group of cowboys rounding up dozens of wild mustangs in the part of the park now known as The Neck or The Gooseneck, intent on breaking them and selling them to the highest bidders. Life back then was hard back then, only people of spirit and grit survived it. This also came at the expense of the innocent animals they used.

Having chosen the select few that promised the greatest profits, the wranglers callously abandoned the remaining horses, or they simply forgot to release them. Left to fend for themselves in the harsh canyons, the forsaken mustangs found themselves captive without sustenance.

They were trapped in a makeshift corral and didn’t manage to get to the Colorado River closeby. Slowly, they succumbed to starvation, many leaping to their death as they could both see and smell the river, their haunting cries filling the desolate landscape.

The Ghost Horses

Now, as the moon graces the night sky, the Ghost Horses of Canyonlands are said to gallop through the park, their ethereal forms unrestrained by the earthly confines that once betrayed them. The haunting echoes of their hoofbeats serve as a poignant reminder of the cruelty they endured, seeking solace in the afterlife with wild abandon.

People that visit the Dead Horse State Park as well as Canyonlands National Park come back with stories about hearing the mournful whinnying of horses and the thunderous hooves over the ground. Visitors are always advised to give them their space if you ever hear them coming, on their eternal path to the Colorado River to drink, to freedom.