Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

Perched 2,000 feet above a gooseneck bend in the Colorado River, this overlook has drawn comparisons to the Grand Canyon and starred as a backdrop in countless films. Legend holds that cowboys once corralled wild mustangs on this narrow point, and some were left behind to perish, giving the park its haunting name. Hike or mountain bike the rim trails, then stay after dark to stargaze beneath International Dark Sky Park skies across 5,362 acres of high desert.