Pros & cons
PROS
- Dog friendly rim walk
- No guardrails—uncluttered photos
CONS
- Zero shade after first 200 yd
- Cairns easy to miss on slickrock
Large lot at Dead Horse Point Visitor Center; trail starts behind building.
Extreme sun and heat; bring more water than you think, watch footing on sloped slickrock near cliff edge.
What to Expect
A true rim walk, the East Rim Trail hugs the cliff edge from the Visitor Center south toward Dead Horse Point. The footing is mostly flat but uneven slickrock, so the hike feels more like roaming a stone patio than pounding dirt single-track. Big payoff? Continuous 2,000-foot views into a looping bend of the Colorado River.
Distance & Logistics
Plan on **about 3 mi TOTAL** (out-and-back). Many hikers fold it into the 4–5 mi West/East Rim Loop, but the pure east-side out-and-back keeps things short. Allow roughly **2 hr**, including gawking time. Parking, water, and restrooms sit steps away at the Visitor Center.
Why Go / Why Skip
Go for a kid-friendly, dog-friendly sampler of the park’s signature vistas without calf-burning climbs. Skip it if you dread full sun—shade is nonexistent—and be ready to hunt cairns where the route fades across bare slickrock.
Need-to-Know
Carry extra water; summer temps regularly top triple digits. Watch small children and pets near the rim—there are no guardrails. Brown posts and blue-diamond cairns mark the way, but the path briefly vanishes on rock slabs, so keep your eyes up.
Elevation
3 mi · 2 hrWhere it starts
38.5054, -109.7294Wildlife on this trail
Near East Rim Trail
All places →All trails →
0 mi awayShafer Canyon Overlook TrailShort spur to huge Shafer Canyon views, quieter than the Point.Easy · 1 mi · 30 min
0 mi awayWest Rim TrailMesa-top slickrock ramble linking uncrowded overlooks and Dead Horse PointEasy · 3.6 mi · 2.5 hr
0 mi awayMeander Overlook TrailShort spur to a quieter rim view of the Colorado’s big U-turnEasy · 1.6 mi · 45 min
0 mi awayThe Colorado Overlook TrailMicrosized stroll to rim’s signature Colorado River panoramaEasy · 0.1 mi · 15 min
0.2 mi awayDead Horse Point State Park Mountain Bike RentalsTrailhead bike rentals for scenic, beginner-friendly mesa singletrackTrailhead · Restroom
0.6 mi awayPyramid Canyon OverlookQuiet rim viewpoint on the Great Pyramid loop with big canyon viewsScenic Viewpoint
0.8 mi awayDead Horse Point State Park Entrance StationPay your fee and grab a map at the gateEntrance Station · Pullout
1.1 mi awayBig Chief OverlookQuiet rim overlook with potash mine views and distant La SalsScenic Viewpoint
