“Many people don’t find their soulmate in high school, but how lucky are we to have watched each other grow.”
ZJ and Jake were high school sweethearts - flying from the Midwest to the Rockies, they made a road trip out to Dead Horse Point State Park from Denver, with some of their closest friends and family on their way to forever. With a picturesque background, good company, and a stoked photographer ready to capture the whole damn thing, eloping at Dead Horse Point State Park made for an incredibly memorable wedding day!
Wondering what makes this park such an epic place to elope? Read on to discover what makes Dead Horse Point State Park one of the best places to elope - including nearby restaurants, where to stay, directions, and more!
WHAT TO EXPECT
YOU NEED A PERMIT
Consider the permit your venue fee - and instead of being thousands of dollars, it's only $60. If the thought of figuring out a special use permit for the park stresses you out, pick an elopement photographer that helps with planning and they'll be able to look everything over for you before sending it in!
YOUR DOG CAN TAG ALONG
Looking for a park that allows dogs in Utah? Dead Horse Point is the perfect spot to bring your dog along!
KEEP IT SWEET & SIMPLE
Weddings at the park are asked to be kept simple, sweet, and truly authentic. No flashy decorated arches or intricate setups are allowed, which means the focus is all on you and your love.
YOU CAN PICK YOUR SPOT
The park has 5 different locations where you and your partner can tie the knot. Take a look at their wedding packet for a breakdown of each site, but remember that you can explore the entire park after exchanging your vows at one of these locations!
To make sure you’ve got everything covered, be sure to read more about how to get married at Dead Horse Point State Park or reach out to a professional elopement photographer (like me!) who can help.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
With extreme heat in the summer and the possibility of snow in the winter, spring and fall make for the best time to visit (or elope at) Dead Horse Point State Park, but with the right gear and preparation, any time of year is possible. And if you’re looking for something more intimate, eloping during a weekday makes for the best time - with the least amount of visitors.
HOW TO GET THERE
From Salt Lake City: 248 miles southeast
From Moab: 32 miles (about a 40-minute drive) - 9 miles northwest on US-191 and then 23 miles southwest on Utah 313
RESTAURANTS NEAR DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK
Craving a burger before the big day or looking to split a milkshake, like something out of a cheesy movie, with your newlywed? Get whatever the hell you're craving on your big day with restaurants near Dead Horse Point State Park.
MILT'S STOP & EAT
As one of the oldest restaurants in Moab, Milt's Stop & Eat serves up nostalgia on the daily. With malts, loaded burgers, and hand-cute fires, it's like making a pit stop back in the 1950s.
MOAB BREWERY
With more than just a wide selection of great brews, Moab Brewery offers tasty dishes that'll suffice for even the pickiest of eaters. Also - fun fact - this is the only microbrewery in the Moab area!
SUNSET GRILL
In search of fine dining in Moab? Take a seat at Sunset Grill where they serve up the best eats paired with an immaculate backdrop of the mountains.
Looking for more dining in Moab? Check out Visit Utah's top list.
PLACES TO STAY NEAR DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK
Looking for somewhere to rest your heads together the night before and after your elopement? With a variety of places to stay near Dead Horse Point State Park, you can try out glamping or stick with a tried and true hotel.
MOENKOPI YURTS
Looking for a unique place to stay near Dead Horse Point State Park? Try the Moenkopi Yurts at the park. They sleep 6, allow dogs (in yurts 1-5), and come with an epic view of the night sky.
HOODOO MOAB, CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON
If a traditional hotel with an upscale feel is more your style, check out the Hoodoo Moab. With an onsite spa, restaurants, and more - the hotel offers a great night's stay paired with many amenities.
LAST HURRAH, FEMALE HOGAN (AIRBNB)
Another - very - unique way to stay at the park is at this crazy cool Airbnb. Off the beaten path, the Female Hogan is something you just have to check out for yourself.
Dead Horse Point State Park easily makes for one of the best places to elope - with its stunning red desert views to the fact you can bring your furry best friend along, eloping in the beauty of the desert is nothing short of incredible. The sort of day that you'll remember forever, with no regrets.
Without further ado, here are the frames from ZJ and Jake's desert elopement -
Kira McGrigg Photo is based in Bellingham, Washington, and specializes in inclusive outdoor elopements and couples photography.