About half a mile into the hike you’ll pass an old wooden fence against a natural rock wall. This is a corral built by cowboys long ago, so it’s a piece of Wild West history. Continuing on, the trail crosses some stretches of bare rock, where cairns aid in navigation. A slight uphill is necessary before the trail turns down again, and that’s when views get really good.

Looking down the trail, the horizon opens up ahead. You’ll first see mountains and broad plateaus in the distance, then the dark-red cliffs that make the middle layers of Canyonlands. As you get closer to the point, you’ll see the orange cliffs and dark chasms in the lower layers, and you can even see the Green River cutting through the very bottom. Once on the rim, you can leave the trail and find a rocky perch all your own, but the edge is not protected, so use caution. Try to pick out other landmarks like Candlestick Tower, Junction Butte, and the White Rim Road far below.

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/hiking.htm https://hikebiketravel.com/the-hike-to-murphy-point-canyonlands-national-park/ https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/hikes/murphy-point-overlook