Monitor and Merrimac - Dead Horse Point Mesa Scenic Byway
Posted by: 
linkys
N 38° 38.775 W 109° 44.161
12S E 609995 N 4278279
Scenic overlook with view of two massive buttes that look like the Civil War ironclads, Monitor and Merrimac.
Waymark Code: WM7PD5
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 11/17/2009
Views: 17
Located north of Moab, Utah in Red Rock and Canyon Country, what was once a mesa has been eroded over time, becoming two separate buttes situated in close proximity to each other. Composed of Entrada sandstone, the buttes closely resemble the Confederate Merrimac and the Union Monitor. The distance from scenic roadside overlook makes them seem small, but in reality, they tower some 600 feet high.
The Confederate ship, the Merrimac, had a longer, boxy, rectangular shape. The Union ship, the Monitor, was shaped like squat round box on a thick plate. They long ago settled to the bottom, but their replicas will remained locked in close combat for eons to come.
Has parking for cars and RVs. Also has a pit toilet comfort station. Responsible agency is the US Bureau of Land Management.
View area. Elevation 4,800 feet. The Monitor and Merrimac Buttes are 600 feet high monoliths which are so-named because of their resemblance to the two Civil War ironclad ships. The Monitor, to the right, was the Union ship. The Merrimac was the Confederate ship. For the next miles, the North Fork and the South Fork of Seven mile Canyon are to the right and left of this narrow finger of the Big Flat (or Island-in-the-Sky) peninsula.
Describe - Highway or Road number: Utah State Hwy 313
Closest town or city: Moab, Utah
Number of parking spots available: 15
Winter View: yes
Summer View: yes
Year around access ?: yes
Comfort station on site: yes
Is a photo of an "Information Sign"included?: Yes
Name if a website describes this location.: Not listed
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