One Hill of an Adventure
Things to Do in Hanksville & Capitol Reef Utah
Discover the best things to do in Hanksville, including high desert camping, Martian landscapes, hidden spires, and Capitol Reef adventures.
Lodging
Primitive / BLM
Duration
2 Days
Total Cost
$70 - $550
Best Time
Spring or Fall
Why Hanksville
Top Things to Do in Hanksville, Utah
If you're wondering what there is to do in Hanksville, you're in the right place because Hanksville feels like another planet! While most people rush through this part of the state to get to the bigger National Parks, the real magic is in the dirt roads and overlooks surrounding this town. This trip is worth it if you want to escape the crowds of Arches or Zion and don't mind driving some bumpier dirt roads. You get incredible views for free, provided you're willing to camp and are up for a true adventure!
What you'll need to plan
- ✓Offline Maps
Service is pretty scarce in this area once you leave the main highway. Download your AllTrails and Apple/Google Maps areas before you leave the house.
- ✓Water Supply
There are no fill stations at the overlooks. Bring everything you need for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
- ✓Park Pass
You'll need a standard pass or an America the Beautiful pass if you want to visit the Hickman Bridge section of Capitol Reef.
Money
What this trip actually costs
Since this is a camping heavy trip, your biggest expenses are fuel and food. We focused on keeping costs low by using dispersed camping sites that cost nothing, and splurged a little more on food.
| Category | Budget Version | What We Paid | Luxury Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodgingtent camping · car camping · Airbnb/Hotel nearby | $0 | $0 | $200+ |
| FoodCooler meals · camp food/sharing meals · All Dining out | $15 | $45 | $150+ |
| ActivitiesSkip Capitol Reef · National Park Fee / Pass · Jeep tour | $0 | $20 | $200+ |
| Fueltotal for the trip | $40 | $40 | $40 |
| Total | ~$55 | ~$105 | ~$590+ |
Where the money goes: We kept the total trip cost around $90 by being strategic with our meals. Duke's and Curry Pizza are great, but the costs can add up depending on what you buy and how much you buy. By splitting a large pizza and a breakfast plate at Duke's, and packing our own dinner, we got the local experience without spending a lot.
Where to save
- Camping
Skip the established campgrounds. The beauty of the dispersed camping sites here are part of the experience. Moonscape Overlook and the areas near Factory Butte offer incredible views for free.
- Car Camping Setup
We personally car camp in the back of our Honda CR-V. We created a simple platform with plywood and foam, a bunch of blankets, and some extra pillows, which was so comfy and kept us warm. A good tent setup can definitely still be very comfortable, but if you have the space in your car, give car camping a try!
- The Ramen Hack
Packing Shin Ramen for dinner is a lifesaver. It's cheap, lightweight, and honestly hits the spot when you're sitting at the campsite on the cooler night. The spice warms you up and the noodles are surprisingly filling.
- Food Strategy
Sharing is the way to go. The portions at Curry Pizza & Duke's are large enough that one plate easily fed both of us.
- Gas
Fill up before heading out into the desert. Prices jump a good bit once you hit Torrey and Hanksville.
The Itinerary
Best Things to Do in Hanksville: Day by Day
Into the Cathedral
Kick off the day with a 3 hour drive toward Capitol Reef. Before hitting the trails, stop in Bicknell for lunch at Curry Pizza. It's an awesome fusion spot (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!) and the $17 pizzas are large enough to share and provide the perfect fuel for a day of hiking.
Hickman Bridge
1.8 miles round trip
This is the perfect intro hike. It's relatively short but gives you an immediate sense of the massive scale and unique geology of the park.
View on AllTrails →Cassidy Arch
3.1 miles round trip · ~670 ft elevation gain
This trail takes you deep into the Grand Wash. Unlike most arches that you look up at from below, you actually look down onto Cassidy Arch from the trail. It's a spectacular, high vantage photo op and a must do for anyone looking for a slightly more rugged experience than Hickman Bridge.
View on AllTrails →Honest take:
Hickman Bridge can get crowded. If the parking lot is a mess, don't waste your afternoon circling for a spot. Head into the park and hike up to Cassidy Arch, or just head straight to the desert spots!
Temple of the Sun & Moon
Download Google Maps / Apple Maps for this area before you start the drive. There's no service once you leave the highway. The temples are accessible by about 16 miles down a rough dirt/sand road called Caineville Wash that begins east of the park. There is no fee to visit them. You'll drive through BLM land almost all of the way to the temples, but the actual land the temples are on is National Park territory, so there is no wild camping right at the temples. The drive out to the temples is long but it is absolutely beautiful. It takes about 2-2.5 hours total including the drive. Stop at Glass Mountain on the way out to see the massive selenite crystals.
Weather warning:
Be mindful of the weather here. If there is any rain in the forecast do not attempt to go. The roads here have a lot of sand and loose sections that would be nearly impossible not to get stuck on if they were wet. Check out the Capitol Reef National Park conditions page (scroll down to the Cathedral Valley district section) for the latest recommendations.
Do you need 4WD / AWD?
Ultimately, if the roads are dry and you drive carefully and have good clearance, you should be able to make it in most vehicles. Although honestly we recommend skipping this if you don't have either 4WD/AWD or experience driving on rocky/sandy roads. We had no issues at all in our AWD Honda CR-V. It's certainly doable as long as you have clearance without 4WD, although we just want to stress having experience as this area would be very challenging (and expensive!) to get towed out of.
Tips for driving on these rough roads
- Don't come to a complete stop in the sand if at all possible. That is the most likely way to get stuck. If you do have to stop for some reason, slowly let off the brakes and do not accelerate quickly (you will dig yourself down).
- Be in control of your speed. Your braking distance is drastically reduced in sand and loose gravel. There are some unexpected bumps in this road from rain washout, especially in the lower sections of the road.
- The flat parts of this road frequently develop a washboard pattern which isn't dangerous but it is very bouncy and can be annoying. Try to speed up if it's safe on these portions and let your car's suspension handle the bumps.
- Drive on the smoothest and safest side of the road. Don't worry about staying on your "side" of the road, you won't pass many people and when you do then you can move over.
- Be careful and go very slow around blind curves, there are quite a few throughout
Evening: Moonscape Overlook
Finish the day by driving to Moonscape Overlook to set up camp for the night. The easiest way to get here is to search for it on Apple Maps (it's available as a pin) or put the coordinates into Google Maps. Download your maps ahead of time as you won't have service on the road to get there.
From UT-24, head north onto Coal Mine Road / Factory Butte Road. Head straight for 5.6 miles and then turn right onto Skyline View Road. This is where the road gets a bit worse, although as long as there is no recent rain this road is very passable with a 2WD car.
Moonscape tips:
- Be very careful near the edges. The rocks along the edge can be unstable.
- Check the forecast before you go to make sure it's not expected to rain.
The Sunset: Make sure you're set up before the sun starts to go down. The sunset at Moonscape is hands down one of the most amazing things we've ever seen. The way the light hits the grey, jagged ridges makes the whole horizon look like it's glowing. It feels less like Utah and more like you're standing on the edge of a lunar crater. For dinner, we broke out the camp stove and made Shin Ramen while watching the colors change.
The Stars: Once the sun goes down and the glow from the horizon finally fades, the sky at Moonscape Overlook turns into something you have to see to believe! Since you're miles away from any city lights, the stars are incredibly bright. It's the kind of dark where the Milky Way looks like a thick, glowing cloud stretching right over your car. We just laid back on our platform in the CR-V and looked out the window. If you're lucky enough to have a clear night, you'll see more stars than you ever have before. It's completely silent out there, and watching the constellations move over the ridges of the desert is the perfect way to end the day.
Coal Mine Wash Campground
If Moonscape Overlook is occupied or the road conditions are questionable, Coal Mine Wash is a great dispersed camping backup. There's a pit toilet at the entrance to the lot, and the site is easy to reach in any vehicle. No high clearance needed to get into this one, it's the smoothest road on this trip. The views are genuinely incredible, especially if you're willing to camp a bit further down the road away from the facilities. Just note that more ground clearance is required for the better spots deeper in.
Coordinates: 38.3768 N, -110.9005 W · Free · Dispersed / BLM
Cost: $17 for lunch · $3 for dinner (grocery store)
Spires and Slabs
Wake up for sunrise at Moonscape. Since we were sleeping on our platform in the car, we just crawled out and had the best view in the world. There's a narrow walkway leading to a flat rock you can stand on for photos, but be careful because the drop offs are very steep. Skip this one if you're afraid of heights. Cook some breakfast and make some coffee at camp or head into Hanksville for breakfast at Duke's Slickrock Grill. Then, head to the Long Dong Silver Spire hike.
Long Dong Silver Spire
~2 miles round trip
A short trek out to a unique geological wonder. The spire is a massive, isolated bentonite clay and shale spire rising straight out of the desert floor. The trail is mostly flat and easy to follow. There is a short offroad road out to the trail although as long as there is no recent rain this is doable with any car.
View on AllTrails →On the drive back toward home, make a quick stop at Kathline Rock or Goblin Valley State Park.
Honest take:
Duke's is a bit pricey for breakfast, but since the portions are large, we just shared a burrito and got a coffee. It was the perfect way to fuel up before the Sunday hike.
Cost: $15-$20 for breakfast
Gear
What to bring
This is a remote, off-grid camping trip. Pack smart and pack for self-sufficiency. There are very few facilities or stores out there.
The Essentials
- Bedding: If you're car camping like us, bring more pillows and blankets than you think you need. The desert gets cold at night!
- Water: We brought 64oz water bottles plus extra jugs for the car. You should always bring more than you think you'll need, especially if you go in the warmer months.
- Camp Stove & Ramen: Don't forget the matches or a candle lighter. Shin Ramen is our go to for a fast, delicious camp dinner that's surprisingly satisfying.
- Coffee Setup: There's not a lot of coffee options nearby, so if you enjoy coffee right when you wake up, bring a stove and a way to brew your own in the morning.
- Lighting: Headlamps or flashlights are a must for setting up camp or finding the walkway at Moonscape in the dark.
- Toiletries: Bring your own toilet paper and a way to pack it out. There are very few facilities out there.
- Trash bag: So you can pack out what you take in!
What Not to Bring
- Nice Clothes: You'll be covered in dust for most of this trip. Wear something active that you don't care about getting dirty. And bring extra clothes in case you do get really dusty.
- Single-use Plastics: It's a pain to manage trash in the wind. Minimize your packaging before you leave home so you aren't chasing plastic wrappers across the desert.
Destinations