Hanksville is a small town about two hours south of Moab, within an hour of Goblin Valley, Capitol Reef, and the North Wash slot canyons, with far fewer crowds than Moab.
Moab is incredible. It’s also shoulder-to-shoulder people, $40 park fees, and a two-hour line to get into Arches.
Hanksville is what Moab was about 30 years ago.
Same red rock. Same canyon drama. Same wild Southern Utah energy. Except here, you can breathe. The parking lots aren’t full by 7am. You can hike without passing 200 people on the trail. And the stars at night? Unreal. Goblin Valley is literally a certified International Dark Sky park.
If you’re planning a Utah trip and wondering whether Hanksville is worth the detour: it is. Here’s everything I love about it. 👇
The short version: Hanksville is a tiny town about 2 hours south of Moab that puts you 30-60 minutes from Goblin Valley, Capitol Reef, the North Wash slot canyons, and Lake Powell, with almost none of Moab's crowds. It's an easy add-on to a Southern Utah trip rather than a separate destination.
Why Hanksville Instead of Moab
Moab is a destination. Hanksville is a discovery.
The town itself has a population of about 200 people. There’s not a single chain hotel. The main intersection has a gas station that also happens to serve some of the best burgers in Utah (more on that in a minute). It’s remote in the best possible way.
What makes it work as a home base is location. Hanksville sits at the junction of several of Southern Utah’s most spectacular landscapes:
- 💢 Goblin Valley State Park: 30 minutes away. Weird, alien sandstone formations and some of the darkest skies in the country.
- 💢 Capitol Reef National Park: about 45 minutes away. Dramatic canyon walls, a historic orchard, and pie that sells out every single day.
- 💢 North Wash Slot Canyons: 30 minutes south. World-class canyoneering, basically without crowds.
- 💢 Lake Powell: about an hour’s drive. Boating, canyon walls dropping into water, and an entirely different kind of Utah beauty.
You’re not giving anything up by choosing Hanksville over Moab. You’re just skipping the traffic.
How to Plan Your Trip to Hanksville
Three things to sort out before you go, since services here are thin on the ground compared to Moab.
- Pick your base and fuel up. Hanksville itself has one main gas station (Stan’s, more on that below); fill up there or before you arrive, since the next reliable fuel stop can be a long drive in either direction.
- Decide which parks fit your timeline. Goblin Valley, Capitol Reef, and North Wash are each 30–45 minutes from town, so two or three days lets you see all of them without rushing; a single day means picking one or two.
- Download offline maps and check road conditions. Cell service is limited around Hanksville, and some BLM roads and canyon routes are better suited to a high-clearance vehicle, so plan your route before you lose signal.
Best Time of Year to Visit Hanksville
Spring & Fall (April–May, September–October)
The sweet spots. Temperatures are comfortable for hiking, 60s to 70s during the day, and the light on the red rock is spectacular.
Summer (June–August)
Very hot, with highs regularly hitting 100°F. You can still go, but plan hikes for early morning and late afternoon, and bring twice the water you think you need.
Winter (December–February)
Quiet and cold, with occasional snow, and some roads may close. If you want total solitude and don’t mind the cold, winter here has its own dramatic beauty.
What to Do in Hanksville Utah
Goblin Valley State Park
Goblin Valley is one of those places that looks fake.
The formations, called hoodoos, are hundreds of orange and red sandstone figures that look like something between a science fiction landscape and an ancient city. You can wander freely among them (no staying on designated trails here), which makes it feel more like exploration than a hike.
I personally love Goblin Valley at night. The park earned International Dark Sky certification from the International Dark-Sky Association in 2016, and the stars from inside the park are breathtaking. No light pollution, no ambient glow from a nearby city: just the Milky Way stretched across the whole sky. If you’ve never done serious stargazing, this is the place to start.
The park has 24 campsites and two yurts if you want to sleep under those skies. It’s worth it.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef doesn’t get the attention that Arches and Zion do, and that’s why you should go.
The park’s defining feature is a 100-mile geological formation called the Waterpocket Fold: essentially a giant wrinkle in the earth’s crust that created the dramatic canyon walls, domes, and cliffs the park is known for. There are hikes for every level, from short canyon walks to full-day technical routes.
But here’s my favorite part about Capitol Reef: the orchard.
Mormon pioneers planted fruit trees along the Fremont River in the late 1800s and named the town there “Fruita.” The National Park Service has maintained those orchards ever since. And at the historic Gifford Homestead just past the park’s visitor center, they make pies from those Utah orchards every single day, and they sell out every single day.
Get there early. Get a pie. Do it.
North Wash Slot Canyons
This is the canyoneering spot that most people driving through Hanksville don’t know about.
North Wash has one of the largest concentrations of slot canyons in the entire Southwest. They range from beginner-accessible narrows (squeeze through, get a little sandy, feel incredible) to technical descents that require ropes, gear, and experience. Most are about 30 minutes from Hanksville, compared to 2.5 hours from Moab.
If you’ve ever wanted to do canyoneering but weren’t sure where to start, this area is it. And if you’re experienced, you already know what a find this is without the crowds.
Hiking Around Hanksville
Beyond the big parks and canyons, there’s solid hiking right around town.
The Long Dong Silver hike is only two miles out and back, located off Highway 24 about seven miles west of town. It’s accessible, relatively flat, and takes you through scenery that would be a bucket-list trail in any other state. Here it’s just a casual Tuesday.
Moonscape Overlook is another one: a dramatic viewpoint along Skyline Rim with views across an empty landscape that looks like it belongs on another planet. You can drive the last section, which makes it accessible even if you’re not up for a full hike.
Burr Point puts you at the edge of the Dirty Devil River Canyon, 1,400 feet deep. You can drive most of the way there. The view is staggering.
Rock Climbing
The desert around Hanksville has some great climbing: sandstone faces, varied routes, and the same quality of rock you’d find in Moab or Indian Creek, minus the crowd of climbers at every base.
If you’re a climber and you’re already building a Southern Utah itinerary, Hanksville deserves a day or two on your list.
Camping
Camping here is the kind that reminds you why you started camping.
You can camp inside Goblin Valley (24 sites, 2 yurts; book ahead). Capitol Reef has sites as well. And the BLM land around Hanksville means dispersed camping options if you want something truly off-grid. Spring and fall are ideal. Summer gets hot, bring more water than you think you need.
Where to Eat in Hanksville
Let’s be blunt: Hanksville is not a food town. But one place earns a personal recommendation.
Stan’s Burger Shak
Stan’s is attached to the Silver Eagle gas station on Highway 95, so getting gas is a great excuse to stop.
This place has been serving burgers since 1984, and they’re one of my favorite stops in all of Southern Utah. Hand-breaded onion rings, a special burger sauce, and milkshakes so large they overflow the cup. After a long hike in the desert heat, there’s nothing better. My friends and I used to call them “trauma burgers” because we’d always get them after trauma bonding in a canyon. It’ll make up all the calories you burn hiking around all day.
The interior is covered in old signs and has the feel of a vintage shop that threw up in a ‘60s diner.
Open daily 10am–10pm.
Planning a Proposal Near Hanksville?
If you’re visiting Hanksville with a proposal in mind, good instincts.
The landscape here is extraordinary, the crowds are almost nonexistent, and the settings feel epic. Capitol Reef. The slot canyons. Goblin Valley at night. A desert overlook at sunset. These are not backup locations. They’re the kind of spots that produce proposal photos that don’t look like everyone else’s.
I photograph proposals all across Southern Utah, and I’m always scouting locations that most people haven’t found yet. If you’re thinking about proposing somewhere around Hanksville, Capitol Reef, or the Goblin Valley area, reach out. I’d love to help you make it happen.
The Version of Utah You Didn’t Know You Were Looking For
Moab is great. I’m not here to tell you not to go.
But if you’ve stood at Delicate Arch surrounded by 500 people and thought there has to be somewhere that feels like this but doesn’t feel like a theme park, Hanksville is your answer.
The red rock is still here. The canyons are still here. The stars are still here. There are just a lot fewer people in the way.
If you’re building a Utah itinerary and you want help thinking through locations, especially if a proposal is part of the trip, I’m always happy to share what I know. Reach out and let’s talk through it.
Plan Your Hanksville-Area Proposal
