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Lots of sites, all free, primitive. GREAT views of the Mexican Hat geological features. Good for 2wd cars.
The beautiful Cedar Mesa sandstone monoliths, pinnacles and other geological features of this enchanting area are known as a Miniature Monument Valley. These sandstone sentinels were eroded by wind and water over eons of time. The 17 mile loop through the Valley of the Gods is a graded gravel and clay surface road (San Juan County Road #242), that has a few sharp turns, and crosses several washes. Driving time is approximately one to two hours. It is suitable for passenger cars when the road conditions are dry. However, road conditions vary throughout the year with regional weather conditions. Local inquiry should be made during and after periods of inclement weather. There are several car camps along this route. However, no campfires are allowed.
Scout
Be prepared for no water unless there has been recent rains, and even then there likely won't be any.
It can get windy, so be ready for that, and you'll need to bring your own firewood as well. It's beautiful but there aren't any amenities beyond (maybe) a fire pit.
I'd argue there are better spots on Cedar Mesa itself, but the Valley of the Gods is a beautiful alternative to the more famous Monument Valley.
Both Natural Bridges and Hovenweap are worth the short (an hour at most) drives from camp, and both have developed campgrounds for those looking for toilets or other aspects of civilization.
Traveler
Never in my life have I heard of Mexican Hat, let alone the rock it’s named after. Jeez this place was cool, the river was beautiful, the dispersed camping areas were great under the stars, and that dang Mexican Hat Rock juxtaposed to the unforgiving sea of desert just put a huge smile on my face.
Guide
Very easy to drive on road, we took a 2WD car and had no issues. Plenty of spots so you’ll always find a place to camp for the night.
Great views at every spot and barely any road noise from the highway. Good AT&T coverage.
No fires allowed here so keep that in mind
Guide
You need clearance to be able to enter this spot, there’s a large rut which stopped us from getting into the spot, we had to turn around - so only attempt to come here if you have a 4x4 or a vehicle with clearance
GuideSo beautiful. Plenty of dispersed sites. Even on a Friday at 5pm! Sacred. Revenant. Be respectful of this beautiful land!
ScoutNot free anymore but still an enjoyable experience. I was the only camper there on a weekday.
ScoutI arrived here late afternoon, big sign in the beginning- pay online under www.mexicanhatrocks.com - it’s 18$ per night for just a place to park- no toilets. . No reception with T-mobile to pay online. Went to gooseneck state park campground instead, only 10$ per night and they have toilets.
ScoutNice secluded place. Was very quiet with no one around. Went in July, only complaint is it was hot with almost no shade.
GuideThere are spots for RV's and other spots where you need a 4WD. Beautiful setting with many dispersed sites available. It was very hot, but not much you can do about that…
AT&T service was strong.
Guide
When we arrived it was howling wind and blowing sand. We worried the side of our van would be nothing but primer in the morning. Fortunately by the morning it was sunny and calm with stunning vistas. The area is exposed with few secluded opportunities. Despite mid week in May, many spots were taken. That said, it was so beautiful we would not hesitate to visit again.
TravelerStayed one night and saw amazing stars in the sky.
TravelerAwesome views
ScoutWe entered Valley of the Gods from the west side, at the bottom of the Moki Dugway. We passed Lee's Ranch, went another mile or so and found a great flat area on the left hand side of the road, with an awesome view of Balanced Rock. We actually drove the entire road the next day and thanked our lucky stars that we parked our trailer where we did. Trying to pull an RV all the way through is definitely not advised.
ScoutEven tho we got caught in some crazy storms and broken glasses sent us home early we had such a good time exploring and will absolutely go back!!
LegendThe scenery is amazing and there are ample places to camp. Very little cell reception. The dirt road is in good shape.
GuideWe found a spot about 3km in from the 163 entrance. Great views. Windy in the afrernoon but dies down around 5pm.
Guide
Was able to find a great spot to stay at right on the rim. There were 3 sites with fire rings no one around when I was there.
GuideA lot of level camping spots the first 5 miles from the Hwy 163 entrance. Great views, very quiet. Only downside was gnats were terrible during my stay!
RangerAmazing canyon road with many camping spurs on left and right. It can get really windy, pelting you with fine red sand & rocks, but stunning and worth it. No Verizon service, No campfires “allowed”.
ScoutAs a dispersed camping area, it's a wonderful location with beautiful vistas with radiant pastel colors splattered everywhere. The weather was perfect towards the end of October.
The roads are rutted and although I see plenty of passenger cars back here, my 25 ft travel trailer pulled by my F150 did all it could to pull thru the ruts, hills and hollows. Don't go off the main road without dessert 4x4 capabilities. Spots filled up Friday thru the afternoon. I arrived around 12pm and luckily got a nice spot about a mile in as I did not want to pull my trailer any further in.
Stayed all weekend!
GuideThe valley of the gods is astoundingly, beautiful and spending the night in the valley was near perfection.
GuideAmazing hiking, breathtaking view. You could see car lights from the highway at a distance, but I feel like we could have parked at a different angle to block it.
TravelerAbsolutely gorgeous place to park the van for a night. Super easy to find and plenty of areas to find a quiet spot to yourself. Roads were a little rutted coming in but nothing crazy.
GuideThere are many camping sites distributed throughout the well maintained roads around the Mexican Hat. A regular 2WD passenger car shouldn't have a problem getting to many of them. There are smaller trails that require 4WD with a bit of clearance and articulation, but didn't see anything a unibody crossover couldn't do.
You get plenty of privacy and seclusion at each site with beautiful views in the morning. And please respect the land and its people! We are lucky they are generous enough to allow us to camp here.
TravelerSecond time camping with my kids here. This time we got the remote site we were hoping for.
Most sites are right off the main road. Easily accessible by rv’s and cars. Our site was off the main road. Don’t venture off the main road without high clearance and perhaps 4 wheel drive. If you can tho the few sites set up this way are even more remote and awesome!
Only bummer was no campfires allowed at this time.
It is hot in July, but cools off at night. Constant breeze, no bugs. Bring shade as there are no trees except for a couple of spots by dry river beds. The trees do bring bids with them…
Amazing views and no light pollution or sound at night.
LegendBLM land. Plenty of open space. Gravel road with potholes. Difficult entry off the main highway immediately down a steep but short grade and across a creek bottom which may or may not be full of water. The creek bottom is hard pan so not as scary as it sounds unless of course there's rushing water or a flash flood which is rare. But once through that first obstacle, the road is not too bad at all. The views here are incredible. Not crowded at all. Just pick a spot with the view you like and make it home.
TravelerThere are a lot of campsites just off of the road. The views are excellent and it is very quiet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Kayenta, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Kayenta, AZ is Dispersed Mexican Hat Camping with a 4.6-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Kayenta, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 dispersed camping locations near Kayenta, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
