Best Dispersed Camping near Mexican Hat, UT

Free dispersed camping on BLM land. If you don't want to back track and are continuing south, the only road down is very steep and winding and you'll want to take it slow. Well maintained dirt road is the only way to get there. To get your vehicle closer to the edge for a better view may require 4WD vehicles.

Crazy and scary drive coming from Mexican Hat to the south climbing up Moki Dugway to get here. It is not for the feint of heart. 11% grade, 15mph limit and gravel with some washboards. You have to go down the way you came up unless you are going north to Blanding. There are road restrictions for vehicle size. I would not attempt when road is wet. We did our homework and were able to make it in a 22’ 2wd camper van. Huge payoff at the end with views of Valley of the Gods, Goosenecks State Park and Monument Valley. Sites are FCFS. We found a pretty level spot that was easy to back into. So quiet. It could get very windy as you are at 6300ft and no cover. But when it is calm, words don’t describe. Perfect dark sky area.

Words can’t describe the beauty of this place, mid May was ideal . A bit windy this time of year but only in the mid to late afternoon. Out of a hundred dispersed camp sites there wasn’t one that was left trashed or dirty. Amazingly clean and easy to get to.. if there is one camping bucket list that needs a box it’s this one. A convince store just 8 miles up the road in Mexican Hat for basic supplies and a SteakHouse as well.

Gorgeous views in every direction, and very quiet and peaceful. At night time the moon illuminates the rocks and it almost looks like another world. Best place to camp near blanding/Mexican hat. Will say the road was relatively rough and is not suitable for large rvs and maybe some RWD/low clearance vehicles. True dispersed camping so come prepared with everything you might need.

Mexican Hat is free dispursed camping on BLM land outside of the town of Mexican Hat Utah. There are sites available for RVs, tents, vans, etc. This is desert dispursed camping so there are NO amenities, however there are occasional camper made fire pits. We made it into a site with a 2WD Pontaic Vibe with no issues, although we did watch a couple campers struggle to find a place to turn around. This is hot sunny camping with no shade opportunities, so it warms up fast in the summer.

This is some of the best dark skies and quiet camping we had on our trip. During my 2 am pee, the milky way was out of control! This area is named for the geological feature that is the name-sake for the town, the Mexican Hat, an obvious toadstool like sandstone formation. Because it is here and you are camping below it, you will have passerbys swinging through to take photos or climb the feature (technical rope skills required). This site also gives you quick access to Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods.

Midland X Talker Extreme Duel Pack Review

https://midlandusa.com/product/x-talker-t77vp5/

We were those crazy people climbing the Mexican Hat, and it was an ideal location to test out these walkie talkies. In climbing, communication is key and for a climb like the Mexican Hat where it is steep, overhung and roof like, the climber and belayer get separated. The walkie talkies came in hand!

Pros

1.) Battery life- we charged these up on their charging station at home before we left on our trip and they lasted the entire 10 day trip on regular use. This is extremely important to me, as it is my biggest bet peeve when electronics die in the moments you need them most.

2.) Intuitive usuage – We didn’t need to score through the manual to figure out how to use the walkie talkies. Everything made sense and was user friendly.

3.) EXTRELEMLY Clear Communication – These were crystal clear when using them, not at all like the static-y walkie talkies of childhood. Also, we had them hooked up to our harnesses (at waist level), and they picked up our words without having to yell into them, or unclip them to bring them to our mouth.

Cons

1.) There is no closed attachment potential. We couldn’t carabiner or string them to ourselves as there were no loops or holes of anykind. This meant that if at anytime during the climb, we dropped the device, it was going to be a goner. We managed by using a rubber band to “close” the clip (See photos), however this wasn’t ideal. Additionaly, the clip isn’t super strong, as I had the walkie talkied hooked to the strap of my backpack on our hike off and it popped off super easily when doing my pony tail. It does come with a headset, however, it needs to be plugged into the device (not wireless), so it doesn't solve any issues.

Conclusion

A great product for casual hiking, but it might not be ideal for more extreme situations where it has the potential to fall off/get lost or damaged (rafting, climbing, skiing). We will most likely just try to keep them in a pack, rather than on our body in those cases.

We saw this BLM land on the way to the House of Fire trail came back and passed through to check it out. Flat area with some large trees very open area and since it was weekend there were several families with Atv’s. Very dusty when dry. There were tent campers and rv’s some fire rings. This campground would be about a quarter mile once you pass through The Comb off of 95 about 10 miles north of Blanding on the left. This would be great for group camping.

BLM 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.

This is one of my favorite, lesser known camp spots and areas to explore. Valley of the Gods sits in southern Utah near Mexican Hat. The area is somewhat of a small Monument Valley. The views surrounding the campsites are of spires, towers and red rock cliffs. The best part? There are usually not many people here.

The valley and camp spots can be reached via Valley of the Gods Rd which connects highway 163 and 261. The roads can be hard to find as you will probably drive right past them. Valley of the Gods Rd is all dirt and is about 17 miles long. The drive itself is very scenic, be aware during rainy season the road can get very flooded and low clearance cars will have a hard time.

Camp spots are anywhere you want, most of them will be right off the road. Flat spots, pull offs and rock fire rings will tell you if someone has camped there before. The valley is overseen by BLM so there are no fees to camp, on the flip side of that, that means there are no toilets or any kinds of services. Some people prefer camp spots this way.

I have seen small 2 wheel drive cars to large RV's and Trailers on this road ,but like i mentioned earlier, there are big dips here and there and the rains can flood them. Use caution upon entering the Valley. Overall, amazing spots with equal scenery.

We only stayed for one night, but we would’ve stayed much longer if it wasn’t so windy/cold. Definitely our fault for visiting in November. We want to come back at the end of summer. The views here were second to none. It was the quiet you would expect from a dispersed camping spot, perfect.

Valley of The Gods is truly an amazing place. The dispersed camping is some of the best I’ve ever experienced. Every campsite is amazing. Do yourself a favor and spend at least one night in The Valley of The Gods if you're passing through Utah.

Free camping in stunning location. Excellent biking.

What a great boondocking place! The sites of the Valley and the Monuments are beautiful to see. It is very quiet out here as well. The weekend gets a bit busier but very tolerable. It's a must see if you are in the area.

We are in a large rig and made it safely about 1.5 miles in from the East entrance. There is a creek (hard panned) to cross, up a few steep grades and some tight turns but made it with flying colors. Just take your time and you'll do fine. 

We eventually camped, for a few days, just before the "Setting Hen Butte" on the curve to the left. It was one of the few places we found in this stretch large enough for us. There are a ton of smaller spaces, which is ok, everyone deserves a spot, but for us this spot served us well. We had a wonderful view of the Valley below and many of the noted Monument Rocks in the distant.

FYI, if you're in a large rig, 36' or larger, it would be wise to have a good truck with 4WD to help get up a few of the inclines and help on the way out, which is pretty steep as well.  Jus' sayin'!

Also, water can be obtained in Mexican Hat at the Exxon/7-11 store for a nominal fee. Dump is at one of the RV Parks in the area, if need.

Easily one of my favorite places to dispersed camp. 17 mile gravel road which my outback did fine on, just very bumpy. There are campsites everywhere, some just off the road and others have small roads going to them. Incredibly beautiful views camping in the shadow of monuments. It’s always the nice mix of occupied enough that you don’t feel like if something happens that you’re screwed, but with enough distance between campsites that it feels like you’re the only one out there. Also gorgeous views of the stars if the moon isn’t too bright.

This area is an informal dispersed camping areas. No signage noting this is an official campground. Large dispersed spots suitable for large TTs. Second dispersed camping pod in is best. Just after second camping pod area there is a steep wash dip that will restrict TYs and RVs. No toilets, no water no tables, no fire rings. No cell signal. Two track roads up and down Comb Wash away from the camping area are risky sandy so be prepared.

Free primitive camping with amazing views. No facilities. Pack in and pack out. Plenty of spaces to chose from.

We were chased out of Valley of the Gods by a massive dust storm and came here, finding a nice spot along the San Juan River and right below the hat. Simple, no amenities dispersed camping but the road was in reasonably good shape, even after a light rain. Thanks to the dust storm we were treated to a tremendous sunset!

It’s a bit tricky to find, but the spots that were most promising were found by taking a left before the Mexican Hat road sign (left as you’re heading into the town of Mexican Hat).

It isn’t directly on the river with river access, which I was hoping for, but many spots overlook the river and it’s gorgeous nonetheless. If you have 4x4, I’d take a left at the fork after pulling onto the initial dirt/gravel road. Follow that until it dead ends at a beauuutiful spot overlooking the river. You’re welcome 😉🥳

After entering, the dirt road to the right takes you to camping in front of the Mexican Hat there’s quite a few spots that are big rig friendly. The first road to the left I’d advise for slightly smaller rigs, but I took my short bus down there just fine. Down the hill there’s Mexican Hat Rd which seems to stretch forever. A wide variety of spots and all a close walk to the river. There’s also a dirt road that veers down - I’d only recommend for 4x4 high clearance vehicles, and probably not if it’s too wet. If you follow that road all the way down there’s actually a white sand beach to play in the water.