Smithsonian Butte View — BLM Dispersed off Gooseberry Mesa Grafton Road

The bluff above the Virgin River corridor in southern Utah's BLM country commands a direct view of Smithsonian Butte — a dramatic red-rock formation that catches the last light at sunset. The access spur off Gooseberry Mesa Grafton Road is narrow and becomes slick when wet, making high-clearance 4WD the prudent choice; smaller rigs can find usable pullouts before the end of the track. Skies here are genuinely dark for this corner of the Colorado Plateau, and coyotes in the valley below are a reliable presence after dark.