Hanksville Today

Hanksville is about an hour from any other community, but its location—central to Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands national parks, Glen Canyon, Goblin Valley, the San Rafael Swell, the Henry Mountains, and Robber’s Roost—can’t be beat.   It’s a gateway town to some of the coolest things Capitol Reef Country has to offer.  It’s simply surrounded by awe-inspiring landscape formations. Hanksville was only incorporated a handful of years ago, but it’s been an important presence for more than a century.  With a past as colorful as it’s landscape, Hanksville was known for being an outlaw hideout, and for stores of gold and uranium buried deep in the earth.  Now scientists and visitors alike flock here for another amazing, fairly recent discovery: dinosaurs.  The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry is a must-visit, especially during certain summer weeks when paleontologists are on site.  And after you’ve stepped back in time, move forward into space with a visit to the Mars Desert Research Station.  Thanks to the incredible red rock terrain it’s one of only four simulated Mars habitats in the world, and best of all you won’t need to make a space odyssey, since it’s only 7 miles from Hanksville. In spite of its remote location, Hanksville is pretty accessible from all directions, and you’ll be driving across spectacular landscape on the way. Head west on Highway 24 to Capitol Reef National Park, or south to the Henry Mountains. Highway 95 south takes you straight to Hite Marina on Lake Powell. And speaking of getting here, did you know charter flights are available at the Hanksville airport? Gas, food, and lodging are available here, so you can stick around for a few days to take advantage of the location. For lodging and dining options click on the links.   With a few markets, gas stations, convenience stores, auto repair and towing, and even a houseboat station, you should have just about everything you need to make Hanksville your next base for a Capitol Reef and Canyonlands area adventure!