Some trips take months to plan. This wasn’t one of them.
Our Hanksville adventure was quick, scrappy, and exactly what we needed. One night, a plan to complete several hikes, and a crew that was all in. We packed up, hit the road, and traded routine for wide open desert without overthinking a single part of it.
That’s kind of the magic of Hanksville. It doesn’t demand an itinerary, it just invites you to show up and explore.
We rolled into town with that familiar feeling, dusty roads, and endless horizons and landscapes that don’t even feel real until you’re standing in them. No time wasted, we dropped our stuff and got right to it.
The first stop set the tone – Wild Horse Window Trail near Goblin Valley. Big views, strange formations, and that quiet you only get out there. The kind where the wind is the loudest thing around and it somehow makes everything feel still. Phones came out for photos, but they never quite do it justice. It’s the scale, the texture, the way the light hits the canyon walls, it’s something you just have to experience.
As the day rolled on, we bounced from Wild Horse Window to Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon. No rush, no pressure. Just exploring whatever caught our attention. That’s the beauty of a quick trip like this. You’re not trying to check boxes, you’re just fully in it.
And then came the evening. We made a pit stop at the Mars Desert Research Station before heading over to The Spire for incredible rock formation views before the sun went down. We then headed over to Stan’s Burgers for some grub and milkshakes.
The night in Hanksville brings a whole different kind of magic. With almost no light pollution, the sky shows off. Stars everywhere. The kind that make you stop mid-sentence and just look up. We hung out, laughed, replayed the day, and soaked in every second of it.
Sleep came easy, but alarms went off offensively early. It was time to head to Moonscape Overlook for sunrise. A bumpy off-road drive got us to the overlook just in time to see the sun come up. We enjoyed a curated breakfast, energy drinks, and that morning glow sunshine.
We had one last adventure to complete – Burro Wash. We headed towards Capitol Reef for a 6 mile hike through washes and more epic slot canyons. It was incredible…albeit a little hot in the washes.
Then just like that, we packed up and headed home.
One night. That’s all it was.
But somehow it felt like more.
These are the trips that stick with you. Not because they’re perfectly planned, but because they’re not. Because you said yes, showed up, and let the experience unfold.
Hanksville always delivers. And this time was no different.
