Moonscape Overlook
Around Hanksville - Utah
Note: On dirt roads, road conditions can change constantly. Therefore, we strongly recommend that everyone check the road conditions before each trip. We do not recommend driving on unpaved roads before, during or shortly after rain or snowfall.
Here are the GPX files of our drive
Our visits: So far 1 visit in April 2022
Moonscape Overlook
Description: Indeed, the name says it all, because there is plenty of lunar landscape to admire from the rim. The dominant color is the gray from the Lower Blue Hills. Additionally you can see the colorful band of the Pinto Hills on the horizon. Since you are looking in eastern direction you have back light in the morning. If you want to come to the sunset, you should not take too long, because the Badlands are already in the shade some time before the sun sets.
The first 6mi of the drive are on the Factory Butte Rd. This was in very good condition when we visited in April 2022. You could have driven here with any passenger car. The 2.5mi long access road to the actual viewpoint was very rough and the closer you got to the rim, the worse it became. Here a high ground clearance was necessary.
Our rating: Probably we were not here at the right time of day, because although we liked the viewpoint quite well, we had somehow imagined something more spectacular.
Since the approach is not really far, it is worth a detour, with a suitable car. Just because of the gigantic expanse that you can admire here we would visit again. Probably we would choose the sunset for this purpose, however.
The Moonscape Overlook can be combined very well with a visit to the Eroded Rocks respectively the Factory Butte .
