The Best Free Campsite: Moonscape Overlook

Imagine standing on top of the moon as the sky reflects a kaleidoscope of colors. Visit Moonscape Overlook in Hanksville, Utah and you’ll feel as if you have transported to a different planet. This remarkable destination is off the beaten path and one of the most beautiful places in the Southwest!

I have been traveling the US for over seven months in a campervan and this was my favorite campsite yet! We had the whole place to ourselves for a night and it seriously felt like we had flown to another planet. Also, the sunsets and sunrises there were some of the best I have ever seen. Plus, the best part of all is there was great phone service there!

I had a hard time finding this spot, so I wanted to make it easier for others to find. Read below to find out everything you need to know about getting to this hidden gem in Utah!

Moonscape Overlook Details

What to do at Moonscape Overlook

This destination is great for anyone who loves to practice their photography or enjoy nature. It takes a bit of an effort to get to the overlook, but once you get there you will be absolutely amazed at the surreal landscape. You can walk the around the edge, watch the sunrise and sunset, or just enjoy a quiet night of camping.

You don’t have to camp at this spot, but spending the night there to see both sunrise and sunset is absolutely worth it! Many photographers arrive early in the morning to set up their shot over the panoramic views. So if you are camping there, then you can pick your spot first and get ahead of the other visitors.

How to Get There

After hours of research and scoping out iOverlander icons, I finally found Moonscape Overlook. If you google it, you may not find any clear answers on how to get there, so I wanted to help others find this amazing spot. The coordinates for this camping area are (38.45222,-110.83806). You can find this on iOverlander or on Google Maps.

If you are coming from Hanksville, then you will take UT 24 W for about 12 miles, then you will take a right on Coal Mine Road. When you get to this road, you will pass Factory Butte on your left, so you will know that you are heading in the right direction.

Once you get a few miles down the road, you will see Skyline View Road. Turn right on this road and continue it all the way until you get to Moon Overlook Road.

This road goes up into the sky. Once you get to the top of the road, you will be greeted by the stunning landscapes and you will know you have arrived at Moonscape Overlook.

Best Time to Go

If you aren’t planning on camping in this spot, then you should try to see this area during times of the day that have good lighting. Sunrise and sunset are particularly beautiful, because the colors transform the sky and make the landscape look even more epic.

Blue hour, which is the hour before sunrise and the hour after sunset, are also great times to capture the landscape and take photos. 

This area of the country can see extreme heat and high temperatures. Campers will want to try and stay in this area when there are milder temperatures in the late Fall and early Spring.

Unless you have an RV or campervan with temperature controls you will want to avoid the peak heat in summer, late spring, and early fall. Temperatures can soar into the 100s and it will be miserable to sleep in this kind of environment.

Things to Know Before You Go:

Final Tips for Visiting Moonscape Overlook

Moonscape Overlook has increasingly grown in visitation after social media posts have gone viral. So, if you are visiting PLEASE be respectful of the area and make sure to clean up after yourselves.

Also, take extreme caution if you climb out to the ledge spot, because people have fallen off in recent years. Remember that this is still a wild space and it should be treated as such.

Let me know in the comments if you found this guide helpful!

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