The Bentonite Hills by The Mars Desert Research Station Near Hanksville, Utah

The Bentonite Hills just past The Mars Desert Research Station near Hanksville, Utah are the easier and closer (about 20 minutes) Bentonite Hills to explore.

You will go on a dirt road, but no river crossing like going to the Bentonite Hills on Google Maps, which is over an hour away from Hanksville.

You'll also get to see the Mars Desert Research Station on the way.

We headed out from Hanksville and drove 3.4 miles and then made a right hand turn onto Cow Dung Road.

This dirt road comes up quickly from the highway and we actually missed the turn. We turned around and turned onto Cow Dung Road. This is what the dirt road looks like from the highway.

Once we turned onto Cow Dung Road we followed it for 3.3 miles up to the Mars Desert Research Station.

This is what the drive and the Mars Desert Research Station look like. As you get close to you will start to see some signs that it is private property.

As you pull up to the Mars Desert Research Station, there is a dirt parking area. You are allowed to view the research area from the marked rocky area. This is restricted area and you are not allowed to fly a drone in this area. Once you get past this area, you are allowed to fly your drone.

This is what the research station looked like.

From the Mars Desert Research Station, we got back onto Cow Dung Road and went about 0.7 miles to the Bentonite Hills in the area. We parked on the side of the road and explored these hills. The colors were absolutely beautiful.

Overall, we loved exploring these Bentonite Hills so close to Hanksville, Utah. We would highly recommend this on your next trip to Hanksville.

The Mars Desert Research Station near Hanksville, Utah Map:

(Click on the map above to go to a Google Maps larger view.)

The Bentonite Hills By The Mars Desert Research Station near Hanksville, Utah Map:

(Click on the map above to go to a Google Maps larger view.)

The Bentonite Hills by The Mars Desert Research Station is free to go to. It is located outside of any National Park. It's recommended to drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle since it's a dirt road, but besides that it is free. 

Price: $0

These are the checklist items I recommend:

• A  4-wheel drive vehicle with a full tank of gas.
• Bring a hat to keep the sun off of your face.
• Wear shoes with good grip or hiking shoes. 
• Bring water and food.
• Download the maps before going.