Muley Point Dispersed Camping

We love to find places like this- well off the beaten path with amazing views. We were a little concerned about making it up the moki Dugway, but it was fine… we’ve been on much worse roads searching for spots like this. One other camper, amazing views, unbelievable quiet! Drown our Sprinter-based class C slowly, but with no problems- worth the effort!

My friend and I left Dixie National Forest to Hwy 89. Take 89 south to to 12. There is an excellent National Forest campground a few miles west of Bryce on 12. There is a canyon there where Butch and Sundance used to hang out - we can walk into it from the campground.

We then continue on 12 through Escalante UT to Boulder UT, which is where we head east on the Burr Trail. This cuts across the southern end of Capital Reef Nat. Park. There is some incredible BLM land such as Muley Point where we camped at large. Views of at least 50 miles in all directions - with no sign of civilization.

I would not recommend the Burr Trail for anyone without 4WD and certainly no more than a short trailer. Some steep and narrow parts to navigate. Muley Point is basically on rock so pretty bouncy until you find the most perfect spot on earth to camp!

There are two ways to get here by ground: either come down 261 which is paved or from Mexican Hat and up the unpaved Moki Dugway. We came up the MD. I would not recommend towing up the unpaved, very steep Dugway unless you've got a strong pulling truck and a very short camper at most. Truck camper was fine with a couple of rock overhangs avoided. The end of Muley Pt. is extraordinary for camping. If the end point is too windy or oddly full of campers, there are many spots along the way with turnoffs facing the canyons below. It is readily accessible by all but 5th wheels or larger. As long as you're patient with the dust and a bit of washboard road you will be rewarded. There is no shortage of places to boondock out here. It is an austere environment. If you need anything, bring it cause it ain't here. The views lack some of the same coloration of the Grand Canyon but are nonetheless, stunning.

Stayed here just one night. The kids had a blast searching for fossils after another group said they had found them here, most likely not true but it was entertaining for them. Pretty windy but that can be expected on the plateau. We stayed out towards the end just below a raised pull out for a trailer. Plenty of space and the wind keeps noise levels down from neighbors if there is any.

Sunsets and sunrises are just fantastic, would have stayed longer but it had been a couple days since we had refilled water and had to be moving.

The road into Muley Point starts at the top of the Moki Dugway, and you cannot tow a TT down the Moki or drive any vehicle pver 23 ft. So plan on a long 15 plus mile apprioach from the north. The Muley Point road is 3.5 miles long but there are tracks coming off the main road all the way down. I urge yiou to walk out one of those tracks before driving down it. Or take your toad down it.
The Muley Point rd is washboarded, I'd give it a rough but not horrible rating right now. If you drive to the end you will be on a rock shelf overlooking the Goosenecks and with Monument Valley clearly visible. We found a fairly level spot and parked 30-40 ft from the edge. The edge will occasionally break off.
Spectacular view, two other campers on sight but not close. Waiting for sunset now.
We are pulling a 30 ft TT and the other two campers are a popup and a Class C

A camping spot out at the very end of a mesa with the Goosenecks of the San Juan River thousands of feet directly below and a view overlooking Monument Valley off in the distance.

I think the best spot is in the large lot at the very end of the road but there are a few other pullouts along the way that also give you cliff-edge views. If you’re tent camping I’d suggest heading to the end of the road and then either proceeding a bit further out the “peninsula” on foot where there are a few fire rings or dropping down off to the shelf just below the cliff edge to shelter your tent from the wind.

The wind can be fierce up here and if your tent gets blown over the edge it’s a looooong way down. Make sure to stake that thing down well, pile rocks on the stakes, and maybe even tie it to your vehicle if it’s blowing hard.

There are some petroglyphs panels on the shelf below the cliff edge. Worth climbing down if you’re into that sort of thing.

Access is via a long and reasonably well maintained dirt road. It’s mostly washboard but there are a few short sandy spots where you’ll want to keep your momentum up and a few spots with some small rocks to dodge. The end of the road has a large lot to turn around in.

If you have a large rig what you should be more worried about is Moki Dugway, the section of UT-261 just south of the turnoff for Muley Point. The normally paved state highway turns into a series of steep dirt switchbacks as it climbs/descends the edge of the mesa. You can take a long detour around this via UT-95, US-191, and US-163.

Be careful of GPS directions. I once got routed onto another much rougher road that parallels the main road out to the point. If you’re on a wide graded dirt you’re in the right place, if you’re in 2 muddy ruts or driving directly on slickrock you’re on the wrong one. The turnout you want is right where the pavement changes to dirt above Moki Dugway.