Mexican Hat Rock Dispersed Camping

Shards of glass pepper a few chunks of the landscape and my kids find four bullet casings, but otherwise this patch of red rock and sand is pristine for a free for all camping area. We’ve come to meet up with new friends met via the Instagram, and aside from our two rigs and a few jeeps climbing the dirt mounds, no one else bothers camping. We both have small vehicles—a van and a truck camper—and we climb a high clearance hill to get our spot. Otherwise, there’s a small clearing perfect for a Class A or two if they like to snuggle.

The stars go brilliant and highway traffic disappears as nightfall covers us all. A drive ‘round the Valley of the Gods proves that this Mexican Hat is just one of an impressive collections of sentries made of red sandstone that still tower surreal over this beautiful corner of welcome to Utah.

Look south to see a large slab of what appears to be grey asphalt. There’s a bunch of spent uranium in there.

It is out in the middle of nowhere but that is also what’s appealing. We stayed right under the hat so we had awesome views all around. Great stars. Little traffic but no big deal. Road was well maintained. Lots of room for large rigs.

Pulled up in our camper van and had a fantastic night with great views

This is about 19 miles North of Monument Valley (Forest Gump Point). Full moon; 80s in the day And 50’s at night. Gravel road and mild wash boarded road. Just right off the road if you look for Mexican Hat Rock

This place is one of my husband and my favorite spots to camp! Spectacular views of Mexican hat and surrounding scenery. It’s right on the San Juan River, peaceful, relaxing, and just beautiful!

You have found your place if you want to destress, get away from social media and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Mexican Hat is a true treasure. Even though the campsite we stayed at was close to the freeway, it was quiet and peaceful, especially in the evenings. We camped in the first spot we saw and it was large and spacious, enough for a small group of campers. There are other spots scattered around, especially for those that have smaller campers/tents/truck campers. You can hike up the Mexican Hat, but there is scrambling at the top. The views are amazing near the top, a panoramic 360 view you cannot beat. There are nearby national monuments to visit and the Valley of Gods is a must-see. Incredible views that are similar to Monument Valley with dispersed camping there as well. The only drawback was we had very limited cell service, but it can be a blessing in disguise as sometimes spending time in nature can rejuvenate your senses and concentrate on what is important to you. We stayed just 2 nights as we were heading to Moab. A great place to stay and rest your heels from all the activities that can be found in Utah!

Outstanding view of Mexican Hat, quiet, beautiful sunset!

We camped at the first spot right in front of the Mexican Hat!! We truly had the most amazing front yard view!! We hiked up to the Mexican Hat, and down to the San Juan River by the end of the camping spots! The camping spots on the back side are also beautiful, but had very tricky roads to pull a camper! My husband has been smart to pick the first available spot! We left the camper and visited Valley of the Gods! God truly is amazing! The song How Great Thou Art played in my head the whole way through the valley! This would have been a great place to camp too! However, our spot at the Mexican Hat was perfect, very easy in & out!

pros: right off the road heading to monument valley, super secluded & lots of privacy, fire pits at most of the sites

cons: iffy service (could call & text but no internet), some of the sites you could get to with no problem but don't go up the hill to the right unless you have 4WD

With many spots nicely hidden from the main road, you will have seclusion and beautiful views. Bear left at the fork in the road which will take you down to the river and into the valley!