The Bentonite Hills near Hanksville, Utah, just beyond the Mars Desert Research Station, are one of the most visually striking landscapes in the desert Southwest. Soft clay hills ripple across the desert in shades of blue, gray, purple, and rust, creating a terrain that feels almost sculpted rather than eroded. In the evening light the colors deepen dramatically, and the entire landscape seems to glow.

There is no defined trail here. Instead, the experience is simply to wander through the hills, exploring the ridges and valleys that unfold in every direction. I’ve included my AllTrails route as a general reference, but the beauty of this place is discovering your own way through it.

Camping overnight here was one of my most memorable desert experiences. As darkness fell and the colors softened, the vast landscape felt almost cosmic — as if I were alone on another planet. Although a few photographers and Instagram visitors sometimes arrive around sunset, the hills are expansive enough that solitude is still easy to find.

While there are other bentonite hills in the particularly within Capitol Reef, these don't require a 4WD vehicle to explore, though you want to visit when the land is dry and I feel safer in at least a high clearance vehicle.