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5 Places For Legal And Free Camping In Monument Valley Utah.
When traveling through Monument Valley, accommodation is scarce. And with the amazing free public land in the area, camping is a great way to not only save money, but enjoy the views and area even more.
You have to be careful with camping near Monument Valley though because much of the land near Monument Valley actually belongs to the Navajo Nation, and wild camping is prohibited on their land.
All that to say, we had an epic week dispersed camping in Monument Valley! We stayed at some pretty amazing spots with incredible views of Monument Valley, all legally and all for free — so we wanted to share them with you!
Things To Note About Dispersed (Free) Camping
- Bathrooms aren’t a thing. Either bring a toilet with you, or know how to properly poop outdoors. Don’t know how? Don’t worry, we wrote a guide all about pooping outside here!
- Cell service is limited. We’ve noted which sites have cell service, and recommend maps.me for an offline map app.
- Take your trash with you. Similar to no bathrooms, there’s no trash. Pack out what you pack in.. including organic matter like banana peels and apple cores.
- Water is limited. While you can filter water from the San Juan River in one location, there is not water at most of these places. Bring your own in something like this, and you can pay to fill up your water at the Chevron in Mexican Hat.
- Wind is prevalent. Our entire week in the region was windy. Be prepared and stake down your tents and mentally prepare yourself for windy days!
5 Free Places For Camping In Monument Valley Utah
The following places are listed in order of proximity to Monument Valley. With that said, the fourth and fifth spots on this list are hands down the best views of Monument Valley and shouldn’t be missed!
We have US Cellular, and it’s usually pretty bad coverage. So if we note coverage below, and you have Verizon or something different, you probably will have better coverage than we did!
Mexican Hat Rock
- Location | 37.176192, -109.849353
- Cell Service | yes, able to FaceTime
- Accessibility | 2WD low clearance capable
This camping spot is literally right below Mexican Hat Rock and is fully accessible for any vehicle. It’s located just over half a mile from Highway 163, and is only 15 minutes from Forrest Gump Viewpoint.
We stayed at this campsite for three days and were the only ones there except for those coming in and out for a quick view of Mexican Hat Rock.
Mexican Hat is the closest place to Monument Valley to camp for free — a great spot to stay if waking up for a sunrise photo tour of Monument Valley.
There are multiple campsites in the area, and just past this point, those with all-wheel drive can continue down the road (there’s a super steep section where lots of people kept peeling out) and camp down along the San Juan River.
There’s a bit of confusion on if this place is actually free or not, but rest assured it is. At the beginning of the road, there’s a sign that says you need to pay for camping, but this is only if you choose to camp in the first two parking lots with the Hipcamp signpost.
Avoid these spots, and you’re good to go! We cross-verified with our On X app to make sure we were on BLM land at the coordinates above, and we were.. so is everything past those coordinates!
Don’t Have An RV? Don’t Worry, You Can Rent One On RVShare!
If this spot is full, there are more sites that are two-wheel-drive accessible to the right of Mexican Hat Rock. To access those spots, go to the right at the fork. Just make sure you’re not just below the rock to the right, as that area is technically private and paid for land. It’s pretty obvious once you arrive where the paid for and non-paid for areas are!
READ MORE | Trail Guide to Hiking Mexican Hat Rock
READ MORE | Things To Do In And Near Mexican Hat, Utah
BLM Outside Gooseneck State Park
- Location | 37.200259, -109.888319
- Cell Service | spotty coverage
- Accessibility | 2WD okay for some
As you drive to Gooseneck State Park, right when you turn off of Utah Highway 261, you’ll enter Bears Ear National Monument.
We didn’t camp in this area, but we noticed a few other campers here, and some seemingly great places to park up!
Highway 316 comes to a dead end at Gooseneck State Park, and while you can pay to camp there, you can camp for free on the dirt roads leading into the state park.
There aren’t any jaw-dropping views from most of this area, but it’s easily accessible and still offers views of the canyons.
Driving further down the dirt roads, you’ll find some camp spots right along the canyon ledge with views of the San Juan River!
Valley Of The Gods
- Location | 37.238797, -109.814279
- Cell Service | in and out throughout the scenic drive
- Accessibility | most 2WD capable, inaccessible after rain
Valley of the Gods is a hidden gem for free dispersed camping in Utah. There are hundreds of epic free campsites all along this 16 mile scenic drive, and there are even porta potties close to both ends of the drive.
The road through Valley of the Gods is a dirt road, and while the first half of the dirt road is fully accessible, the second half has some steep grades and quick short dips that aren’t suitable for long vehicles.
We recommend entering Valley of the Gods from Utah Highway 163, and not going past Castle Butte at the following coordinates, 37.315796, -109.855592, for those without high clearance or those with long vehicles.
We completed the entire drive, but were pretty sketched out in a couple of areas due to the quick dips, and, we even scraped the center of the van with some of the steep grades.
READ MORE | Our Complete Guide to Valley Of The Gods Scenic Drive
Muley Point
- Location | 37.2333, -109.993283
- Cell Service | yes
- Accessibility | 2WD accessible, inaccessible after rain
We read about this place and just knew we had to visit. The views from Muley Point are absolutely breathtaking.
Up on a cliff, you’re surrounded on three sides by the San Juan River, two mesas below, and have incredible views of Monument Valley in the distance!
We ended up staying at the first Muley Point spot, see below, but this spot is incredible too.. especially if you can get the spot on the actual point!
It’s worth noting here, that this road is not passable after rain, and to access this area from Monument Valley you have to go up a steep section of switchbacks. The switchbacks are a dirt road that’s two lanes wide, but has no guard rails and is pretty steep. (See image towards the end of the post for a look at this road).
Just think, you’re literally climbing to the second mesa above Gooseneck State Park. So it’s a climb, but holy smokes, the views are incredible!
Muley Point Second Location
- Location | 37.238068, -109.98115
- Cell Service | yes, but we lost it at our exact site
- Accessibility | 2WD accessible, inaccessible after rain
This is the exact location of where we stayed for three nights after staying at Mexican Hat Rock. The views of Monument Valley from here are million-dollar views, and honestly, this is one of our top five free campsites across the world.. including free camping we’ve done in Norway!
Accessing this area is done by driving down a pretty well-maintained dirt road for nearly four miles. This road is completely impassible after rain. Getting onto the actual campsite, you’ll drive on some slick rock and hard packed sand, totally doable in any vehicle.
There are other camp spots in this location that you need to have high clearance to get to, but most are completely accessible to all.
This spot is just a mile shy of actual Muley Point, so similar to accessing Muley Point, you’ll need to drive up the unpaved switchbacks to get onto this mesa.
The views here are just unbelievable, and I had multiple pinch-me moments when camping here for free overlooking Monument Valley.
Don’t Have An RV? Don’t Worry, You Can Rent One On RVShare!
Camping For Free And Trash
I noted it above, but I’m going to say it again here.. pack out all of your trash with you. All of the locations listed in this post are pristine. Don’t ruin them by leaving behind trash, food scraps, or unburied human waste.
All five of the above locations can be found on iOverlander, one of many van life apps we recommend for not only those doing van life but those road tripping as well.
READ MORE | The Best Van Life Apps For Finding Camping, Dump Stations, Water, and More
Enjoy Nature. Respect Nature.
Remember, if you choose to camp for free at any of these locations, you’re enjoying the beauty of Creation. Keep it clean, be respectful of those around you by not running generators or music all day and all night, and for the love of nature — do not damage or kill the live plants in the area!
More On The Monument Valley Area
Hiking Guide to Mexican Hat Rock
Mexican Hat Utah | Things to Do and Where To Stay
Tips For Photographing Monument Valley From Forrest Gump Viewpoint
Things To Do In Southeast Utah
The Perfect Southeast Utah Itinerary
More On Camping
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