The Bentonite Hills of Capitol Reef National Park in Utah offer one of the most striking displays of colorful badlands in the American Southwest. These eroded clay formations rise in waves of gray, purple, green, and maroon, creating a landscape that looks transported from another planet yet remains accessible to visitors willing to venture beyond the park’s main attractions.
This guide explains what you’ll find at the Bentonite Hills, how to reach them, what to bring, and how to plan a visit that respects this fragile desert environment.
What Are the Bentonite Hills and Why Visit?
The Bentonite Hills are layered clay formations created from volcanic ash that settled and compressed over millions of years in an ancient lake bed. The different mineral compositions create distinct color bands, while erosion has carved the soft sediment into rounded domes, sharp ridges, and miniature canyons that shift in appearance with changing light and weather conditions throughout the day.
Where You’ll Find the Bentonite Hills
The hills lie in the southern section of Capitol Reef National Park, approximately 20 miles south of the park visitor center along the Notom-Bullfrog Road. This unpaved route runs parallel to the Waterpocket Fold, the massive geologic monocline that defines the park.
The most photographed and accessible formations sit on both sides of the road near mile marker 20. You can spot them by their distinctive gray and purple coloring that contrasts sharply with the surrounding red rock landscape.
Getting There
From the Capitol Reef Visitor Center, drive east on Highway 24, then turn south onto Notom-Bullfrog Road. The road is usually passable for high-clearance vehicles in dry conditions, but becomes impassable when wet as the bentonite clay turns extremely slippery.
Check current road conditions with park rangers before attempting this drive. Weather can change rapidly, and afternoon thunderstorms during summer monsoon season can close the road without warning.
Planning Your Visit
Most visitors spend between one and three hours exploring the Bentonite Hills, though photographers often stay longer to capture different lighting conditions. The site works well as part of a longer scenic drive along Notom-Bullfrog Road or as a focused destination from the main park area.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (April through May) and fall (September through October) offer the most comfortable temperatures and stable weather. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 95°F (35°C) with intense sun exposure and little shade.
Winter visits are possible but require checking road conditions, as snow and ice can make Notom-Bullfrog Road hazardous. Early morning and late afternoon light enhances the colors and textures of the formations, making these the preferred times for photography.
Vehicle Requirements
While some visitors reach the Bentonite Hills in standard passenger vehicles during dry conditions, a high-clearance vehicle significantly improves comfort and safety. The road includes sections of washboard, loose gravel, and occasional rocky patches.
Do not attempt this road in any vehicle when rain threatens or after recent precipitation. The bentonite clay becomes a slick, adhesive mud that can strand vehicles for hours or days.
What to Do at the Bentonite Hills
Unlike many Capitol Reef attractions, the Bentonite Hills have no marked trails or designated viewpoints. You’ll explore by parking along the road shoulder and walking into the formations, creating your own route across the landscape.
Exploring the Formations
The hills are best experienced by walking among them rather than viewing from a distance. The clay surface is generally firm when dry, allowing you to walk between the mounds and ridges to discover changing perspectives and color patterns.
Stay aware of your position relative to your vehicle, as the rounded hills can make navigation confusing. The terrain may look uniform from a distance but reveals surprising variation up close, including miniature slot canyons, balanced rocks, and intricate erosion patterns.
Photography Opportunities
The Bentonite Hills attract photographers seeking unusual landscapes and abstract compositions. Wide-angle lenses capture the sweeping formations and sky, while telephoto lenses can isolate specific color patterns and textures.
Overcast conditions often work better than harsh midday sun, as clouds create even lighting that reveals subtle color gradations. Post-storm light can be particularly dramatic when breaks in the clouds create spotlighting effects across the hills.
Essential Items to Bring
The remote location and lack of facilities make preparation critical for a safe and comfortable visit. Plan as if no help will be available, because emergency response times in this area can be lengthy.
- Water: At least one gallon per person, more in summer heat
- Sun protection: Wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, long sleeves, and sunscreen rated SPF 30 or higher
- Sturdy footwear: Closed-toe shoes with good tread for walking on uneven clay surfaces
- Navigation aids: Downloaded offline maps or GPS device, as cell service is unreliable
- Emergency supplies: First aid kit, extra food, flashlight, and basic tools
- Full fuel tank: No services exist along Notom-Bullfrog Road for approximately 70 miles
Important Safety and Conservation Guidelines
The Bentonite Hills sit within a national park and require the same respect and care as more developed areas. Your actions directly affect both your safety and the preservation of these formations for future visitors.
Protecting the Formations
Walk only on existing bare ground or rock surfaces. Avoid stepping on biological soil crust, the dark, bumpy layer that prevents erosion and supports desert ecosystems. Once crushed, this crust can take decades to recover.
Do not carve, write, or scratch anything into the clay formations. Take only photographs and leave the landscape exactly as you found it, including rocks and other natural features.
Weather Hazards
Flash flooding poses a serious risk during and after rainstorms, even from storms many miles away. Low areas between hills can channel water rapidly, and the clay becomes dangerously slippery when wet.
Lightning danger increases during afternoon thunderstorms, particularly in summer. The hills offer no shelter or protection, making it essential to monitor weather conditions and leave at the first sign of approaching storms.
Heat and Exposure
The open landscape provides no shade or wind protection. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke develop quickly in summer, even among experienced hikers who underestimate the intensity of desert sun combined with reflected heat from light-colored clay.
Turn back if you experience dizziness, excessive fatigue, confusion, or stopped sweating. These are signs of serious heat illness requiring immediate cooling and hydration.
Combining the Bentonite Hills with Other Capitol Reef Attractions
The southern scenic drive works well as a full-day or half-day addition to a Capitol Reef visit. Most visitors base themselves in the Fruita area near the visitor center, which provides campgrounds, the historic Gifford House, and access to popular trails.
Nearby Attractions Along Notom-Bullfrog Road
The same road that accesses the Bentonite Hills continues south to other worthwhile stops. Burro Wash offers slot canyon hiking about 10 miles south of the hills, while the Notom Road itself provides constantly changing views of the Waterpocket Fold.
Allow at least four hours for a round-trip drive from the visitor center to the Bentonite Hills and back, longer if you plan to explore additional sites along the route. The drive itself becomes part of the experience, offering solitude and landscapes distinct from the park’s more traveled areas.
Main Park Attractions
If your time in Capitol Reef is limited, balance a Bentonite Hills trip with these established highlights:
- Hickman Bridge Trail, a moderate 2-mile round trip to a natural arch
- Capitol Gorge, a scenic drive and short hikes through a historic route
- Petroglyphs along Highway 24, easily viewed from a roadside boardwalk
- The Scenic Drive through Fruita, showcasing orchards and pioneer history
Where to Stay
Capitol Reef offers limited lodging options, making advance planning advisable during peak spring and fall seasons. The Fruita Campground provides the only camping within the main park area, operating on a first-come, first-served basis with sites filling by early afternoon during busy periods.
The town of Torrey, located 11 miles west of the visitor center, offers hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants, and services. Hanksville, 40 miles east, provides additional budget accommodations but adds significant driving time to reach the Bentonite Hills.
Permits and Regulations
Capitol Reef National Park charges an entrance fee valid for seven days. Annual passes and interagency passes are accepted. No special permit is required specifically for the Bentonite Hills, as they are part of the general park access.
Verify current fee structures and park regulations on the National Park Service website before your visit, as policies can change. Some remote park areas may have seasonal closures or restrictions based on road conditions or wildlife protection needs.
What to Expect Realistically
The Bentonite Hills reward visitors seeking unusual landscapes and solitude, but they demand more preparation and self-reliance than developed park attractions. You’ll likely encounter few if any other visitors, particularly on weekdays or outside peak seasons.
The formations are genuinely striking and unlike typical Southwest scenery, but the experience depends heavily on your comfort with remote environments and unpaved roads. This is not a quick roadside stop but rather a destination requiring time, appropriate vehicle capabilities, and respect for desert conditions.
Who Will Enjoy This Destination
The Bentonite Hills suit visitors who appreciate geology, landscape photography, and exploring beyond marked trails. Families with children can enjoy the area if properly prepared for heat and distances, though the lack of facilities and shade makes this challenging with very young children.
Those seeking paved access, amenities, clear trails, or guaranteed quick visits will find better options elsewhere in Capitol Reef. The hills require flexibility, as weather and road conditions can make them inaccessible with little warning.
Making the Most of Your Visit
Start early to take advantage of cooler morning temperatures and better light. Check weather forecasts and road conditions the day before and again the morning of your planned visit.
Bring more water than you think necessary and turn back sooner than seems prudent if conditions deteriorate. The formations will still be there on a return visit, but vehicle extraction from mud or treatment for heat illness creates problems that can affect your entire trip.
Take time to look closely at the details within the formations rather than rushing to cover distance. The patterns, colors, and textures reveal themselves best to patient observation, and the scale of the landscape can be disorienting without clear reference points.
Final Considerations Before You Go
The Bentonite Hills represent Capitol Reef’s quieter side, offering rewards proportional to the effort and preparation invested. Unlike the park’s orchards and petroglyphs, these formations see relatively few visitors, creating opportunities for solitude and discovery that have become rare in popular national parks.
Confirm road conditions one final time before departing, carry emergency supplies appropriate for remote desert travel, and treat the landscape with the care it deserves. With realistic expectations and proper preparation, the Bentonite Hills provide a memorable addition to any Capitol Reef visit and a glimpse into landscapes that remain genuinely remote and challenging to access.
For more destination guides covering unique natural areas and national park attractions across the American West, explore our other helpful tourist destination articles.