Cow Dung Road

Cow Dung Road runs north from Highway 24 through a moonscape of multi-hued bentonite hills ending at an overlook with views of Muddy Creek. Along the way, the trail passes the Mars Research Station and the Hanksville Burpee Dinosaur Quarry. So if the trail's name doesn't pique your interest, maybe dinosaurs and Martians will. The bentonite hills provide the otherworldly setting for the Mars Research Station. It is on Utah State Trust land, so you may only view it from a small pullout. The dinosaur quarry, behind a wooden fence, has a large parking lot suitable for camping. A few small campsites sit near the beginning of the road. Factory Butte looms on the western horizon on the latter portions of the trail. The trail is graded to the dinosaur quarry. After the quarry, it becomes a narrow two-track to the end. Rains may cause the bentonite to become so slick that the road is impassable.