Long Dong Silver Spire – One of Utah’s Hidden Gems

Long Dong Silver: A Star Wars-like Landscape

As we rounded the corner, the spire came into view. It was darker in colour than I had imagined and it looked like it could easily be lair of a classic movie villain…

Long Dong Silver in Utah (yes, it started being called this by people online and the name seems to have stuck) is a really cool rock formation, located in a desert landscape. It is something that looks like it has come straight out of a Star Wars movie!

We saw a lot of beautiful places while we were on our Utah Road Trip and as far as Utah’s Hidden Gems go, this one takes the cake!

The spire is located in a bit of a canyon of sorts. There is relatively flat ground surrounding the spire until you get closer, where a mound of dirt sits, 2 black spires emerging from it and reaching towards the sky. It is a really fascinating force of nature!

The dirt surrounding Long Dong is crusty and soft but the actual spire seems to be made of slightly harder rock, although also crumbly.

This is a fragile place and if you have the chance to see it yourself, be gentle and respectful of this amazing place.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know to find Long Dong Silver. It is not easy to find!

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Long Dong Silver Quick Links

📍 Where is Long Dong Silver Located?

Long Dong Silver is located near Hanksville in Southern Utah. If you are visiting Capital Reef National Park, why not check out some of Hanksville’s hidden gems at the same time, such as Factory Butte and Moonscape Overlook.

Click here to open the map in Google Maps!

How to Get to Long Dong Silver

Finding Long Dong Silver is pretty hard, especially without the GPS coordinates! It is around a 20 minute drive from Hanksville. This drive will involve some off-roading through the desert and a walk at the end.

From Hanksville, you will need to take the UT-24 W for 7.2 miles (11.6km), before turning right off the highway onto the off-road section. Use the coordinates below to know where to turn off.

Once you are driving on the dirt, try to follow the tire marks as well as the GPS to the parking spot. It is all very unofficial so you will feel like you are on a real adventure driving through the desert. You cannot seen the spire until you get out of your car and walk around the corner so you will need to trust your GPS which I know can be scary but it seemed to work out for us this time.

Alternatively, you could park your car just off the highway and walk.

Long Dong Silver GPS Coordinates

The above map also has all of these places pinned.

Part of the highway where you will need to turn off at: 38°22’10.1″N 110°50’20.7″W
Where to park: 38.39010791679674, -110.83646131088537 – See updated note below on parking ⬇
Long Dong Silver’s Location: 38°23’38.6″N 110°49’56.4″W

Update July 2024: Thanks to an email source who recently visited Long Dong Silver, they have let me know that vehicles are now prohibited past 38° 22′ 57.09″ N, 110° 50′ 20.24″ W so you will either need to park here or on the side of the highway. These new coordinates are about halfway to the previous parking area.

🥾 The Hike to Long Dong Silver

Since vehicles are no longer allowed all of the way up to the spire, the walk is now longer, however it is flat for most of the way until the very end.

Distance: Approximately 4 miles return from the highway / 2 miles return from the updated parking spot
Time: 2 hours from the highway or 1 hour from the parking coordinates.

The hike is not at all boring because of how epic the landscape is that you will be surrounded by! You will be walking on a crusty clay type dirt which can get extremely sticky and slippery when wet. Even though you have just left a major highway, you will feel like you are miles away in another world.

As you are walking, you will notice that there are probably still tire marks from other people not obeying the “no vehicles past this point” signs. Follow these tire tracks and keep an eye on the GPS to make sure you are heading in the right direction.

Eventually, you will round a corner and the impressive, otherworldly spire will come into view. Take a moment to admire it before continuing onto the best photo spot for Long Dong Silver.

📸 How to Take the Best Photo of Long Dong Silver

The best time of the day for photographing Long Dong Silver is either golden hour at sunrise or sunset or blue hour, which is the hour prior to sunrise and after sunset. While the sun is setting or rising, it lights up the tips of the spire which is a pretty cool effect.

We visited at sunset, however, it was a pretty overcast sunset so we didn’t get much light and our photos turned out to be much moodier than we had planned. You could get a similar moody effect on a cloudy day.

The best place (in our opinion) to take your photo from is the side which is further away from where you have arrived from. To get there, you will need to hike up a steep clay mound. There will probably be other photographers up there doing the same thing.

We also brought our drone because drones ARE allowed at Long Dong Silver and the photos and videos from the drone were absolutely awesome!

⚠ Things to Consider Before Heading out to Find Long Dong Silver

• Has it rained recently: The ground was drive when we went but we could still feel that it was super soft! I can image that it would not take a lot of rain to get you bogged and stuck out there so make sure you triple check the weather forecast!
• There is no reception out there so download offline maps and make sure you are well prepared with a spare tire, emergency first aid kit and plenty of food and water.
• Bring a hat and sunscreen. It is very exposed.
• Don’t forget your camera!
• Be respectful of others who are trying to enjoy the beauty of the location and of course Leave No Trace.

Commonly Asked Questions

🚙 Do I need a 4×4 to get to Long Dong Silver

I do recommend a 4×4 for this adventure although you could probably make it in a front wheel drive vehicle. The reason for this is that you will be fully off-roading from the moment you leave the highway and there are no specific tracks to follow.

The mud/dirt that you will be driving on is extremely soft and if it rained even only a tiny bit, you will get bogged pretty quickly.

We were in an SUV with 4×4 capabilities which was fine. We booked a rental car from Salt Lake City International Airport so that we could pick it up and get going as soon as we landed.

👉 Find the best rental car prices here!

🕐 When is the Best Time to Visit Long Dong Silver?

We visited Long Dong Silver at sunset, however it was a pretty cloudy sunset and we didn’t quite make it there before the sun went behind the cliffs next to the spire. We still managed to get some pretty colours in the sky though.

If we had the chance, I would try to visit on more of an overcast day as it brings out the black dirt more and if you are taking photos really sets the mood perfectly. Just make sure you don’t get caught in the rain!

🎥 Are Drones Allowed at Long Dong Silver

Drones are currently allowed at Long Dong Silver. Make sure you check with the other people that are there that they don’t mind if you put your drone up. We got some amazing drone footage doing 360s circles around the spire! If you have a drone, this is the spot for it!

🛌 Where can I stay near Long Dong Silver Utah

If you are looking to do a sunset or a sunrise at Long Dong Silver, it is a great idea to stay nearby.

Hotels

There are a couple of hotels close by in Hanksville such as the Whispering Sands Hotel and Cathedral Valley Inn. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, there is a BEAUTIFUL hotel called Red Sands Hotel located in Torrey which is 1.5 hours drive from Long Dong Silver.

Check out Capital Reef Domes if you want to stay somewhere unusual!

Camping

There are some great campsites nearby such as the Fruita Campsite in Capital Reef National Park or if you would prefer somewhere a bit closer, Dukes Slickrock Campground & RV is a good choice.

🛌 For a full guide on where to stay near Capitol Reef National Park, read this guide!

⛺ Can you camp at Long Dong Silver?

There are no signs saying that you cannot camp at Long Dong Silver, however, for us it didn’t feel right. There is plenty of free camping surrounding the area and you could even camp at Moonscape Overlook to catch an amazing sunrise!

🌲 Leave No Trace

The 7 Leave No Trace principles are important to be aware of to help keep places like Long Dong Silver beautiful. This particular place is also very fragile so we need to take additional precautions to not ruin it. I would not be surprised if Long Dong Silver was made into more of a monitored tourist attraction as more and more people visit it.

Nature is there for us to enjoy but also respect and leave the way we found it but as well as respecting nature, we should also be treating each other with nothing but kindness. To remind yourself of the 7 Leave No Trace principles, check out the LNT website.

Things to Do Nearby

Hanksville and Capital Reef National Park are such great places to visit if you love outdoor adventures!

Visit the Temple of the Sun and Moon

The Temple of the Sun and the Moon in Cathedral Valley is one of the most underrated spots in Utah and so worth the driving out along the bumpy 4×4 road. If you are into your photography, this is a must-see spot!

Cassidy Arch Trail

Distance: 5km / 3.1 miles | Elevation Gain: 203m / 666 ft | Time: 2-3 hours | Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

Cassidy Arch is one of the most beautiful trails in Capital Reef National Park in Utah. We found it to be the perfect distance to do on a day where we had something else planned as well and the arch was simply stunning! From Long Dong Silver, the Cassidy Arch trailhead is about a 1 hour drive.

Please note that you will need to pay for a park permit to do this hike. You can purchase a day pass with cash on entry to the park or alternatively if you are visiting a any of the other US national parks over the course of a year, I recommend purchasing an America the Beautiful Annual Pass which is only $80 and well worth it!

Visit Moonscape Overlook and Factory Butte

Moonscape Overlook and Factory Butte are must see sights close to Hanksville. Factory Butte is around 20-30 minutes from Hanksville and is on the way to Moonscape Overlook which is another 10 minutes drive. Factory Butte is a mudstone formation smack bang in the middle of the desert and very impressive to see. Moonscape Overlook is an overlook on the rim of a canyon. The floor of the canyon looks like you would imagine the moon to be, hence the name.

The road is a little bumpy so a high clearance vehicle is preferable or alternatively you could join this tour!

💭 Our Thoughts

Long Dong Silver is absolutely insane and we are glad that we made the time to visit. It is definitely an otherworldly landscape, like many landscapes in Utah and a great spot for photographers.

Do you have any questions about visiting Long Dong Silver? Ask away in the comments! 😉

You might also enjoy:

• Ultimate Utah 7 Day Road Trip from Salt Lake City
• How to Spend One or Two Days in Capital Reef National Park
• Guide to the Fifth Water Hot Springs Trail, Utah
• Cassidy Arch Trail – A Must Do Hike in Capitol Reef National Park
• How to Hike the Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail, Escalante Utah
• How to Visit the Bentonite Hills in Utah

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