Hollow Mountain – Hanksville, Utah - Atlas Obscura

AO Edited

Hollow Mountain

At this gas station in the middle of the desert, a convenience store has been carved directly into the rock. 

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It took over 100 cases of dynamite (about 2.5 tons) to hollow out the mountain and open the doors of Hollow Mountain on Memorial Day weekend of 1984. 

Hollow Mountain looks like something out of a film or a story that everyone’s read. After long miles of vast and gorgeous desert wasteland, an oasis of fuel and convenience in a hollowed-out hill. A reprieve from the relentless central Utah sun (particularly as most will find themselves along this route around summertime) is this small stop along a road where you won’t find a lot more than endless panoramic landscape views. 

Cool climate-controlled air hits you as you enter the convenience cave where you can purchase provisions to continue your drive. Water, firewood, snacks of all kinds, maps, random travel swag, and particular souvenirs are sold by Don, the gas station’s jovial proprietor. Everyone who works there is very informative about the area and can help you get where you’re going if you happened to be turned around.

It’s an awe-inspiring desert but it’s not a place you want to get too lost. 

Know Before You Go

Where the 24 and 95 meet. Great place to stop on your way to Escalante or Capitol Reef National Park. Halfway between Moab and Capitol Reef. As far as I can tell, this location is only accessible via driving there.

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December 29, 2021

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