The Henry Mountains rise dramatically from the desert south of Hanksville, a cluster of laccolith peaks (formed by magma that pushed up into overlying rock without breaking through) that reach nearly 3,500 metres at Mount Ellen. They are the most remote mountains in Utah and support one of the few free-roaming bison herds in the American West — a herd descended from Yellowstone stock, established in the 1940s.
Access is via unpaved roads from Hanksville that head south and east into the mountains. The BLM maintains a campsite at Lonesome Beaver on Mount Ellen, and in good weather a high-clearance vehicle can reach 3,000 metres of elevation with sweeping views over Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Lake Powell. The mountains are also known for excellent dispersed camping, some small-scale mining history, and notably dark night skies. Go in spring or fall — summer heat in the lower desert approaches 40°C and the exposed ridges have no shade.