HANKSVILLE, UT

Hanksville Town is a small settlement adjacent to the Fremont River. Originally it was known as Graves  Valley; so named after John Graves, who is said to have been a member of the Powell exploring  expeditions. It was finally established as a town by  Ebenezer Hanks in 1882.

Hanksville has many interesting historical pasts. It was famously a supply post for Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, who would hide  out at Robbers Roost in the desert southeast of town. Additionally, During the uranium mining frenzy  following World War II, Hanksville became a supply center for the prospectors and miners scouring the  deserts of the Colorado Plateau. Many abandoned mines can be found in the deserts surrounding the  town.

Today agriculture, mining, and  tourism are the main drivers to the local economy. Tourism is particularly important with people coming  for recreation at Lake Powell, Capitol Reef National Park, the Henry Mountains, the San Rafael Swell,  Factory Butte, Goblin Valley State Park, the local slot canyons, and the solitude of the surrounding deserts.