Joy Hall, a Mexican Hat property owner, told the San Juan County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 6 that uncontrolled camping, dust and vandalism on a lower road across her land forced her to close the route and that she is seeking the county's help to resolve competing claims over whether that road is a state‑recognized "2477" right of way.

Hall said she and previous owners have invested in dispersed camping spots and infrastructure and that use surged during the COVID era; she told commissioners her campground has been closed since Nov. 1, costing her "about $4,000 a month," and that repeated trespass and vehicle damage make securing the property difficult. "It needs something needs to be done," Hall said. "They stole it. They got it."

County staff and commissioners described the legal complication: the state's historical "2477" designation (a reference used in the meeting to describe public access claims) may protect a road if the state can show continuous public use for a qualifying period before 1976. A county staffer told the board that, historically, the state has resisted vacating roads with that status and that the process involves the state, federal land managers (BLM) and public hearings. Commissioners said federal and state precedent and prior litigation make a direct vacation request to the state difficult.

Hall proposed completing a privately funded alternative route (shown on her maps as a "blue" road) and asked that the county support vacating the county‑claimed red roads or otherwise help secure an outcome that preserves public access to the river while protecting her property. County staff and several commissioners suggested an alternate path the county could present to the state — improvements to a nearby trail and a small, controlled parking pullout that would let visitors hike to Hat Rock rather than drive the lower road. Hall said she would be reluctant to allow even a small parking area on her property because of the increased risk of camping and loss of control.

Commissioners discussed nonlitigation options: offering planning or economic development support, drafting a letter to state agencies explaining local investment and economic impacts, and researching whether a reroute that preserves the same public access could be acceptable to the state. One commissioner urged viewing Hall's operation as a local tourism asset and exploring coordinated investments to provide an alternative that maintains access to Hat Rock while reducing dust and disorder at the campground.

Staff and at least one commissioner cautioned that the county's role is limited: the designation issue and any formal vacation likely rest with state authorities and the BLM. Commissioners repeatedly offered to help Hall develop an alternative access proposal and to draft county correspondence for the state review process, but stressed that litigation is likely to be costly and that, in several similar cases, courts have favored state claims.

The board did not take a formal vote on road closure or vacation. Commissioners concluded by offering to help prepare an alternative plan or letter and by encouraging Hall to work with county staff; the work session then adjourned on a motion with a voice vote in favor.

The next procedural steps described during the meeting were for the property owner and county staff to develop an alternative access proposal and for the county to consider a supportive letter to state agencies and the BLM. The state review process would include public notice and a hearing and could attract opposition from users who say they have historically accessed the site.