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Relatively few people visit Goblin Valley State Park, which is a pity since the eroded sandstone rock formations are every bit as dramatic as the more famous Utah national parks further south, although on a much smaller scale. The park lies at the edge of the vast San Rafael Desert, 12 miles from the small village of Hanksville but far from any town of significance, and is reached along a turning off UT 24 after 11 miles of newly paved road on which it is possible to travel at 60 mph along the flat, but nearer 20 mph along some of the winding sections. The valley, which is only about a mile across and two miles long, is formed by a seasonal wash (Red Canyon) and contains thousands of mushroom-shaped pinnacles or hoodoos a few feet high that someone obviously thought resembled goblins - the formations have large orange-brown boulders of hard rock atop weaker sandy layers which have eroded more quickly, as a result of millions of years of the combined effects of wind and rain.
Goblins: The goblins are well hidden from the approach road and the flat, empty lands to the east by a long narrow ridge formed of eroded layers of grey and red-brown rocks, the far side of which provides perhaps the best views of the landscape - here the goblins merge with the cliffs giving an eerie skeletal structure with distorted skull-like rocks and transverse bony ridges. A little climbing is necessary to see this view, but the main section of the park can be explored very easily by walking along one of three maintained paths, or just hiking off-trail over the level ground between the formations. The middle of the valley contains the hoodoos, together with sand dunes, badlands and other rocky structures, whilst the cliffs at the edges harbor small caves and short, narrow ravines. The hoodoos are composed of Entrada sandstone, a cream colored rock found in several other parks nearby, most prominently in Arches National Park. The contrasting gray-white rock making up the top layers of the cliffs around Goblin Valley is the Curtis Formation.
The Park: It may not take long to see Goblin Valley - an hour is enough to walk to the central area - but it is certainly well worth the detour. The formations are especially striking at dusk and for anyone wishing to stay the night, camping is allowed at an official site ($16 per night in 2008, maybe a bit much) which is situated on a hillside a few hundred yards away from the main valley but it does have a few welcoming goblins of its own. The nearest places for free camping are along Wildhorse Road, forking west just after the state park boundary, or around the junction of the entrance road with Temple Mountain Road. Entrance to Goblin Valley State Park is good value at $7.
San Rafael Swell: The land immediately west of Goblin Valley State Park is part of the San Rafael Swell, and like much of south Utah it is remote but beautiful, and traversed only by a few dirt tracks, though 4WD vehicles are generally not required. There are various slot canyons in this area and some such as Little Wild Horse Canyon are both quite well known and may be explored relatively easily.
Hotels: Besides Hanksville, the nearest towns with hotels close to Goblin Valley State Park are Green River (50 miles) and Torrey (67 miles).
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Goblin Valley - Similar Places
The Bisti Badlands - colorful rock formations in a remote part of New Mexico |
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Map: Map of Goblin Valley State Park and nearby slot canyons:
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