Southern Utah has some incredible, even inexplicable landscapes. One of my favorite spots and one of the most isolated
spots is Goblin Valley located in Emery County, Utah. Now to get there it takes
some planning and it will suck up the better part of a day if Salt Lake City is your starting point but you will never,
ever forget the 2 or 3 hours you spend there. Goblin Valley is made up of
just that – thousands of hoodoos or “Goblins” which are actually eroded Entrada
Sandstone from the Jurassic period. A great deal of Southern Utah’s “Color
Country” is made of the same geologic “Red Rock” formation. The difference between
places like Arches and Goblin Valley is that the area around Arches was formed
by ancient sand dunes being compressed and eroded over millions of years. The
area that Goblin Valley sits in was a large tidal mud flat over 170 million
years ago. As silt was deposited and compressed over millions of years, the
landscape eroded leaving behind the strange figures you see by the thousands. This area is incredible. It
is almost impossible to describe in words. You drive 254 miles and 4.5 hours
from Salt Lake City and while Spanish Fork Canyon and the San Rafael Swell are
beautiful and interesting, nothing can prepare you for the otherworldly scene
you will be confronted with when you round the final bend prior to the awning
at the Hoodoo overlook. A large valley filled with ridiculously shaped, eroded
and balanced rock figures stands before you with an imposing backdrop of piled
red or white sandstone cliffs. You can scarcely get out of
your vehicle fast enough to go and begin your explorations among the hoodoos.
Take a moment and consider a few things before you do. You are over 60 miles
from medical attention and at least 40 miles from a gas station in Hanksville
so make sure that you are careful during your activities and plan accordingly.
Temperatures can soar above 100 f in the summer time so you need several liters
of water per hour per person if you go there when it’s hot. Once you have
pondered these things, take a moment to read the interpretive panels, where
much of the information in this article comes from, and hit the restrooms there
near the awning and then charge off into the valley of Goblins.
There are incredible shapes
of red sandstone, some of which have nicknames that are well known like
“Molly’s Castle” or “The Three Sisters”. My family and I have given many other
goblins names as well such as the “Duck” or the “Egg”. If you saw these things
for yourself the names applied would make perfect sense. I usually walk
straight through the hoodoos to the back wall of cliffs and climb them to the
top. Along this route you will encounter strange goblins shaped like the
mushrooms from Super Mario Brothers. There are also winding paths between
balanced rocks and towering spires of the tiny canyon walls. Some areas are
eroded out into actual caves or clevities that you can walk back into. Getting on top of the back
wall is no easy thing and you must take extreme care to find a reasonably safe
route. Once on top you have stunning views to the south of the 11,500 foot
Henry Mountains – one of the last ranges in the Continental United States to be
explored by a government survey party in the late 1800’s. The snowcapped
pointed peak is Mount Ellen and this compact lofty range creates its own
climate and oasis in the desert complete with thick ponderosa, aspen and fir
forests and a few tiny cold, clear streams. As you admire the Henry Mountains
approaching the edge of the plateau you are standing on you will be confronted
with yet another valley completely filled with goblins to the south. These
goblins are 3 times the size of the ones in the previous valley however and
they make for an incredible scene. To the east you will look
straight down the imposing cliffs of the plateau upon a sea of sand with a few
lone red buttes floating as if Spanish Galleons on the horizon. To the north
along your back trail you have a fine view of the main valley of the goblins
and the tortured slick rock canyon country of the mysterious San Rafael Swell
rising up behind it. The Swell is full of slot canyons, rock towers, incredible
vistas and more slick rock than you have ever seen in your life. There are
ancient petroglyph panels in areas upon the rocks that bear evidence of the
areas occupation by archaic peoples. The Swell also supports the largest
population of Desert Bighorn Sheep in the state. It is truly a magical
wilderness but like the Henry Mountains, those are both topics for another
article. Goblin Valley is a Utah
State Park with campgrounds, a nice visitor’s center and other expected
amenities. Come prepared however because the nearest groceries and gas are
many, many miles away. Park Hours are 6am – 10pm and there is an $8.00 day use
fee per vehicle. As always, call ahead and check with the park to ensure this
information has not changed and to verify what is currently available for
camping / RV hookups etc.
When you get to Goblin
Valley and experience it for yourself, you will understand the outrage that
people felt when a couple of idiots decided to topple one of the rock
formations that had existed in its current condition for millions of years.
Erosion is a natural process and these monuments like everything else on earth
will one day fall. That being said, please be respectful of the wilderness if
you visit and help to minimize your impact so that future generations can also
enjoy the wonder and magic that is Goblin Valley.
***At the time of this writing there were studies on going to determine the impact of foot travel in Goblin Valley. At a future date, foot traffic within the park may be limited to trails only in order to preserve the fragile landscape - check ahead to see if access / use rules have changed***
For More information
Contact:
Goblin Valley State Park
PO Box 637
Green River, Utah, 84525
435-275-4584
Jaromy D. Jessop
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| Typical Goblin Valley scene - Utah |
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| The "Three Sisters" formation - Goblin Valley, Utah |
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