Journey into the Valley of the Goblins
December 9th, 2009 by Lauren Locke-Paddon
It’s always thrilling to get a glimpse of the fluidity of geological formations. Like time-lapse photography, the parks in Southern Utah give us a window into what is happening all around us, but at an imperceptibly slow rate. In Goblin Valley State Park, Utah the dynamic nature of the surface of the earth is absolutely clear.
Thirty-seven miles off the I-70 we motored towards the formations, lifting out of the dully red salty basin. More heading to a looming Mordor than you might care to imagine. The mushroom-like formations are actually a result of the weathering of Entrada Sandstone where there was once seashore and tectonic activity.
On my first visit to the state park thunder and lightning dominated the scene and the place appeared truly supernatural. We slid down the red silt turning liquid mud and beheld the goblins in the flashes of the electrical storm. It was so impressive that a 70-mile detour was added to this trip, so that Stevo and Travis could get a chance to meet the hoodoos for themselves.
The appeal of the intense, bizarre landscape is magnified by how easy it is to interact with (not counting the seven miles drive down a washboard dirt road). One is welcome to walk among, climb on and jump from goblin to goblin. (The park made for one of the best photo shoots of our trip.) No guardrails or boardwalks attempt to mar the scenery once you are in the valley. However, a delightful and thoughtfully shaded picnic is with a view of the formations made our lunch very pleasant.
Goblin Valley State Park is open from 8am -5pm (although it may be closed occasionally during winter months) and admission is $7/car for day use and $16 to stay overnight in a campsite.
Build your own personalized travel guide now
You should follow us on Twitter here
