Meeting the Characters at Utah Goblin Valley State Park

Utah has so many national and state parks with such unusual natural rock formations it hard to suggest one over the other.  In Southern Utah one that I am certainly glad we veered off the beaten path to see is Goblin Valley State Park.  I’d seen pictures of it on the internet so had a basic idea of what to expect.  I can’t imagine what the early pioneers thought.

Standing on a plateau looking across the valley is like being transported to some science fiction movie set.  The goblins are spread out in groups, some larger than others.  Some are lonely sentinels.  They look like cartoon characters standing rigid in the morning sun waiting for instruction to move.  They jump from the imagination of a child into realty.

The Utah State Parks encourage you to get down close and gritty with them.  When you take the walk down to be among them you realize how large they are: ten, twenty, thirty feet tall.  These very unusual red sandstone formations are the results of millions of years of exposure to the elements and changes along the earth’s surface.

Each seems to have its own personality.  Some are smiling, some appear to sleep, others look thoughtful, and some are just plain terrified of the humans among them.  We were they in the morning hours but I would have love to have seen this park at night.  The stars shine bright in the wide open stretches of Utah and goblins probably come alive.

HOURS

6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

PARK FEES

Day-use fee: $15; $10 Utah seniors 62 and older

Camping fees:
Main Campground: $30  ($15 extra vehicle fee)
Yurts: $100 + tax

Group Overnight Camping:
Group Campground: $100 + tax for up to 35 persons, $3 per person after that.  (8 vehicles or 4 RVs max)

DIRECTIONS

Approximately 216 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
– 24 miles south of I-70 on Highway 24, turn at Temple Mountain junction, follow signs 12 miles to park.
– 20 miles north of the town of Hanksville on Highway 24, turn at Temple Mountain junction, follow signs 12 miles to park.

Address: 

PO Box 637

Green River, UT 84525

Phone:435-275-4584