About Goblin Valley State Park
This Utah state park is a fun and interesting stop when traveling between Capitol Reef National Park and the national and state parks located near Moab – Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park. Goblin Valley features thousands of hoodoos, referred to locally as goblins, which are formations of mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles, some as tall as several yards. The distinct shapes of these rocks result from an erosion-resistant layer of rock atop relatively softer sandstone that has been eroded by millions of years of wind and water. Along with Bryce Canyon National Park (about 190 miles to the southwest), Goblin Valley contains some of the largest occurrences of hoodoos in the world.
Goblin Valley State Park offers a unique hiking experience of meandering among the goblins. The Valley of Goblins, the most well-known part of the park, is a fun area to explore on foot. It spans nearly three-square miles and is open to free-wander hiking. Beyond this area, the park also offers several miles of hiking trails.
In 2015, the National Park Service’s Night Sky Team determined that Goblin Valley has one of the darkest night skies on earth. Virtually free of any light pollution from populated areas, the state park offers unparalleled views of the Milky Way.
Most animals living here are nocturnal, venturing out only in the cooler evenings to hunt and forage for food. They include jackrabbits, scorpions, kangaroo rats, pronghorns, kit foxes, midget faded rattlesnakes, and coyotes. Vegetation here is limited to hardy desert species which can endure hot, dry conditions. Plants have adapted by reducing the size of their leaves and producing waxy coatings so that they lose less water through transpiration. Plant life that grows here include Mormon tea (Ephedra), tumbleweeds (Russian thistle), Indian ricegrass, and various cacti. Nearby, at slightly higher elevations, there are also juniper and pinyon pine trees.
Interesting Facts About Goblin Valley State Park
- Goblin Valley was featured as an alien planet in the 1990 movie Galaxy Quest (featuring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Sam Rockwell) . The eroded sandstone dunes in the valley inspired the design of the fictional planet’s “rock monsters”.
- The hoodoo formations here are formed out of rock dating back 170 million years.
- The erosion process that creates the goblin shapes is called Spheroidal Weathering.