Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley State Park is a state park of Utah. Its eminent feature is its thousands of hoodoos and hoodoo rocks, referred to locally as "goblins", which are formations of mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles, some as high as several meters.

The unusual stone shapes in Goblin Valley result from the weathering of Entrada sandstone. The Entrada consists of debris eroded from former highlands and redeposited on a former tidal flat of alternating layers of sandstone, siltstone, and shale.

The rocks show evidence of being near the margins of an ancient sea with the ebb and flow of tides, tidal channels that directed currents back to the sea and coastal sand dunes. Joint or fracture patterns within the Entrada sandstone beds created initial zones of weakness.

The unweathered joints intersected to form sharp edges and corners with greater surface-area-to-volume ratios than the faces. As a result, the edges weathered more quickly, producing the spherical-shaped 'goblins'.

Location

Emery County
Utah, USA

Getting There

There is no public transportation directly to Goblin Valley State Park. However, there are a few options to get there:

Driving: The most convenient way to get to Goblin Valley State Park is by car. It is located off of Utah State Route 24, approximately 40 miles northwest of Hanksville.

Private tour: There are several private tour companies that offer transportation to Goblin Valley State Park from nearby cities like Moab or Green River.

Shuttle service: The Utah Parks Shuttle provides a shuttle service that connects several national parks and recreation areas in Utah, including Goblin Valley State Park. However, the shuttle service only operates during the summer months and requires advance reservations.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Utah that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.