Kids and adults alike will be fascinated by the hoodoo-like formations at Goblin Valley State Park.
Goblin Valley State Park is located between Arches National Park and Capitol Reef National in Utah and right next to Little Wild Horse (Slot) Canyon. It makes the perfect place to visit on your way between the two parks especially if you are also visiting the slot canyon.
Goblin Valley State Park offers a look at unique hoodoo-like formations. These ‘goblins’ were formed as soft sandstone was eroded leaving a valley full of mushroom-shaped formations.
Goblin Valley State Park
After the entrance station/visitor center, continue until the stop sign and then turn left towards the observation point. The road will lead you to a parking lot along with covered picnic tables. From the parking lot take the stairs down into Goblin Valley.
Once you enter the valley there is no designated trail and you are free to wander wherever you want. Kids can also climb on the hoodoos as long as they avoid the fragile ones. This is a great place for kids to burn off energy.
The further you roam from the entrance the more varied and interesting the ‘goblins’ become. Please note there are no signs inside the valley, so you need to ensure that you can find your way back to the parking lot by using GPS if you plan to wander far.
The state park has five hiking trails that lead to different sections of the park and 7 miles of bike trails divided into 5 loops. There is also a campground inside the park and is designated an International Dark Sky Park.
Tips
- You can spend as much or as little time in the state park as you want but 1 – 3 hours would allow you enough time.
- It was very windy during our visit and the floor of the valley is sand, so be prepared for blowing sand.
- Make sure to bring plenty of water because the valley can get very hot, especially in the summer. There is very little shade in the valley.
We really enjoyed our stop at Goblin Valley State Park after visiting Little Wild Horse (slot) Canyon.
