The road leads to an elevated parking area with covered picnic tables, looking out over the widest (northernmost) part of Goblin Valley, which is bordered on the west side by undulating badlands, rising up to a tall mesa, and to the east by a narrower, steep-sided escarpment formed of eroded layers of grey-white and red-brown sandstone. The canyons are shallow but narrow for a few hundred feet, with nice rock forms and reflected light patterns. The park is easy to explore, by walking along one of three maintained paths, or just hiking off-trail over the level ground between the formations. The valley, which is only about a mile across and two miles long, is formed by a seasonal wash ( Red Canyon) and contains thousands of mushroom-shaped pinnacles or hoodoos a few feet high that someone obviously thought resembled goblins - the formations have large orange-brown boulders of hard rock atop weaker sandy layers which have eroded more quickly, as a result of millions of years of the combined effects of wind and rain. The park lies at the edge of the vast San Rafael Desert, 12 miles from the small village of Hanksville but far from any town of significance, and is reached along a turning off UT 24 after 11 miles of newly paved road on which it is possible to travel at 60 mph along the flat, but nearer 20 mph along some of the winding sections. Goblin Valley State Park with so many opportunities, is so far off the beaten path, it’s almost like another world.Relatively few people visit Goblin Valley State Park, which is a pity since the eroded sandstone formations are every bit as beautiful as the more famous Utah national parks further south, although on a much smaller scale. I had no idea 6 years ago when I started, how important it is to communities,” said Escott. “It’s evident the economic development is mind boggling. He loves to ride, but also has grown to understand how a simple bike trail has such a tremendous impact. It really is a different experience for a mountain biker,” said Scott Escott, Trails Coordinator and Designer.Įscott is the mountain bike trail guru in southern Utah. “This area is truly unique with the deep canyons, the views of the mountains. The new bike trail offers even more stunning views of the bizarre landscape. Governor Spencer Cox.Ĭox was on hand for the trail’s ribbon cutting, which will add to the camping, yurts, hiking and climbing already at Goblin Valley. What’s great about this trail is we’re giving people new opportunities for the same great price,” said Lt. “What we’re trying to do is increase the opportunities so people can come for more than a day, and experience what’s great about Utah. But now, a newly opened mountain bike trail offers a totally different perspective. Odd and very accessible, the hoodoos are the most recognizable part of this state park.
Straight out of a fantasy, an army of goblins stretch across the valley. It’s just fantastic,” said Nathan Martinez, Goblin Valley Asst. “It’s so different, it’s like being on the moon or on Mars. Chances are you’ve heard of Goblin Valley, but you probably never have visited.
There’s off the beaten path, and then there’s really off the beaten path. Goblin Valley State Park officially opened a new mountain bike trail this month.
It’s a place so alien, some say it’s like visiting another world. GOBLIN VALLEY, Utah (ABC 4 Utah) Thursday we visited Goblin Valley State Park on the Good4Utah Road Tour.