Located in a remote Utah location, with fantastical rock formations and eroding cliff walls surrounding the campground, geologists and photographers will take delight in all day photo-excursions! When you get settled, enjoy plenty of hiking, mountain biking trails, disc golf and dark night skies. Not to mention peace and quiet in the remote setting with only 25 camp sites and 2 yurts. Reservations suggested.
A Little History
Cowboys searching for cattle first discovered secluded Goblin Valley. Then in the late 1920s, Arthur Chaffin, owner/operator of the Hite ferry, and two companions were searching for an alternative route between Green River and Caineville. They came to a vantage point about a mile west of Goblin Valley and were awed by what they saw, five buttes and a valley of strange-shaped rock formations surrounded by a wall of eroded cliffs.
In 1949, Chaffin returned to the area he called Mushroom Valley. He spent several days exploring the mysterious valley and photographing its scores of intricately eroded creatures. The area was acquired by the state of Utah and in 1964 was officially designated a state park.
Goblin Valley State Park is a showcase of geologic history. Exposed cliffs reveal parallel layers of rock bared by erosion. Because of the uneven hardness of sandstone, some patches resist erosion much better than others. The softer material is removed by wind and water, leaving thousands of unique, geologic goblins. Water erosion and the smoothing action of windblown dust work together to shape the goblins.
Bedrock is exposed because of the thin soil and lack of vegetation. When rain does fall, there are few plant roots and little soil to capture and hold the water, which quickly disappears, in muddy streams without penetrating the bedrock.
Opened to the public as a state park in 1964.
Park Elevation – 5,000 feet
Camping Sites
The campground at Goblin Valley State Park consists of 25 sites and two yurts. The campsites are divided into ten walk-in tent pads, fourteen RV spaces, and one group site able to accommodate up to 35 people. Showers and flush toilets, as well as a communal water and dump station are all available free of charge. All sites contain a picnic table, metal fire ring, and shade shelter.
The camping charge per night is $25.00, which includes the park’s $13.00 entry fee. An extra vehicle may be brought in for an additional $15.00 per night. While not located in the Valley of Goblins itself, the campground is nonetheless surrounded by interesting rock formations that invite exploration of their own.
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.
Reservations: 1-800-322-3770