The Valley of Goblins

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Goblin Valley State Park, Utah



While this is the third visit to the area, this is the first time we have actually gone through the gate. The first time the campground was closed because of faulty plumbing and we weren't prepared to sit in the soaring heat outside in our Dodge Van (it was our first year). The second time the rangers said that the three day forecast was for heavy rain and we didn't fancy getting stuck in the mud. 



We nearly didn't come this time but the rain wasn't supposed to be bad and there were a couple of campsites available - we got the second last one. The campground is actually quite good, with a shelter and concrete driveway, so when it does rain you don't get covered in red mud. There is a free BLM campground about 7 miles away which is where we stayed last time but we knew that it's just too easy to look out the window at 6am and decide that it's too cloudy to get up for sunrise.

Cowboys found the area while looking for their cattle back in the 1920's and it became a state park in 1964 to protect it from vandalism.



We actually went down three times, once in the afternoon, once just before the storm hit and then again at sunrise even though there wasn't much of a sunrise - again! Regardless of no sunrise, there was still a nice light on the "goblins".

It's a dark sky area and it would have been fantastic to get some night shots but the storm clouds covered the stars. In the morning the ground was still wet and the red dirt dried like concrete on the soles of our boots.









Campground:
Goblin Valley State Park Campground



Location: Goblin Valley, Utah 84525, USA

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