Goblin Valley State Park is an absolutely spectacular rock wonderland that is a must-see road trip stop while traveling in Utah. Here, fantastic looking hoodoos dominate this valley everywhere you look. Each being so unique and so bizarre. It’s almost overwhelming when you try and take it all in.
To me, these hoodoos almost looked like little mushroom houses, think the Smurfs. But I can completely see how this park got its goblin name because this area also looks like a valley of little goblins. The hoodoos at Goblin Valley State Park were unlike anything I’d ever seen before. And once I found out that this site existed, I couldn’t wait to stand among them.
Where is Goblin Valley State Park?
Goblin Valley State Park is located in Southern Utah between Capitol Reef National Park and Arches National Park.
Traveler Tip:
Goblin Valley State Park is located off of UT-24. You’ll head west onto Temple Mt Road and then head south on Goblin Valley Road. These roads are all paved and easy to travel on!
I mention this because we were coming from the south and our GPS told us to turn west (toward Mollys Castle) off of UT-24 onto the Goblin Valley Cutoff Road. This is NOT correct. This road is a dirt road that needs 4 wheel drive and high clearance. Do not take this road! The road you want (coming from the south) is about 6 miles further up the road. There will be a sign pointing to Goblin Valley and this road is paved! This is the road you want.
How Much Does Goblin Valley Cost to Visit?
Goblin Valley State Park has a $20 entrance fee for a private vehicle.
Once you pay and enter the park you will continue down the road until it comes to a “T” junction. Here, there is a sign pointing left for the Valley of Goblins. You’ll turn left here and follow this road all the way to the end where you’ll find a big parking lot and shaded picnic tables. Once parked, the Valley of Goblins will be right in front of you, just waiting to be explored.
Our Goblin Valley State Park Visit & A Few Photos
When our family arrived at the Goblin Valley we couldn’t wait to get down among these fantastic looking hoodoos. We quickly found the stairs on the front side of the parking lot and went down into the valley. Our kid’s were ecstatic! To them, this was the best natural playground ever!
Goblin Valley State Park Hiking/ Playing Tips:
This section of Goblin Valley State Park does not have any designated trails. Instead, this is more of a place to just walk around and admire this bizarre scenery. (And of course be respectful to not hurt any of these magnificent formations.) But if your kids are like mine, then they’ll be dying to play a game of hide-and-seek. Just a heads up, this may not be the best idea (as we quickly found out) since it’s extremely easy to lose your kids among the thousands of hoodoos here.
One nice thing about all of these hoodoos being in a valley, is that you can pretty much see where the parking lot is, up on the hill, at all times. And there was no point in time where I was worried about being lost myself. We also told our children that if for some reason they couldn’t find us, that they should head to the stairs by the parking lot. (I always like to have a meeting point in places like this in case anyone gets disoriented or separated from us so that they’ll know where to go.)
Summer Heat in Goblin Valley (+ How to Avoid Problems)
If you are traveling to Goblin Valley State Park in the summer, like we did, please know that it can be insanely hot here. This is Utah after all, so this information shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
For our family, when we visited in mid-June it was 101 degrees Fahrenheit at mid-day. For us, the sun was blazing, we were going through water like crazy and the intense heat was simply brutal. Visiting early in the morning or later in the evening (or during cooler months) would let you experience more pleasant temperatures and this would allow you to wander among the hoodoos for much longer.
Heat Exhaustion
But if you end up visiting when it is hot out, please watch out for any signs of heat exhaustion in your kids. Our kids were so busy playing among the hoodoos that they didn’t realize at first how hot they were getting. Luckily each of our kids had a sun hat on and we had plenty of water with us too. We also made sure that they didn’t stay out in the sun among the hoodoos for too long. And we took several breaks in our air conditioned car. We even had our picnic lunch in our car so that we could cool down a little.
But unfortunately, while we were there, a child, that looked to be about 3 or 4 years old, had gotten so hot that he was throwing up. Poor thing. His parents were cooling him down and they had plenty of liquids for him so he was going to be fine, but I thought I’d just mention this warning so that you would be aware and hopefully be able to avoid this potential problem.
Travel Tip:
Having a sunshade for our car was one of the best things we brought with us for our trip in Utah. A sunshade will really help keep your car cool while sitting out in the hot Utah sun and it’s extremely easy to pack in a suitcase.
Amenities
At the overlook to Goblin Valley there is a nice shaded picnic area, vault toilets and a water pump if you need some extra water.
Dark Sky Park
Goblin Valley is a Dark Sky Park! So if seeing a whole lot of stars in the sky at night is on your bucket list, check out Goblin Valley’s campground information and dark sky forecast.
Walking around Goblin Valley is an absolutely fantastic experience that makes me smile just thinking about it! And it makes for the perfect road trip stop when traveling between Arches National Park and Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.
And whether you are able to visit for an entire day or just for an hour, Goblin Valley’s desert playground is one site that is definitely worth taking the time to visit.
So, now you’re all set to visit Goblin Valley State Park in Utah. I hope that we’ve inspired you to check this spectacular site out and that you end up loving it as much as we do!
Have a Great Time in Goblin Valley with Your Traveling Feet!
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