October 1-6, 2007 - Continuing south from the San Rafael Swell, we
stopped in at Goblin Valley, Utah. This state park is a gem. As you
arrive you are welcomed by a trio of goblins who stand apart from
the valley, greeting visitors with otherworldly expressions. Beyond
them an enormous formation dominates the flat horizon, looking like
a bright red gothic cathedral.
The campground is nestled into the buttresses of the redrock
cathedral, with shade ramadas at each site.
The rock formations are very tall and imposing, but when you walk
up close to them you discover that much of their structure is like a
sand dribble castle kids make at the beach. The sandstone is
literally dripping down the
sides of the formation and it is
very delicate to the touch.
Tap it lightly and it sounds
hollow. Touch it any more
forcefully and it breaks off.
We wandered down into the actual Valley of the Goblins, a fantastic open area of redrock
formations that look like creatures. We learned that these formations evolve in the same
way as the arches do at Arches National Park, but in this neck of the woods the result is
goblins instead of arches.
You are allowed to climb on the goblins, and they stand two to
three times human height, making a great climbing playground.
As we walked down into the valley a little kid rocketed past us
yelling, "This is heaven!"
Many of the formations are recognizable shapes....
One day we hiked the Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon. This is an 8 mile hike
but only about an hour of it is spent in the slot canyon. The slot canyon was very narrow. At times the gravel path was wide
enough for just one foot at a time. But it wasn't scary at all. The canyon is wide open to the sky above, and the narrow portions
last only a few feet. Don't hike these things when rain threatens, because the water gushes through. After a rain it takes a few
days for the water in the slot canyon to subside.
Feeling a chill in the air in Goblin Valley, we made our way towards southern Utah along the incomparable Scenic Route 12,
stopping first at Kodachrome Basin and then riding our bikes through Zion National Park.