Goblin Valley, UT – Where the Ghosts Are

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.