Goblin Valley, Utah

On Memorial Day we woke up the kids at about 6:30 AM and loaded them in “Big Red”, our family Suburban. We provided them with entertainment and activities to keep them busy on the trip. For the ride down they worked on RadRoadTrip’s own, free Utah Travel Passport for kids. On the way back we all listened to a funny audio CD for kids, The Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost: The Ghosthunters, Book 1.

We arrived at Goblin Valley at around 10:30 in the morning. By this time the sun was up and it was already pretty warm outside. To be daring, we took our jogging/biking stroller along with us. It was going to be tough terrain for the stroller, but with the big wheels and high clearance, we figured it would survive. We actually were able to pack a medium sized, 2-gallon water cooler in the stroller along with a picnic blanket and a couple of folding camping chairs for my wife and me.

The kids had a great time walking several hundred feet and then stopping and climbing on the set of “Goblins” or rocks that they thought looked fun. Watch out McDonald’s Play Place, Mother Nature knows how to make the ultimate kids’ playground.

It was definitely a hot day, though. We try to visit Goblin Valley with “Early” in mind — “Early in the Year” and “Early in the day”. The kids each had their own water bottle. This was a MUST. They downed their bottles within an hour. We were lucky to have the stroller and the insulated water jug so that we could provide all of the refills that they needed during our hike.

After about an hour into the adventure, we tried to find what little shade there was — provided only by towering piles of rock. There we broke out our picnic lunch. All of the hiking and climbing made the kids ravenous. Our family downed 10 peanut butter and honey sandwiches in one sitting!

One thing we did not prepare well for on our trip was having sunscreen. The red rocks of the goblin valley desert landscape seems to reflect and magnify the sun’s intensity. After two hours of visiting the valley, we knew we would be dealing with some sunburns.

By Noon, the temperature was pretty hot. We let the kids climb a larger rock wall while Amber and I sat in some receding shade. While we were resting we heard a number of families get all excited about a little girl half way up a flat rock cliff. They all looked pretty nervous. My wife and I listened a minute or two before we realized they were probably talking about our 5-year old. Sure enough, that little climber of ours was pretty high up there. We sent the older kids up to fetch her and bring her down to a level that would relax the other nervous parents watching the scene. That girl of ours has always had a knack for climbing anything she sees!

As the one-o’clock hour approached, we decided we had had enough sun and exercise for the day. We headed back to the Suburban to rest our weary legs and to let the youngest ones take a much needed nap. The stroller had been a good idea, though we were the only ones with the contraption. It worked well, but it was hard to push back up the steep hill that takes you to the Goblin Valley parking lot, but we made it.

The kids had a blast during our hike at Goblin Valley. We added a detour at the end of our trip to visit a dinosaur quarry nearby. That was a fun, restful experience compared to the hike at Goblin Valley. The kids were able to see real dinosaur bones in the process of being excavated by professional paleontologists.

It was a very great day trip for our family. Goblin Valley is a must see if you are in the vicinity of Southern Utah and you have younger kids that just don’t seem to run out of energy. We guarantee that by the time you are done visiting the state park, your kids will be happy to sit and rest in a cool vehicle!

About Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley was formed by years of wind and water carving unique goblin-like sculptures out of rock. This process has created an outdoor playground of sorts that inspires imagination and adventure. The landscape offers unlimited walking, exploring, or hiking opportunities. You can easily spend several hours hiking, playing and enjoying the goblin forms that you find here.

Near the entrance to the park there are excellent off-highway vehicle and biking routes to explore. Please note that ATV’s and bikes are not allowed inside the park itself (beyond the parking lot).

This amazing valley was first discovered by cowboys searching for cattle. Several years later, Arthur Chaffin, owner/operator of the Hite Ferry on the Colorado River, and two companions were searching for an alternate route between two Utah cities, Green River and Cainsville. They stumbled upon this alien landscape were awed by what they saw — a valley of strange-shaped rock formations surrounded by a wall of eroded cliffs.

Directions:
– 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.

There is a nearby park & campground with sites that can accommodate large motor homes, interior paved roads, observation overlook, a new culinary water system, modern rest rooms, hot water showers, and a sanitary dump station. Each spacious campsite has a picnic table, paved parking pad and barbecue grill.

Fees for the park: $7 day fee per vehicle & $16 camping fee.

You can contact the state park for more details:
Goblin Valley State Park
P.O. Box 637
Green River, UT 84525-0637
(435) 275-4584
parkcomment@utah.gov
http://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/goblin-valley