The Best Goblin Valley State Park Hikes in Utah
As much as I love National Parks, I've learned through my journeys across the U.S. that there are some pretty unique state parks that deserve just as much credit as the National ones. From hiking up and down wooden ladders in Indiana’s Turkey Run State Park, to stumbling upon the incredible Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada because of a quick Google search, you may end up in your new favorite hiking spot in one of these less popular locations.
Traveling through Utah with the intent to hit the last 3 of the National Parks in the state, I knew we would have to drive from Moab in the east (where Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are located) to Capitol Reef National Park further west. I'm all about breaking up longer drives with stops at wacky roadside attractions and additional hiking trails. So in my searching, I kept coming up with Goblin Valley State Park, which I have to admit, sold me just by the name alone. How could I say no to a state park named after an evil mythical creature?? Lucky for me, and the group of 4 others I dragged with me on this crazy excursion, it ended up being completely worth the trip.
Let me start by saying that Goblin Valley State Park is in the middle of nowhere. It's about an hour north or south to get to any sort of town or semblance of civilization, so make sure your car is in working order and you have plenty of water. This is not a road where you want to get stranded. Thankfully Goblin Valley offers a small refreshment stand, Hoodoo Hotdogs, in their main parking lot if you need to stock up pre-hike but having water for your drive in and out of town just in case is also highly recommended. After you turn off the main highway 24, there is still roughly another 20-30 minutes of driving on smaller paved roads to get to the park entrance. Due to the remoteness of Goblin Valley, you may see wildlife you don’t recognize on the drive. We were surprised when four gazelle-looking creatures, which we later learned are called Pronghorns, quickly pranced across the road in front of our car.
Driving into Goblin Valley, make sure you follow the signs towards Observation Point or the Goblin Overlook, as this will take you to the park's main parking lot and most popular trails. Observation Point is where you will first experience the craziness that are the rock formations of the park, lovingly known as Goblins. This location was once an expansive inland lake over 170 million years ago in the Jurassic period. Since then, uplift and erosion have created the odd rock structures, or hoodoos, throughout the park that closely resemble gnomes or goblins watching over the valley. It's a bizarre sight. Many of them seem to have faces and eyes, all naturally formed over millions of years.
Wander Through the Valley of the Goblins
You can freely trek into the valley for those who want to venture past the viewpoint to see these Goblin rock formations up close. There is no real trail system here, so the full breadth of this other-worldly landscape is open for exploring. Grab photos of yourself pretending you’re on Mars, as this location has been the backdrop for many Hollywood films such as Galaxy Quest and The Tree of Life. Just make sure you are careful near the goblins as knocking them over or defacing them can lead to serious legal charges.
Hike the Three Sisters Trail or Carmel Canyon
From the Goblin Overlook, you also get great views of some of the other groupings of goblins in the park. One of the more iconic is the Three Sisters, a rock formation raised above the ground almost as if on a platform, with three different goblin hoodoos balancing above. The 1.1 mile easy Three Sisters Trail leads you closer to this landmark if you want a better look. A similar formation, but with more goblins on top, will be on your path if you decide to tackle the 1.5-mile strenuous trek through Carmel Canyon. This route will lead you through a small slot canyon and views of the Goblins from many different elevations.
Make Your Way to the Goblin's Lair
The most popular hike in Goblin Valley is the 2.4-mile out and back journey to the Goblin's Lair, a secret cave in the canyon. The hike is very exposed, and we were all overheating by the end of it, so water is a MUST. You'll walk past the trailhead for Carmel Canyon, again with views of the more isolated Goblin groupings, and walk along a dried riverbed that snakes its way along the canyon's edge. The trail is clearly distinguished every so often with metal brown trail markers, so make sure you're following those so you don't get lost in the desert. We heard from a park ranger that it could take up to an hour for emergency services to get to the park's remote location, so be careful as you're hiking at your own risk.
As you make your way around the canyon's edge, you'll come upon an intense rock scamble. The rocks in this section shift and move, so if you're struggling to ascend, I recommend checking people's GPS treks on Alltrails.com. This allows you to follow the direct route another person has successfully taken in the past. We made our way up after a bit of work and getting fooled by a smaller cave closer to the main trail (a real red herring of red rock!) before we made it to the Lair. The cave opened up to a shaded area with a clear drop in temperature and sunbeams shining it at angles that brought a golden glow to the inside. We encountered another hiker lying on the cool rock relaxing in the shade, and we all jumped on the chance to take a break from our trek before re-entering the desert heat to get back to our cars.
Overall, Goblin Valley State Park was just as strange as I hoped it would be, and helped break up our trip traveling from Moab to Capitol Reef National Park. I recommend stopping here if it's on your route as you explore Utah, if anything, to get photos of some of the most alien rock formations you'll ever see. It’s a truly strange place that needs more recognition than it receives.