Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
While on the way back from a guided tour of Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park, we stopped at Goblin Valley State Park. In Utah, the State Parks are every bit as spectacular as the National Parks, with fewer crowds.
Goblin Valley State Park features thousands of mushroom-shaped hoodoo rocks, referred to as “goblins.” Goblin Valley has as many of these hoodoos as Bryce National Park, but most of the ones we saw in Bryce were pointier.
Our guide didn’t know we were huge Sci-Fi fans and so didn’t anticipate the sheer delight we experienced at finding ourselves in the middle of the alien planet that Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver and crew landed on in the movie Galaxy Quest.
While we didn’t see any beryllium spheres, we did enjoy the paved roads into the park. The fees the state received for allowing the movie to be filmed there paid for the access road.
We spent at least an hour walking among the bizarre formations. Hubby found one that looked like an Easter Island head, there was another with a cool window. We saw very few people the whole time we were there.
Location: Goblin Valley Rd, Green River, Utah
Designation: State Park
Date designated/established: August 24, 1964
Date of my visit: April 13, 2017
We visited many years ago. Amazing place, totally surreal. Your lovely photos have brought back lots of happy memories. Thank you!
I’ve driven past Goblin Valley a few times. Next time we’ll stop. The formations are unique and do look like goblins. Stewart
Excellent point about the state parks being less crowded and just as beautiful. I will definitely keep this in mind. Thanks for your post!
Absolutely wonderful, T. And I can’t imagine how Peggy and I missed it in our journeys through the area. It won’t happen again! 😳
We discovered this park several years ago. Its another wonder of Utah.
Oh my! How have I missed this? Must go…
Very interesting hoodoos. Excellent captures too.
Your post brought back memories for me as well. Like you, we just happened to drive past the entrance to the park and decided to visit. It was amazing and memorable and we got to enjoy the place almost by ourselves.
What an incredible adventure! Goblin Valley looks like the perfect spot for a “Galaxy Quest” fan—almost like you could stumble upon a Thermian at any moment! It’s great to hear the park’s cinematic history helped improve access for future explorers. And with fewer crowds, it sounds like a true sci-fi escape! Who needs beryllium spheres when you’ve got such otherworldly hoodoos to explore?