Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Hoodoos in Goblin Valley
Map showing the location of Goblin Valley State Park
Map showing the location of Goblin Valley State Park
Location in the United States
Map showing the location of Goblin Valley State Park
Map showing the location of Goblin Valley State Park
Location in Utah
LocationEmery, Utah, United States
Nearest townHanksville, Utah
Coordinates38°34′00″N 110°42′36″W / 38.56667°N 110.71000°W / 38.56667; -110.71000
Area9,915 acres (40.12 km2)[1]
EstablishedAugust 24, 1964 (1964-08-24)
Visitors268,760 (in 2017–2018 FY)[2]
OperatorUtah State Parks
WebsiteOfficial website

Goblin Valley State Park is a state park of Utah, in the United States. The park features thousands of hoodoos, referred to locally as goblins,[3] which are formations of mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles, some as tall as several yards (meters). The distinct shapes of these rocks result from an erosion-resistant layer of rock atop relatively softer sandstone. Goblin Valley State Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, also in Utah about 190 miles (310 km) to the southwest, contain some of the largest occurrences of hoodoos in the world.

The park lies within the San Rafael Desert on the southeastern edge of the San Rafael Swell, north of the Henry Mountains. Utah State Route 24 passes about four miles (6.4 km) east of the park. Hanksville lies 12 miles (19 km) to the south.[4][5]

  1. ^ Utah.com. "Goblin Valley State Park". Utah.com LC. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  2. ^ "Utah State Parks Visitation Data by Fiscal Year, 2018 Visitation". Utah State Parks. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019. fiscal year from July 2017 to June 2018
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference watkins2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ San Rafael Desert, Utah, 30x60 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1986
  5. ^ Hanksville, Utah, 30x60 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1980