1. Geology, Goblin-ology, Whatever
2. Peoples and the State Park
3. Goblins aren’t real, but this park’s Flora and Fauna is
4. Gathering of Goblins
5. Give the Goblins a Go

Goblin Valley State Park is in Emery County, Utah. Mythical creatures don’t reside there, but the odd -even-for-the-region, rocks more than make up for it in the mystique department.

Courtesy of Conde Nast Traveler

Map of Goblin Valley State Park within Utah – courtesy of Scouting magazine

Geology, Goblin-ology, Whatever

The state park’s name is derived from the appearance of its thousands of “hoodoos”, which bear faint resemblance to the mythical beings known as goblins.

Goblins, in video games, literature, and beyond, are usually depicted as ugly; said ugliness explains why the hoodoos of Goblin Valley are named after them – courtesy of Fantastic Bestiary Wiki

Goblin sharks are also named for the fictional creatures (if you think this is gruesome, look up what happens to its mouth when hunting for smaller fish); no reason for this to be here other than coolness – courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The “Three Sisters”, a hoodoo cluster in the park – courtesy of Travel in USA

The Entrada sandstone was deposited here over 170 million years ago, in the age of the Western Interior Seaway (though this area was near it instead of submerged in it). Ebb and flow of tides, tidal channels that directed currents back to the sea, and coastal sand dunes were common. Debris eroded from former highlands was redeposited on a former tidal flat with alternating sandstone, siltstone, and shale layers. Joint or fracture patterns within the sandstone beds created initial weakness zones. Unweathered joints intersected to form sharp edges and corners with greater surface area to volume ratios than faces. Edges weathered more quickly, producing the hoodoos/goblins.

The “Courthouse Towers”, a part of the Entrada sandstone in nearby Arches National Park; their sandstone is the same as the one which “gave life” to the hoodoos of Goblin Valley State Park – courtesy of USGS

Peoples and the State Park

Pictographs and petroglyphs from the Fremont, Paiute, and Ute cultures can be found throughout the park.

Courtesy of Desert Solitude

Goblin Valley was first seen by non-indigenous peoples when cowboys in search of cattle passed through. Nonetheless, the valley remained unknown to white Americans until the late 1920s, when Arthur Chaffin encountered the formations whilst searching for a route between Green River and Caineville. Chaffin returned in 1949 to photograph the hoodoos. In 1954, it was proposed the land be protected from vandalism. The area later fell into the State of Utah’s hands and was labelled Goblin Valley State Reserve. On August 24, 1964, Goblin Valley State Park was officially designated.

Goblins aren’t real, but this park’s Flora and Fauna is

Goblin Valley’s plants are limited in species type number and abundance (like the rest of the area). These have adapted to blowing sands; hot, dry surfaces; and a sparse water supply. These have reduced leaf size to reduce evaporation, and some sport a waxy coating to further minimize evaporation. Mormon tea (joint fir) and Indian ricegrass are among the plants which call Goblin Valley home.

Indian ricegrass – courtesy of Stevenson Intermountain Seed

Animals in this region attain water through either far travel or waiting for thunderstorms. Most animals here only venture out for resources in the evening; some of these animals get their water from their food and go weeks without drinking. Scorpions, pronghorn antelope, and midget faded rattlers can be found here.

Warning: scorpions, in their natural environments, aren’t always this obvious; in the American Southwest, some of them are the same color as sandstone people tread across, so wrong moves have resulted in hospitalization/death before; watch your step – courtesy of Gardening Know How

Pronghorn antelope – Courtesy of Los Padres ForestWatch

Faded rattlesnake (rattler); you may notice the snake requires some effort to distinguish against the sandstone; as with scorpions, a misstep can mean hospitalization/death, so watch where you’re walking – courtesy of High Country News

Gathering of Goblins

Choice perspectives of the park.

Courtesy of Parks & Points

Courtesy of This World Traveled

Courtesy of Planning Away

Arroyo/wash (temporary stream) within the park – courtesy of Capitol Reef Country

Landscapes of the American Southwest (Goblin Valley included) are sometimes called “lunar”; in other words, they’re perceived as bearing some resemblance to the surface of the moon – courtesy of The American Southwest

The “lunar” adjective is understandable, though not exact due to the gray surface of the moon – courtesy of NPR

Surface of Mars; given the planet has a redder rock coloration (closer to the mixed red-white-grey etc. of Earth deserts), perhaps it’d be more apt to label the American Southwest’s landscapes “Martian” instead – courtesy of NASA Mars Exploration

Give the Goblins a Go

Courtesy of Vogue

Sources:

1. “The Oddly Expressive Hoodoos of Goblin Valley State Park”. Utah Geological Survey. 28 August 2014. https://geology.utah.gov/the-oddly-expressive-hoodoos-of-goblin-valley-state-park/
2. “Park of the Week: Goblin Valley State Park”. Utah State Parks Blog. 19 January 2016. https://stateparks.utah.gov/2016/01/19/park-of-the-week-goblin-valley-state-park/
3. “Goblin Valley State Park”. Destination Green River. 2 February 2010. http://destinationgreenriver.com/goblin-valley-state-park/