Goblin Valley State Park, State park in Emery County, Utah, United States

Goblin Valley State Park is a state park in Emery County, Utah, where thousands of hoodoos, locally called goblins, rise from the desert floor. The formations are made of Entrada sandstone deposited about 170 million years ago; an erosion-resistant caprock protects the softer stem below, producing rounded, mushroom-like shapes. The rocks stand in rows, with broad caprocks balanced on narrower eroded bases.

Cowboys searching for cattle first came upon the secluded valley, and in the late 1920s Arthur Chaffin, owner of the Hite Ferry, and two companions reached a vantage point about a mile west while seeking a route between Green River and Caineville. Chaffin returned in 1949 to photograph what he called the Valley of the Mushrooms. Utah designated Goblin Valley a state park on August 24, 1964, and added 6,261 acres of federal land in 2019.

The name Goblin Valley refers to the fairytale creatures the rock shapes resemble, with rounded heads and squat bodies. Visitors walk directly among the stone columns and experience the sensation of moving through a maze of petrified figures.

Camping areas sit near the entrance and provide starting points for hikes without fixed trails, where you walk freely among the rocks. Observation points at the edge of the valley offer an overview of the rock clusters before you descend into the formation.

The area has held International Dark Sky Park status for several years because light pollution here remains very low. The clear night sky allows you to see the Milky Way and distant star systems with the naked eye, making a visit worthwhile even after sunset.