| Goblin Valley State Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
.jpg) Hoodoos in Goblin Valley | |
  Location in the United States Show map of the United States Location in Utah Show map of Utah | |
| Location | Emery,Utah, United States |
| Nearest town | Hanksville, Utah |
| Coordinates | 38°34′00″N110°42′36″W / 38.56667°N 110.71000°W /38.56667; -110.71000 |
| Area | 9,915 acres (40.12 km2)[1] |
| Established | August 24, 1964 (1964-08-24) |
| Visitors | 268,760 (in 2017–2018 FY)[2] |
| Operator | Utah State Parks |
| Website | Official website |
Goblin Valley State Park is astate park ofUtah, in the United States. The park features thousands ofhoodoos, referred to locally asgoblins,[3] which are formations ofmushroom-shapedrock pinnacles, some as tall as several yards (meters). The distinct shapes of these rocks result from an erosion-resistant layer of rock atop relatively softersandstone. Goblin Valley State Park andBryce 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 theSan Rafael Swell, north of theHenry 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]
Evidence of Native American cultures, including theFremont,Paiute, andUte, is common throughout theSan Rafael Swell in the form ofpictograph andpetroglyph panels. Goblin Valley is noted for severalrock art panels, as well as the rock formations.[6] The secluded Goblin Valley was then found bycowboys searching for cattle. Then, in the late 1920s, Arthur Chaffin, later owner/operator of theHite Ferry, and two companions, were searching for an alternate route betweenGreen River andCaineville. They came to a vantage point about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Goblin Valley and were awed by what they saw – fivebuttes and a valley of strange, goblin-shaped rock formations surrounded by a wall of eroded cliffs. In 1949, Chaffin returned to the area he called the Valley of the Mushrooms. He spent several days exploring the mysterious valley and photographing its scores of intricately eroded rocks.[7]
Publicity attracted visitors to the valley despite its remoteness. In 1954, it was proposed that Goblin Valley be protected fromvandalism. The state of Utah later acquired the property and established Goblin Valley State Reserve. It was officially designated a state park on August 24, 1964.[8] In 2019, the state park was expanded by adding 6,261 acres of federal land.[9]
In October 2013, a delicately balancedhoodoo was intentionally knocked over by aBoy Scout leader while two other men watched, one of whom recorded a video that was later uploaded to the Internet.[10] The men claimed that the hoodoo appeared ready to fall, and that it was intentionally knocked over to prevent park visitors from being hurt.[11] The hoodoo formation had existed for many millions of years, having formed out of rock that dated back as far as 165 million years.[3][11] The average rate of erosion of a hoodoo is approximately 2–4 feet (0.6-1.3 m) every 100 years.[12]
The two leaders, Glenn Taylor and David Hall, were subsequently dismissed from their leadership roles by theUtah National Parks Council, which is a local council of the Boy Scouts in Utah. The national Boy Scouts then removed the men from the scouting organization altogether.[13] In January 2014, two of the men—the one who toppled the hoodoo and the cameraman—were arraigned on felony charges of "criminal mischief" and "intentionally damaging, defacing and destroying property."[14] The two men pleaded guilty to lesser charges of criminal mischief and attempted criminal mischief, and received a sentence of one year probation plus fines and case-related fees.[15]
The flora of Goblin Valley includeMormon tea,Russian thistle,Indian ricegrass, and variouscacti, as well asjunipers andpinyon pines at higher elevations.[8]
Fauna includejackrabbits,scorpions,kangaroo rats,pronghorns,kit foxes,midget faded rattlesnakes, andcoyotes.[8]
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The unusual stone shapes in Goblin Valley result from the weathering ofEntrada sandstone. The Entrada consists of debris eroded from former highlands and redeposited on a former tidal flat of alternating layers ofsandstone,siltstone, andshale. The rocks show evidence of being near the margins of an ancient sea with the ebb and flow of tides, tidal channels that directed currents back to the sea and coastal sand dunes.
Joint or fracture patterns within the Entrada sandstone beds created initial zones of weakness. The unweathered joints intersected to form sharp edges and corners with greater surface-area-to-volume ratios than the faces. As a result, the edges and corners weathered more quickly, producing the spherical-shaped 'goblins'.
The Entrada sandstone from which thehoodoos developed was deposited in theJurassic period around 170 million years ago.[16]
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Average daytime highs in the summer average between 90 and 105 °F (32 and 41 °C), though the low humidity, high elevation, and sparse vegetation allow evenings to cool off rapidly to about 50 °F (10 °C). Also, the intermittent summermonsoon arriving from the south can bring intense and localized thunderstorms. The rugged terrain and intense rainfall can lead to devastating flash floods, while the low humidity combined with gusty winds and frequent lightning can spark wildfires. Winters have colder temperatures and occasional snow, with temperatures above freezing most days, but often dropping as low as 10 °F (−12 °C) at night. The average precipitation is less than 8 inches (20 cm).
Goblin Valley was prominently featured in the movieGalaxy Quest (1999) as an alien planet. The eroded sandstone dunes in the valley inspired the design of the fictional planet’s rock monsters.[17]
fiscal year from July 2017 to June 2018
Media related toGoblin Valley State Park at Wikimedia Commons
