The vast landscape of sandstone goblins may have visitors wondering if they're in Mars or Utah. Galaxy Quest, the movie, was filmed at Goblin Valley State Park because of its space-like scenery. Scores of intricately eroded creatures greet visitors to Goblin Valley. Hike among intricately eroded rock formations in haunting coves. Adjacent to the park, off-highway vehicle enthusiasts will find hundreds of miles of dirt roads to explore.

Rates & Fees

Entrance: $3.00 per day per vehicle.

Camping: $10.00 per night per site.

Single Park Permit: $30 and allows the cardholder and up to seven guests in the same private vehicle day-use entrance into Goblin Valley State Park. The permit is valid for the current calendar year.

Five-Day Pass: $12 and allows day-use entrance to all Utah state parks for five consecutive days.

Seasons / Hours

Open year round, 24 hours a day.

Facilities

Picnicking: An area with picnic tables, fire pit, barbecue grills and electricity is also available for picnicking and group outings.

Lodging

There is no lodging available in the park. Check nearby towns for motels.

Camping

Each spacious campsite has a picnic table, paved parking pad, and barbecue grill.

• Tent Sites: 21
• Reservations Accepted: 3/15-10/15
• Stay Limit: 14 Days
• Total Units : 21
• RV Trailer Sites : 21
• Maximum RV Length: 30 feet.
• Camping Fee - $10
• Group Camping available
• Picnicking
• Group Pavilion
• Drinking Water
• Modern Rest Rooms
• Vault Toilets
• Showers
• Sewage Disposal
• Elevation: 5,200 feet.

Reservations can be made by calling Utah State Parks and Recreation at 800-322-3770, from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Individual campsite reservations may be made 3 to 120 days in advance. A $5 non-refundable reservation fee is charged for each site reserved. A $10 non-refundable fee is charged for group sites and building rentals. An additional reservation fee is charged for any changes to existing reservations. Visa, MasterCard and personal checks are accepted. A $5 fee is charged for an extra vehicle and is collected at the park.

Cowboys searching for cattle first discovered secluded Goblin Valley. Then in the late 1920s, Arthur Chaffin, owner/operator of the Hite ferry, and two companions were searching for an alternative route between Green River and Cainsville. They came to a vantage point about a mile west of Goblin Valley and were awed by what they saw, five buttes and a valley of strange-shaped rock formations surrounded by a wall of eroded cliffs.

In 1949, Chaffin returned to the area he called Mushroom Valley. He spent several days exploring the mysterious valley and photographing its scores of intricately eroded creatures. The area was acquired by the state of Utah and in 1964 was officially designated a state park.

Goblin Valley State Park is a showcase of geologic history. Exposed cliffs reveal parallel layers of rock bared by erosion. Because of the uneven hardness of sandstone, some patches resist erosion much better than others. The softer material is removed by wind and water, leaving thousands of unique, geologic goblins. Water erosion and the smoothing action of windblown dust work together to shape the goblins.

Bedrock is exposed because of the thin soil and lack of vegetation. When rain does fall, there are few plant roots and little soil to capture and hold the water, which quickly disappears, in muddy streams without penetrating the bedrock.