Utah is home to some of the most beautiful desert landscapes in the U.S.
Most of us know this due to the flood of photos showing the best and most Instagram-worthy locations in Utah’s Mighty Five. But don’t make the mistake of getting hung up on National Parks! There are so many iconic (non-federal) parks and locations in Utah that are must-sees and, in my opinion, Goblin Valley State Park ranks in the top 5.
This little State Park is one of the coolest, and most unique I’ve ever been to! The iconic rock features (they’re called hoodoos, but nicknamed the “Goblins”) are not to be missed. And believe me, I know my hoodoos! I lived in Drumheller, Alberta in high school (and visited every summer and every other winter throughout my childhood) where the top 3 tourist attractions are the giant T-rex, the dinosaur museum, and the hoodoos.
For the purposes of this guide, we’re going to focus on the valley areas of Goblin Valley. There are some other hiking trails that take you up above the valley (I’ll get into those later) but in my opinion, the valleys are where it’s at! That’s where you’ll find the hoodoos, caves, and unique desert formations that make this park so unique. There are 3 Valleys in Goblin Valley, and I’ll make sure to give you information on all of them! All trails will be covered in this guide – I’ll add the best ones to the itinerary and the rest will be thrown in as “optional trails”.
SUPER IMPORTANT!! Most of the trails in Goblin Valley are either unmarked or very poorly marked and they are not well-defined. Many people just explore off-trail because it’s difficult to find (or stay on) the trails. If you really want to take a specific trail (for example: the Goblin’s Lair trail) I highly recommend downloading an offline trail map. You can do this with an AllTrails Pro subscription.
In this post we’ll go over
- Things To Know Before You Visit
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The One Day Goblin Valley State Park Itinerary
- Yurt Information + How to Book
Things To Know Before You Visit Goblin Valley
1. Check the Weather and Park Alerts before visiting.
For safety reasons, but also to help you pack appropriately. Note that the valley can get really windy so you’ll probably want a windbreaker and / or a hat to protect your ears.
2. There is NO food or fuel in Goblin Valley.
Make sure you pack a lunch (and dinner / breakfast, if you’re camping here!) and fill up your gas tank before heading out. The nearest gas station is in Hanksville, which is 32 miles away.
3. There’s a Fee to Enter.
If you don’t have a park pass or a campsite / yurt reservation, it’s $15 per vehicle or $10 if you’re a Utah-resident senior.
4. There is no cell service in Goblin Valley.
Or at least very limited service. The most I got was one bar and it was not enough to make a call, send a text, or route us anywhere. So just be prepared to live without your cell phone while you’re here!
5. Watch Out for Rattlesnakes!
Goblin Valley is home to many small critters, but the only major danger is the Midget Faded Rattlesnake.
6. Drinking Water and Pit Toilets are Available at / near Campsites and Yurt Sites
Always pack enough water for everyone (1 gallon per day, per person), but in case you run out there is water available on site. The bathrooms are pit toilet-style, so not the cleanest, but they’re there!
7. There is little to no shade on the trails
Make sure you bring sunscreen, wear sunglasses, and try to wear long-sleeved, flowy clothing to protect your skin. It’s super easy to get sunburned here, even on cloudy days!
8. You can climb on the smaller rock formations, but don’t climb on the fragile hoodoos
The park is really popular for its “free-explore” opportunities. You can climb on many of the hills and rock formations, but use your better judgment. Don’t climb on the fragile rock formations and avoid soft desert crust, where foot traffic would cause crumbling.
9. The yurts and campsites book up quickly! But if you get in, you don’t have to pay an entrance fee
The yurts are especially popular, so make sure you book ahead of time. More on that later!
Frequently Asked Questions About The Park
1. How many days do I need in Goblin Valley State Park?
Half a day to One day. Honestly, you could explore most of the park in half a day. This entire itinerary (including a lunch stop) will take you around 6 hours – 12:00pm to 6:00pm. So you definitely could drive in for the afternoon, complete the itinerary, and head back to town for dinner.
2. What is the best time of year to visit Goblin Valley?
Spring and fall. Summer brings unbearable heat and winter can be a little chilly! Late spring is the most popular (busiest) time.
3. How much does it cost to get into Goblin Valley State Park?
$15 per vehicle. But it is free if you have a pass OR if you’ve already booked a campsite or yurt.
4. Can I use a drone in Goblin Valley?
Yes, with a permit. You can fill out the permit online and bring it with you, or fill out paperwork and pay the $10 fee at the entrance station.
5. What is there to do in Goblin Valley?
Hiking, Canyoneering, Mountain Biking, Stargazing, and Camping.
6. Are dogs allowed in Goblin Valley State Park?
Yes! They just need to be on a leash of 6 feet or less. And always remember to pick up after your pet!
↓ GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK ONE DAY ITINERARY ↓
Stop 1. Check in + Head to Valley #1
DRIVE TIME: 5 MINS [FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOT, WITH A STOP AT YOUR CAMPSITE]
TIME AT STOP: 45 MINS – 1 HOUR, 15 MINS [DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU DRIVE OR HIKE TO THE FIRST VALLEY]
TOTAL TIME: 50 MINS – 1 HOUR, 20 MINS
WHAT YOU’LL DO & SEE:
- Drive through the Goblin Valley check-in area and get your yurt / campsite pass (if you made a reservation)
- Park and take a minute to settle in
- Eat your packed lunch and Check out the views from your campsite
- Make your way to Valley #1
For this itinerary, I recommend planning out your day so you’ll arrive at Goblin Valley at around 12pm. Once you get there, drive through the Entrance and either:
- Pay your fee: $15
- Or present your yurt / campsite booking confirmation (if you have one, you do not have to pay to enter the park)
NOTE: This is also where you’ll pay for and obtain a drone permit (if you opted for that). If you are planning on flying your drone, please be respectful of other visitors. Drones can be noisy and interrupt the solitude many people visit a place like this for.
Once you’ve checked in, drive over to your campsite or yurt (if you have one) and take some time to settle in and unpack. If you packed a lunch this would be a great place to take a break and eat. From here, you can either drive to the parking lot (where all of the Valley hiking trails stem from) or you can hike the Entrada Trail. This trail extends from the campground area to the parking lot and is only 1.8 miles long round trip. Once you reach the parking lot, you’ll get your first view of Valley #1.
* OPTIONAL HIKING TRAILS THAT JUNCTION AT YOUR CAMPGROUND / YURT SITE:
- Lizard Foot Trail: Short, 2.3 mile trail that leads to the Desert View Loop Trail (mentioned next).
- Desert View Trail Loop: 4.1 mile trail (including Lizard Foot). You’ll mostly see views of the campground down below and an open expanse of desert.
- Dark Side of the Moon Loop: This hike is 4.3 miles (including Lizard Foot) and is considered easy. You get some good views of the “layered” hills – the white top and orange / red bottom that can be seen in my yurt photos!
- Curtis Bench Trail*: Short 2 mile trail with some decent views of the valleys. *Best trail if you want an upper view of the valley
- Landslide Trail*: 3.1 mile (easy) trail with some cool, moonscape-ish views. *Best trail if you want to mix it up with a different, but still unique-looking landscape
- Entrada Trail: Short (less than 2 mile) trail that takes you from the campground to Valley 1 (perfect if you’d prefer walking over driving, but you CAN drive to the valley overlook).
- Buffalo Head Trail Loop: 3.4 mile trail, including Lizard Foot, with some cliff and butte views.
Stop 2. Hike the Carmel Canyon + Goblin’s Lair (Basilisk Chamber) Trail to Valley #2
DRIVE TIME: 0 MINS
TIME AT STOP: 1 HOUR, 45 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR, 45 MINS
WHAT YOU’LL DO & SEE:
- Start on the Carmel Canyon Trail and get some epic views of Valley #1
- Merge into Goblin’s Lair Trail and hike into the back portion of Valley #2
- Find and explore Goblin’s Lair and Chamber of the Basilisk
- Explore more formations in Valley #2
- Optional: Take the other section of Carmel Canyon Trail back to the lot
From the parking lot, take the Carmel Canyon Trail. There are technically 2 trailheads, but take the one right off the parking lot.
Continue on the trail and keep right at the fork to make your way to Goblin’s Lair. Remembering this fork isn’t too big of a deal – both ways lead to the parking lot – but I suggest taking the opposite trail back to your car (just to switch things up!). After this, keep right on the trail since there is another hike along the way leading to Mollys Castle.
Once you reach the trail’s end, you’ll have to search for Goblin’s Lair and the Chamber of the Basilisk. The only way we found the Chamber was by watching other hikers.
As I said earlier in this post, the trails are not marked well and downloading a map would be a HUGE help.
When you’re done at the Chamber and Lair, you can continue exploring the surrounding area. This area is the back side of Valley #2 (the smallest valley that can only be reached through Valley #1).
When you’re done exploring, make your way back until you reach the fork again. I recommend taking the opposite way back to mix things up, but note that the final section involves walking up the road to the parking lot.
NOTE: I thought the the photo above was Goblin’s Lair AND the Chamber of the Basilisk. Idk why I thought they lived together like little buds, but I did. Turns out, we were in the Chamber only. Goblin’s Lair is MUCH larger (Google the photos!) and I am planning another visit, this time with GPS, so we can find the lair.
TRAIL INFO [COMBINED]
Distance: 2.5 Miles
Elevation: 164 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Type: Out & Back (But you can take the alternate route back, mentioned above, to get some different views)
* OPTIONAL NEARBY HIKING TRAILS:
- Mollys Castle Spur Trail: 2.8 miles total (including Carmel Canyon portion) and rated as moderate. This trail goes through the canyon and leads to a popular rock formation (where it got its name). Note that, as aforementioned, this trail juts off to the West on your way to Goblin’s Lair.
Stop 3. Explore More of Valley #1 via the Valley of the Goblins “Trail”
DRIVE TIME: 0 MINS
TIME AT STOP: 30 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINS
WHAT YOU’LL DO & SEE:
- Explore Valley #1 from the valley floor
Now that you’ve returned to the parking lot, this is a great opportunity to explore more of Valley #1! This is not the “favorite” valley as far as hoodoos go, but it is a quick and easy trail (I use the word “trail” loosely) and a good way to ease into the more intricate rock formations.
The Valley of the Goblins Trail is also right off the parking lot and the only real elevation gain is the immediate drop down from the parking lot. Feel free to wander around – this is not much of a trail so you don’t really need to follow a specific route.
TRAIL INFO
Distance: 1.4 Miles
Elevation: 121 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Type: Out & Back
Stop 4. Hike the Goblin Valley Trail into Valley #3 + Explore More Rock Formations
DRIVE TIME: 0 MINS
TIME AT STOP: 1 HOUR, 30 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR, 30 MINS
WHAT YOU’LL DO & SEE:
- Hike the Goblin Valley Trail into Valley #3
- Explore surrounding rock formations and hoodoos
Just like the others, the Goblin Valley Trail is right off the parking lot. Goblin Valley is an easy park to navigate in that way, but as far as the trail systems it can get a little tricky! This trail is no exception to that rule. The Goblin Valley hike is much less popular and a good way to get “off the beaten path”, but much of the trail just winds through a wash. I recommend going off trail once you’re in the hoodoos and just exploring Valley #3.
TRAIL INFO
Distance: 3.5 Miles
Elevation: 91 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Type: Out & Back
Stop 5. Drive Back to Campsite OR Take One of the Trails!
DRIVE TIME: 0 – 5 MINS
TIME AT STOP: UP TO 50 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 5 MINS – 50 MINS
WHAT YOU’LL DO & SEE:
- Option 1: Drive back to your campsite (if you drove to the parking lot)
- *Recommended* Option 2: Take one of the trails back to your campsite and enjoy some more views!
Once you’re done in Valley #3, head back to the parking lot. If you drove to the trailhead, drive back to your campsite. If you hiked, take one of the 2 below trails back to the campground area.
You can take the shorter, but less scenic, Entrada Trail. But if you’re up for a slight challenge and still have some energy to spare, I recommend starting out on the Valley of the Goblins Bench Connector Trail up to Curtis Bench Trail, then follow Curtis Bench back to the campground.
IF YOU OPTED FOR THE VALLEY OF THE GOBLINS / CURTIS BENCH TRAIL: Follow the Valley of the Goblins Connector Trail from the parking lot until you reach a fork – going left will take you to an overlook. You can detour to the overlook if you want! It’s an out & back off-shoot. If you don’t want to detour, keep right and continue until you reach a “T” intersection. From here, go right and KEEP right until you reach a 4-way intersection. This is where the Entrada Trail intersects – turn left on the Entrada trail and follow it to the campground.
VALLEY OF THE GOBLINS + CURTIS BENCH TRAIL INFO
Distance: 1.7 Miles One-Way, Approximately
Elevation: 229 Feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Type: Out & Back
ENTRADA TRAIL INFO
Distance: 0.9 Miles One-Way
Elevation: 150 Feet
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Type: Out & Back
Stop 6. Dinner, Sunset, Stargazing
* If you’re not camping in Goblin Valley, your itinerary ends here. You can head back to your hotel (or other campsite, if you’re camping outside of the park), have dinner, and get some well-deserved rest!
If you are camping or staying in one of the yurts, take this opportunity to refuel (eat). By the time you get back to your campsite, it should be around 6:00pm – so still daylight hours and the perfect time to enjoy some food.
While your dinner cooks, take advantage of the daylight and make sure your campsite is fully set up for the night. After that, enjoy your food and make a game plan for the evening.
Do you want to head back to the hoodoos for sunset? Or just enjoy some quiet time at your campsite? Up to you!
But whatever you choose, I definitely recommend staying up after dark! Goblin Valley State Park is a great place to stargaze. If you want you can even take a short night hike (just make sure you have a light source).
Goblin Valley Yurt Information
How many yurts are at Goblin Valley State Park?
There are two yurts available for overnight stays.
Which Goblin Valley Yurt is the best one to book?
Yurt #1. Yurt 1 is tucked away in the rocks. It offers a little more privacy and a better view. This is the yurt you’ve probably seen on Instagram (and the yurt featured in all of my photos). Yurt 2 is close to the road / parking area and doesn’t offer much of a view.
How do I book a yurt in Goblin Valley?
You can book your yurt through Reserve America, here.
How much do the yurts in Goblin Valley cost?
$100 per night, plus tax. This is the current cost as of the time of publishing.
Things to Know About Staying in the Yurts:
- Sleeps 4 people, not 5. The site says it sleeps up to 5 people, but it’s really 4. There are technically 3 beds in the yurt: 1 futon fold-out that sleeps two, and a bunk bed with a double mattress on the bottom and a single mattress on the top. But the top bunk is basically unusable. The mattress is level with the railing, so if you moved around at night you’d fall straight down.
- Bring your own Food + Bedding. There is no bedding provided and no food available in the park.
- Pets cost extra. You are allowed to bring up to 2 domestic pets but you’ll need to pay an extra $20 per pet, per stay. Also make sure you clean up after them and keep them on a leash, or you could potentially be fined.
- Clean water, bathrooms, and showers are available. These facilities are available for anyone camping in Goblin Valley.
- Electricity is limited. The yurts run on solar so they ask that you limit the use of lights and fans.
- Check in is 3:00pm, Check out is 12:00pm. Sometimes they’ll let you check in early but don’t rely on it.
- Expect people to take photos of your yurt. Especially if you’re staying in Yurt #1. It’s pretty photogenic, so you’ll get a lot of onlookers. But we didn’t notice anyone in the evening or morning, thankfully.
Traveling through Southern Utah?
CHECK OUT THIS PERFECT ONE DAY ITINERARY FOR CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
– OR –
THIS EPIC ONE DAY BRYCE CANYON ITINERARY
– OR –
THE ONE DAY ITINERARY FOR CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK
– OR –
THE TRAIL GUIDE TO KANARRA FALLS
NOT DONE GOBLIN UP THIS INFO? SAVE IT FOR LATER!
