Show a t x i I I I I t tI te I a Lt e 4 u 4 L T n 1 S t z GOBLIN VALLEY IS FUTURE UTAH PARK Editors Editor's Note This Is ie another another another an an- other In a series of See Utah articles d designed to acquaint better with their home state The stories have been prepared by the Utah Tourist t tand and Publicity Council and each time tim a different subject will be featured Theres no place on n earth quite like Uke It lU iti That's the way visitors describe Goblin Valley in south-central south Emery County one of Utah's most moot unusual and little-known little scenic attractions Walt Wait Disney Formations Its name is ds apropos because when one walks among Its Ita eerie fantastic formations g goTH goon o b l II i Ins n e 6 giant birds reptiles and all manner man man- ner nor of strange creatures seem man man-I to Jump out from all sides Goblin Valley is located at the southeast corner of the tho San Rafael Rafael Rafael Ra Ra- fael Swell a short distance away from State Highway 21 24 between Green River and Hanksville To get there visitors must drive over some 10 miles of dirt road portions of which are impassable to the ordinary vehicle at certain times of the year especially after a heavy rain I Visitors should also be cautioned caution ed that there are no camping facilities at Goblin Valley One should also carry water with him himas himas as there are no developed wells or springs In the area Goblin Valley Is being featured In this weeks week's See Utah series eerier because It is a proposed state park and needs to be called to the public attention according to D. D James Cannon director of the Utah Tourist and Publicity Counell Coun Coun- oil ell Plans for State Park ark At the present time Goblin Valley lies In the public domain and Is unprotected from vandalism vandalism vandal vandal- ism jam Mr Cannon said We are hopeful that the State Park and Recreation Recreation atlon Commission can acquire acquire acquire ac ac- quire enough land in the near future future future fu fu- ture to make it a part of the Utah Park system About acres of land a small portion of the scenic area is held heldon heldon heldon on lease by the state park agency from the US U.S. Bureau Dureau of ot Land which administers the mining an and 1 grazing rights on the surrounding domain The discovery of Goblin Valley is 15 attributed to Arthur L. L Chattin Chaffin of Teasdale Wayne Vayne County Utah Chaffin now a retired river runner run rim runner ner per and former operator of ot the Colorado River Ferry at lute Bite Utah stumbled onto the site about 35 36 years ago while looking for tor a road mad route between Green River and ank vUle Mr Chaffin was Intrigued by Goblin Valleys Valley's unusual forma formations done and called the area Mushroom Mushroom Mush room roo Valley because many of ot the figures were bulbous on top and did cUd indeed look Jook like Ilka mushrooms The name was later changed to Goblin Valle Valley because the witches spooks and goblins won out Discovered In 49 Goblin Valley did not come into public publio prominence until 1949 Uti In that year ear Mr Chaffin Chattin took some lome friends including photographer end and nd businessman Philip Fillip W W. Tompkins Tompkins Tomp- Tomp kins kin of San Francisco California into Cathedral Valley ValleT and Goblin T TaUey ller Uey Mr Tompkins took to the first known photographs of ot the goblins and these pictures were later widely circulated Actually 4 Goblin Valley is a rimmed cliff basin filled with thousands of unusual unusual un un- usual like goblin formations The number of creatures one sees is limited only by the imagination These formations have been I by wind rain rain frost and sun over millions of years To the geologist the formations of Goblin Valley were eroded out of reddish-brown reddish or col chocolate ored Entrada sandstone of the upper Jurassic series This erosion erosion erosion ero ero- sion is constantly going on today |