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Show Goblin Valley f ' ' 1 , t ' ' ' " ' - -if. Utah Travel Council (GOBLIN VALLEY). by Jeanne Shaw Publicity Assistant Utah Travel Council Noses, chins, eyes peer out from red rock watching as you walk past. It's a full moon on the desert with the stars setting the sky afire. You're almost frightened, but it's more a feeling of reverence, for this is Goblin Valley and goblins come out at night. Goblin Valley is a long, narrow, shallow basin enclosed between low sculptured cliffs. It looks like some kid has had a heyday in silly sand forming chocolate-colored globular mountains. There are many trails in Goblin Valley offering infinite tete-a-tete encounters. We camped in Goblin Valley in early spring and planned our trip around a full moon. It was a great time of year, not too hot in the days and not too cold at night. The Valley is magical on its own accord but moonlight makes the place come alive. Faces from ancient Indian burials watch you, their images cleft in the rock forever. Goblin Valley is 21 miles north of Hanksville via State 24, then five miles west on Temple Mountain, then eight miles south. We drove into the valley in late afternoon, set up camp and made dinner. We found a plateau and watched the sun go down, a daily miracle in Southern Utah. Near dusk when the shadows are long, the colors merge, forming aliens that change even as the sun goes down. This was a short trip that has left a sharp impression. Gobin Valley is open all year and a state ranger is on duty, there are picnic areas, campsites, showers, restroom facilities and drinking water available. However, there are no supplies, so campers and hikers need to bring their own. |