“Them Goblins Are Good People”

Goblin Valley, Utah is a state park near a small town, Hanks-ville, Utah.This town is one
of those small towns that make you slow down as you drive through, so small in fact the
town did not even have a stop-light. I'm sure the posted speed limit helps the town survive
like all small towns. They do have a web page. http://www.hanksville.com/ .



Although brief in is interruption in your travels to world famous places like Arches Nat Park,
Page AZ, the wave Az, Lake Mead, Zion Nat Park, the subway, Etc..., you might over look
Goblin State Park. It's a short drive from this Base camp of a town. Like the worlds largest
ball of string, if you don't stop and see it, you missed something in life, you missed something
in Utah. How much time do you spend in Goblin Valley is up to you, it should only take a 2-4 hrs
to at least get out and visit the Goblins.

What can you do in goblin? A few videos not mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0KJ0xMSTs8

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvinpix/2655206903/

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4711099255282442117&ei=8JpcS9iHD5eyrAOCh7CpCw&q=goblin+valley+state+park+video&hl=en&client=firefox-a#docid=6385377169879756666

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In Hanks-ville we went to the restaurant, a local asked what brings you to town.
I responded that we were going to visit Goblin State Park. His friendly response was ---
“Them Goblins are good people”.

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The hoodoos or goblins are made of rocks, sand, shale and if it rains mud. Think of the sand castles you made off the tip of your finger with water and fine sand.

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If undisturbed the goblins are covered with a fantastic fragile layer of your childhood sand castles and water tube crust.
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The rules in the park are very lax for now. For example on one of the posted information signs it warns that the nearest hospital is many miles away and you should think about that as you decide to take a risk climbing the crumbling formations.

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You measure how long mountains and landscape features are going to be around by 100s of millions of years. These structures will not last that long. The Goblins are at the mercy of nature and people. I feel that people climbing may speed up the erosion process.

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I am not a big fan of overprotecting the parks for only a few people to study up close for their lifetime work, or to herd you as cows on the path, as in Mesa Verde National Park. As a kid I was able to walk and drive freely in Mesa Verde, and set up for a photo and take my time. Mesa Verde is now more like a drive by shooting leaving photographers wounded and bleeding without photos. In this case, at goblin I feel that a policy of "No Climbing" and "Do not disturb the crust on the Goblins" would be the least you could do.

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While in the park I saw one family climb one of the larger Goblins for a photo. It looked so innocent, so pure, a family out to have the experience of a life time. A photo that would stand out in the memories of the children for their entire life. The goblin held the weight of the family and a memorable moment was captured.
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The goblins are in fact a very large sand castle with large sand stone caps,
and can crumble at any time. Keep that in mind as you climb and photograph in the garden.
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CC always welcome :soapbox
I hope you have enjoyed the photos of Goblin Valley, Utah.