The Valley of the Goblins

This past weekend we ventured to Southern Utah for a two night stay in Goblin Valley State Park. I had heard such good things about this place, i.e. you just have to visit there and so 5 years after moving here we finally made it down there. I booked the campground several months ago because it's always full, especially in the summer. This was true desert camping....no shade, not much shelter, and it was H-O-T HOT.

We arrived on Friday evening and set up camp, made hot dogs and baked beans for dinner. We went down to the Amphitheater to see a program on the geology of the park. It was pretty interesting and the kids enjoyed it. Then we made some s'mores and enjoyed the night sky. We had a good first night, with just a bit of wind.

We woke bright and early Saturday morning to the bright desert sun. It was probably 80 degrees by 8 AM, crazy. We had a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, English muffins, and hash browns. It was a good thing because we had a strenuous day ahead of us. We started out by hiking from the campground to the Valley of the Goblins. This was a curvy 1.5 mile hike. When we got there, the view from the overlook was fantastic. I can't believe that these formations are just 3.5 hour drive from our house and that we are still in Utah! It looks like Mars. I am always amazed by how much this beautiful state has to offer...here we are for 5 years and there is still so much to see and discover. We hiked down into the goblins and explored for the rest of the morning. Then we hiked back to the campground in the blazing sun and we were all exhausted but it was only just early afternoon.

After resting & hydrating a while, we ventured out by car this time to explore an adjacent slot canyon. The hike was a little boring at first but we hung in there and got to the good stuff. It was amazing how the rocks tightened up and we were in the middle of the canyon. I worried a little about a flash flood but there was really no danger as it wasn't raining anywhere in the whole state that day.

We arrived back to the campground and all took cold showers to cool off! This campground was really nice with amenities, nice bathrooms and private showers...even a sink to clean your dishes. For dinner that night we had yummy chicken sandwiches with peppers and onion and a side of pasta. Really a good camp meal, and pretty easy to make. At night, there was another program this time about desert animals and the adaptations that they have made to adjust to life in the desert. The ranger giving the program was quite funny and the kids enjoyed the strange stories about the various animals.

That night was a bit windy at first but after we settled in the tent it was so calm. We all slept soundly, probably because we hiked about 6 miles (no joke!). We broke camp pretty early Sunday morning after a breakfast of oatmeal. We were home by noon and at the pool by 2 PM for some much needed swimming in the cool water.

We enjoyed our trip to Goblin Valley. I think next time I will choose a cooler time to go, say fall or spring. But the heat wasn't too bad and we all enjoyed ourselves. There were just too many pictures to select just a few to post, so I decided on a slideshow (and I am lazy). Enjoy the many many pictures...