5/13/08 Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley, also known as "mushroom valley", because the erosion has created strange looking creatures in this remote area. The enlargement may be familiar to some of you because it is in a scene from Tim Allen's movie, Galaxy Quest.



Our campground was a mere 1.3 miles from the goblin formations and Alexa decided that it would be more fun to take a 3 mile hike through the drainages that create the erosion than drive to it. To make matters even more comical, the state parks allow dogs on trails. This dog had to be carried at times because bull thorns had blown and collected on the trail.


Some of the features of the erosion on our forced march.... I mean "walk".

We were so pooped by the time we got to the valley, we didn't walk down into it. We later drove back to a beautiful parking lot overlooking the valley, had a pleasant lunch, and briefly explored the floor of the valley. Alexa is standing by some of the goblins, or mushrooms, or whatever they are.


As is our custom, "leave the campgrounds real late, sight see like crazy, then arrive at the campgrounds real late", we were turned away from the Capitol Reef campground -- like last year. Alexa considers it a personal quest to camp at the Capitol Reef campground -- so we will come back tomorrow.