If I’m being honest, we really weren’t sure what to expect when we decided to go to Goblin Valley. I basically decided it was a good way to help justify the $75 we spent on the Utah State Park pass we bought when we visited Antelope Island.

It’s basically a lot of mud with drip mud castles (anyone else make drip sand castles when they were little?) that somehow eroded into penis-shaped formations. If I was particularly religious, I’d think someone upstairs was playing a prank.

The day we went everything was wet – muddy, slimy, and wet. I suppose it provided for a unique experience, but I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the norm or if Goblin Valley was always this slick.

The landscape, for what it was, was at once shocking to look at, beautiful, and grotesque. That’s a hard combo to manage! It was all larger than life, and I couldn’t fathom how or why (even with the help of the Park Rangers and various signs) these “goblins” were here. I suppose if nothing else, it was interesting to think that they’re caused due to natural erosion, so years into the future, they quite literally won’t be here.

Most of the hikes we wanted to do (Goblins Lair, Caramel Canyon, etc.) were washed out due to a storm a few days ago, so we just walked around Valley #2 (yes, that’s what it’s really called). There were a number of “goblins” that kids in the park were climbing on top of, “caves” that folks failed to get into as they slipped and slid back down in the muddy fields, and some dead end trails that we couldn’t figure out where to go. It was a bizarre experience, worth seeing at least once, but we probably won’t be back any time soon!