Journey around America: stone goblin valley

During your journey around America, it’s a sin not to get to this place. Actually it’ll be better to call it Goblin Valley – it is a name that you may find in different guide books to Emery county in Utah. There are more than a thousand so-called «hoodoo», mushroom-like formations of sandstone that were made by wind erosion.

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The things you should know before travelling around America

It’s worth mentioning that since the middle of the last century Goblin Valley is a national park with all that it entails. It has an office with several managers that organise tours around this exotic place.

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The valley was discovered in the distant 1920, at the time when a local businessman Arthur Chaffee was not travelling around America for pleasure, but he was looking for the shortest way between the towns Green-River and Keinsville for more profitable transportation of his goods. When he saw this natural wonder, the first things that came to his mind were the stories about freakish and spiteful goblins, which turned to stone giants at sunlight. Since that moment this valley received its name – Goblin Valley.

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Arthur’s Chaffee travel notes and photos

However the Goblin Valley became more popular a bit later, in 1949, Arthur Chaffee decided to study this place precisely during his free time. He made a series of photos with small commentaries and published these travel notes in one of the most popular geographical magazines. Since that very moment the Goblin Valley became one of the sights in Utah state in its small Emery county. And a little bit later, namely in 1964, the popularity of the valley raised, so the Utah state authorities decided to give an official status of national preserve to the valley.

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Besides, it’s worth mentioning that it’s much easier to get to the valley nowadays than it was in the far 1920-s. Now an excellent road №24 leads to this interesting place, it’s a pleasure to drive along this road. And if you pay a little more than 7$, you will see by yourself this mysterious natural wonder.