Goblin Valley State Park Utah

Chuck and I had been hearing quite a bit about Goblin Valley State Park, so since it was just about a 90 minute ride from Torrey to Goblin Valley, we decided to check it out!  We passed it on our way to Torrey  UT.  It is after you get off of I-70 onto Highway 24 before you get to Hanksville Utah. Pull in at mile marker 136 and proceed 12 more miles to the park entrance.

The nights we were there, June 25th and 26th,

the campground was full.

It was a pretty nice campground, boondocking only. (no hook-ups!) but they did offer nice flush toilets and great showers!  Each campsite had it's own pavillion with a picnic table and fire pit for $17 per night. No discounts for seniors etc etc. The campground was nestled into the rocks and was very easy to pull into with paved level sites. 

The "Goblins" were all around the campground!

STORY OF GOBLIN VALLEY

Cowboys searching for cattle were among the first to discover secluded Goblin Valley. In the 1920's, owner/operator of the Hite Ferry, Mr Arthur Chaffin and two friends were looking for an alternative route between Green River and Cainville Utah. They came to a vantage point about one mile west of Goblin Valley and were awed by what they saw - five red buttes and a valley of strange shaped rock formations.  Mr Chaffin called the area "Mushroom Valley" It became a Utah State Park in 1964.

Click onto the signs to read them!

The campground is a solar facility. These panels provide electric to the rangers living quarters and to the campground restrooms.

 The solar panels up on the hill pump water into the campground and rangers living quarters.

 Strange shapes in the campground!

The tent sites are tucked in over by the cliffs.

GEOLOGY

The wonderful shapes at Goblin Valley result from millions of years of geologic history! The Goblins are made of Entrada Sandstone, which consists of debris eroded from former highlands and redeposited here on a tidal flat. YES! TIDAL FLAT! The Goblins show evidence of being near an ancient sea with the ebb and flow of tides, located near coastal sand dunes! 

 Click onto the signs to enlarge to full size 

so you can read them easily.

Those two white specks near the center of the photograph are two adults walking among the Goblins! Click to enlarge the page! 

 My own sweet goblin! Chuck!

This is Chuck's favorite goblin! Says he looks like he is an ET who missed his flight to Roswell NM and is searching the skies for the next space ship!

More signs, click to enlarge! 

The formations are beautiful! 

The Three Sisters, Huey, Dewey and Louie.

Hey! I'm just a tourist, I didn't name them!

We hope you enjoyed seeing Goblin Valley!

Now we are off to Fish Lake for four days!

Happy Trails from The MotherShip!

Geri, Chuck and The Hound Herd!

Caverns of Sonora, Sonora TX

       CAVERNS OF SONORA TEXAS

  On one of my first trips west travelling

on Interstate 10,I was tired,

it was dark and all I could

see was natural gas fires burning

off in the distance. Finally I

see a sign Caverns of Sonora

campground, next exit!

It is about 8 miles off the interstate,

I was sure I was lost when finally a

small hand painted sign pointed a left

turn to the campground!

This was my 5th visit! I even got to show

these wonderful caverns to my mom

on our trip west!

http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/

Caverns of Sonora are very small, intimate

compared to Carlsbad Caverns.

It is very much like walking through

a huge geode!

Only small tours each trip, usually

less than 12 people. The lady in the red shirt on the left was our tour guide. She has been leading tours since she was in high school!

At this point I handed the camera to Chuck!

I had all I could do to hang on to the railing

and climb up and down over 200 steps as we took the two hour tour through these beautiful and unusual caverns! If I can do it with my knees,

you know you can do it too! Worth every step!

If you are the least bit claustrophobic, you might want to stay on top! These caverns are also very warm

the deeper you go. Most caverns I have toured are cold and get colder as you tour down.

This was the pop corn room! Looked like

popped corn on all the walls.

Down more stairs! Everything is so close,

you can touch it all... but please DO NOT TOUCH!

One photographer busy in the crystal room.

Caverns of Sonora should be on your bucket list!

The campgrounds are beautiful, full hook-ups

are $15 a night! Deer wander the campground

at dawn and dusk along with a flock of guinea hens

and one turkey hen who thinks she is guinea!

There is only one pair of peacocks remaining

at the campground. When I first visited here...

I was rudely awakened by the strangling

scream call that passes as peacock talk!

There were maybe 12 peacocks there then.

They can be very loud in the early AM!

Just west of Caverns of Sonora you will see

Ozona Texas on your map with a 1/2 circle

bypass road. On that bypass road is an

amazing restaurant, The Hitching Post!

The best ever chicken fried steaks, or any kind of  steak for that matter! Chuck and I found it by accident last year, this year we made a point of

eating a late lunch there !

It's not fancy. But it's home cookin'

the way we like it!

The Caverns of Sonora.Located 8 miles west of Sonora, Texas off I-10. Information about the show cave, photographs, and tour information. Camping available.


1711 Private Road 4468

Sonora, TX 76950


(325) 387-3105


Open Daily 8am-6pm

Hope you enjoyed the Caverns of Sonora!
Happy Trails from the MotherShip crew:
Geri, Chuck and our Hound Herd, Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar