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Goblin Valley
July, 2025
In July, 2025, we were in Salt Lake City for several events at the University of Utah. In hopes of doing some astrophotography, we made a camping expedition to Goblin Valley, famous for its dark skies and weird geological formations.
The "goblins" have been formed by erosion. They look so other-wordly that this valley was used for filming the scenes on an alien planet in the movie Galaxy Quest.
The camping sites consist of a parking place, a sandbox for a tent, and a picnic table under cover. Restrooms, showers and potable water are available. Even with all of those luxuries, the days are still melt-your-face hot in July.
The first night, we spent several hours taking photographs of a mostly-cloudy sky, but were able to see a few glimpses of the Milky Way.
The next morning, we got an early start for our hike through the valley to explore the goblins.
The goblins come in all sizes.
How many years has that rock looked like it's about to fall? How much longer will it last?
Erosion at work.
This river bed shows evidence of recent water flow, with the steep walls showing how water has cut through the soil over time.
Rainstorm streams have cut a channel through this mound, entering from the right side and exiting front left.
This high-resolution panorama is suitable for viewing on a VR headset for an immersive experience.
By the time we had completed our hike mid-morning, it was already getting quite warm. With a storm forecast for the afternoon and evening, we decided to bail on staying for a second night, and figure we'll come back during a more appropriate time of the year with better weather prospects.
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