Butte with yellow flowers.

Capitol Reef, Utah

and environs, including Goblin Valley State Park and Little Wild Horse Canyon

by Eve Andersson

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Capitol Reef National Park

This hundred-mile stretch of sandstone formations forms the least-visited of Utah's five national parks. In addition to the colorful cliffs and canyons, you can discover petroglyphs made by the Fremont indians who inhabited the area as far back as 700 A.D.

Wagon. Hole in a vertical rock face. Butte. Petroglyph. Mica embedded in rock. White flowers and black hills near Capitol Reef.

Goblin Valley State Park

Although it will take you more time to drive to Goblin Valley than it will to explore the entire park, it is well worth it. The "goblins" -- which look more like mushrooms to me (not that I've seen a goblin in person) -- were formed when softer rock started to erode beneath boulders. Wandering amongst them is a slightly eerie experience.

Goblin Valley State Park. Goblin Valley State Park. Goblin Valley State Park.

Goblin Valley State Park. Stone man with beret. Goblin Valley State Park. Goblin Valley State Park.

Landscape with yellow flowers near Goblin Valley. Landscape with yellow flowers near Goblin Valley.



Little Wild Horse Canyon

Little Wild Horse Canyon, five miles from Goblin Valley, contains some interesting, undulating rock narrows. A little climbing is required to reach them, but it isn't strenuous.

Little Wild Horse Canyon. Little Wild Horse Canyon. Little Wild Horse Canyon.

Butte near Little Wild Horse Canyon. Hills at sunset. Landscape near Little Wild Horse Canyon.

Other Nearby Areas

Glittering rock on Wild Horse Road. Horses in front of petrified sand dune. Wild Horse Road landscape. Hollow Mountain Gas and Grocery is true to its name. Burr Trail Factory Butte. Factory Butte with orange flowers. Waterpocket Fold area, as viewed from Boulder Mountain. Waterpocket Fold area, as viewed from Boulder Mountain.

Fauna

White cow mooing. Two cows. White cow mooing. Baby white cow near Capitol Reef.

Two deer. Three deer. Five deer.

Flora

Yellow flowering cactus. Red flowering cactus. Magenta flowering cactus.

Yellow flower. Orange flowers. Yellow flowers and black hills.

Eve Andersson (eve@eveandersson.com)

Comments

Goblin Valley SP

Your photos are great. We camped at Goblin Valley State Park in 1979. Very unusual park and no one has heard of it. We had hot showers from the solar collectors on the roof of the building, no electricity of course. We had a travel trailer - but no generator (thank heavens). Thanks for the photos.

-- David Goodpasture

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