We have now entered the promise land of post-residency life. Now, our days are less stressful and our work week short. No more 80 hour work weeks, no more working nights or weekends, and no more working holidays. It is a blissful place, this attending life. These newly found weekends mean more adventures. There is so much to explore in Utah, from the red rock country of the south to the mountains of the north. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store.
We made a quick getaway to Goblin Valley State Park this weekend. The park is notable for the sandstone “goblins” littering the valley floor. The goblins are formed because of the uneven hardness of the sandstone. Water and wind erode the softer rock leaving the harder sandstone heads.
We camped out in the back of my jeep on Thursday night with the top open to the stars above. Goblin Valley State Park is an international dark sky park and the Milky Way graced us with her magnificent beauty. The next day, we hiked two of the park’s trails: Goblin’s Lair and Carmel Canyon. Goblin’s Lair is an out and back trail that leads to a giant cave; ie, the lair. Carmel Canyon is a loop that has some scrambling involved, but leads you closer to the famous Three Sisters rock formation. The two trails only took us a few hours thankfully, so we managed to escape the scorching sun and 100 degree heat.
Goblin Valley State Park is a quick weekend trip and one well worth the drive. The mystical goblins and stunning red rock are unique to this region and a treasure worth everyone’s time.