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I had the pleasure of staying at the iconic yet underrated Goblin Valley Yurt. Goblin Valley State Park outside of Hanksville Utah, is a unique and vibrant park filled with sandstone formations (known as goblins). Staying here was a photography dream and such a unique way to experience this Utah State Park. You may know that booking a stay here can be challenging, so I’m going to share all the details on how to have the best chance of booking and things to do during your visit.

Photos in collaboration with Emilie Hofferber

OVERVIEW: Goblin Valley Yurt and Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley is a rather tucked away State Park in Southern Utah and is best known for its eroded cliffs and mushroom like rock formations as well as nearby canyoneering. It’s a park that can be seen in a short time and makes it a perfect one night or weekend stay. With loads of other nearby destinations too, this is a perfect add on or start to an epic road trip.

The State Park has 24 campsites and 2 yurts with plenty of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land nearby as well for dispersed camping. It is a dog friendly state park with over a dozen hiking and biking options.

Getting to Goblin Valley State Park

This park is a bit aways from any major city, which truly adds to the appeal in my opinion. The further you get away from major cities, the less crowded and overwhelming a state park is. It is also relatively close to one of the lesser visited National Parks in Utah – Capitol Reef National Park (1 hour), Canyonlands National Park (1.5 hours), and Arches National Park (1.5 hours).

• From Salt Lake City: 4 hours
• Denver: 6 hours
• Las Vegas: 6.5 hours

There are some smaller regional airports that you could fly into as well:

• Moab Airport (Canyonlands Field Airport): 1 hour and 19 minutes
• Montrose Regional Airport: 3 hours

Renting a Car: Goblin Valley Yurt

You will need to rent a car to get here, unless you book a private tour, which can be quite costly per person.

The roads to get here are decently maintained and you will not need 4 wheel drive or extra clearance. A standard vehicle will work just fine. Although, if you are wanting to venture out to some of the more remote, nearby scenic spots that I’ll list towards the bottom of this post, you will need a capable vehicle.

I personally love renting a Toyota 4runner because it has plenty of room for camping gear, luggage, etc. But you may also consider renting a van from one of the many companies out there:

• Outdoorsy
• Moterra Campervans
• Turo (like airbnb for vehicles!)
• Native Campervans
• Escape Campervans

If you are looking to spend this trip primarily camping and road tripping – I love the luxury a campervan offers. It’s like combining the cost of a hotel and rental car. There is a lot of free dispersed camping in Utah if you’re looking for a more adventurous and/or budget friendly trip.

The Goblin Valley Yurt:

Yurts are becoming more and more popular across State Parks and National Parks and I have LOVED my experiences staying in them. They are quite spacious and can accommodate up to 5 people.

Goblin Valley Yurt Amenities:

• Swamp Cooler
• Heater
• Double bed + single bed (as bunk beds), couch
• Table and chairs
• Deck Chairs
• Grill
• Picnic Table
• Water
• Nearby pit toilets
• Nearby showers
• Incredible views

The yurts are dog friendly ($20 extra per night per dog – up to 2 dogs) and allows for extra vehicles ($20 per extra vehicle – the fee of entrance to the state park).

The Yurts cost $150 + Tax as of 2024.

Booking the Goblin Valley Yurt:

Okay so here’s where it gets tricky. As mentioned, there are only 2 yurts at this State Park in addition to the 24 campsites. I’m going to break down the options that will help you score a night or two here.

Reserving Far in Advance:

This involves a lot of planning, but if you’re the type of traveler that plans your vacations way in advance – this will work well for you!

The yurts and campsites become available to reserve on a four-month rolling basis. So, if you were to book on January 15 you would have access to sites that are available for reservation through May 15.

So if you know you want to plan your trip in May – get on the reservation website every morning in January first thing to get a chance at reserving a night. This does make it challenging to get multiple days in a row unless you are lucky. But you could opt to do one night at a yurt, and opt for camping the next night if you do not score another night when the next day becomes available.

Last Minute Booking at Goblin Valley Yurt:

This is how I managed to score a night at the famous Goblin Valley Yurt. Since most people end up booking 4 months in advance, a lot changes and cancellations happen OFTEN. Simply go to the availability chart on the reservation website 2-3 weeks before the dates you want and browse any potential new availability. You could of course do this for months leading up to it if you knew when you wanted to be there, or even base your trip around getting a reservation there.

Which Yurt should you book?

There’s the iconic photograph that a lot of people have seen when they think of Goblin Valley Yurts. I truly didn’t know which one it was and just accidentally booked the most scenic one. I will say BOTH are scenic, but one is more tucked away and offers a lot for photography potential moreso than the other.

So which one? Book Yurt One if possible. It is a short walk from the parking area – so you will have to carry your things and walk back and forth to use the bathroom, but it is PRETTY. If you don’t care about the scenic view, Yurt Two is definitely more convenient, although it is RIGHT on the road. While there isn’t much traffic to that part of the park, it definitely offers less privacy.

Other Ways to Stay Nearby:

If you weren’t lucky enough to get a stay at the scenic Goblin Valley Yurt – there are MANY options for staying nearby.

Camping:

As mentioned, there are 24 campsites available within the State Park that are typically much easier to book than the yurts. Book at the same reservation website for $45 a night.

There is also quite a bit of free dispersed camping nearby. If you do not know what that is, read my post about it HERE. Dispersed camping on BLM land is typically free camping that offers no amenities and you are required to pack out everything (including your own human waste). I prefer using the app or website iOverlander.com and have slept at some of the most scenic camping areas for free here. So this is a GREAT budget option, as the Yurts are actually quite expensive for a night.

Hotels:

• Hanksville Pet Friendly Cabins (40 minutes away)
• Green River Comfort Inn (55 minutes away)
• Under Canvas Moab (1.5 hours away)
• Field Station Moab (1.5 hours away)

Of these options, Moab definitely offers the most in terms of shopping, restaurants and experiences, although it is much more crowded! But you will have access to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park if you’re wanting to combine parks on your trip!

Best Time to Visit Goblin Valley State Park:

As you’d expect from a Utah State Park, temperatures can get HOT. Spring and Fall here are absolutely wonderful with temperatures in the 60-80°F range. I went in mid April and loved the warm days and cool nights. It was definitely shorts and tank top weather while hiking here in April.

The busiest months are April, May, September and October. If you’re willing to have slightly cooler temps in March or November, you can avoid more of the crowds and have a better chance of getting yurt availability.

Best Hiking Trails in Goblin Valley State Park:

There are quite a few scenic trails within the state park and with a surprising amount of variety.

1. Goblin Valley Observation Point: this is a great first view of the park at the end of the parking lot with no hiking required for views.
2. Valley of the Goblins: there are multiple valleys to explore and you can take the easy one mile loop to explore them with a variety of views here from the same parking lot as observation point.
3. Goblin’s Lair (Chamber of the basilisk) is a 2.3 mile easy out and back trail with only 200 feet elevation gain. This hike has a lot to offer with caves, tunnels, a scramble and a slot canyon. This is the trail for the adventurer.
4. 3 Sisters Hike is another one mile popular hike here

Things to do:

• If you’re looking for MORE hiking check out Carmel Canyon Loop, Curtis Bench Trail, and Entrada Canyon.
• Visit the Visitor Center to learn more about the park and get your souvenirs.
• Stargazing! Goblin Valley is known for being a dark sky park. If the skies are clear, be prepared to see thousands of stars here (another reason it’s worth staying in the park or really close by).
• Guided Canyoneering! This state park is famous for it’s canyoneering routes and this is such an adventurous and thrilling way to see parts of Goblin Valley that not many other people get to see.

Nearby Destinations:

You truly can plan as long or short of a visit to this area that you want, because there are ENDLESS things to do just within a few hours.

Slot Canyons:

• Little Wild Horse Canyon + Bell Canyon: 8.1 mile loop with 810 feet of elevation gain. Rated moderate difficulty. Not very crowded. May require 4×4 depending on road conditions.
• Leprechaun Canyon: 2.2 mile out and back trail with 150 ft elevation gain. Rated moderate difficulty. Small parking lot can get crowded on weekends.
• Big Wild Horse Spur and Crack Canyon Trail: 8.7 mile out and back 541 ft elevation gain. Rated moderate difficulty.

National Parks:

• Capitol Reef National Park: 1 Hour from Goblin Valley. Honestly this one is incredibly underrated in my opinion and is often my answer for my favorite national park. Be sure to rent a 4×4 vehicle to go to the Temple of the Sun and Moon.
• Arches National Park: 1.5 hours from Goblin Valley. Arches is a CLASSIC. And while it will be more crowded than anything else on this list – it is absolutely worth a visit.
• Canyonlands National Park: 1 hour and 45 minutes from Goblin Valley. Canyonlands is known as the least visited Utah National Park, which makes it a refreshing place to get away from the crowds. You could easily see a lot in one day here.
• Dead Horse State Park: This State Park is very close to Canyonlands National Park and definitely worth seeing if you’re in the area.

Other Utah Road Trips and Destinations:

Check out my other Utah Adventures to continue your road trip:

• Spontaneous 4 Day Utah Road Trip Loop
• Yant Flat
• Zion National Park
• Snow Canyon State Park
• Southwest Road Trip Inspiration

Goblin Valley State Park One Day Itinerary:

1. Start your day by driving to the Goblin Valley Visitor Center to learn about any changes or closures and stock up on your souvenirs.
2. Drive to the end of the road and visit Goblin Valley Observation Point
3. Do the easy, one mile loop of Valley of the Goblins.
4. Optional: if you’re feeling up for another hike check out Goblin’s Lair (2.3 miles)
5. Relax at your Goblin Valley Yurt stay or Goblin Valley State Park Campsite.
6. For dinner, either make dinner at camp and watch sunset or drive into Hanksville and eat at Outlaw’s Roost or the famous Stan’s Burgers.
7. Make sure to stay up long enough to stargaze since this is a dark sky park.

Packing List:

For the Yurt:

• sleeping bag
• pillow
• blanket
• cooking equipment
• cups, plates, silverware, etc.

For the Trail:

• trail runners
• day pack
• water bladder
• sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
• sun hoodie (my FAVORITE)
• shorts
• Camera Gear!

Conclusion: Goblin Valley Yurt Road Trip

As you can see, Goblin Valley State Park has the potential to be a weekend trip OR a stop on an epic Utah road trip. You do not need much time to experience this underrated park, but at the same time you could spend so much time exploring what’s around this southern Utah gem.

I hope this helps you plan an incredible adventurous getaway in the desert. It is truly one of my favorite parks of Utah with less crowds. Let me know in the comments if you scored a stay at the Yurt!!

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