Goblin Valley is filled with stone goblins, ghosts, and toadstools that range in height from 10 to 200 feet. They stand like families of red goblins poured out, one by one, bay a giant wizard  and left frozen in time. These natural formations were made by uneven weathering of the sandstone; the sorter material was removed by wind and water, leaving thousands of harder sections in unusual shapes.

There is something wonderful about wandering through the maze of goblins, toadstools, and other hoodoos at night under a full moon. It is easy to see the role rain plays in shaping Goblin Valley. Thunderstorms turn the hollows between the goblins into shallow streams resembling the chocolate river in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

At nearby Hanksville, travelers can either head west to Capitol Reef National Park, or south to Bullfrog and Hite marinas on Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.