Get a gander at the goblins
© Patrick Leitz/Moment/Getty Images
Arches, Canyonlands, Zion—these famous names conjure scenes of monumental rock formations and endless desert vistas. But those top-billed Utah destinations aren't the only 'rock stars' around. In fact, there's a lesser-known (read: less crowded) park chock-full of some of the most breathtaking geologic formations in the American Southwest. Within Goblin Valley State Park is one of the highest concentrations of hoodoos on Earth. Around here, hoodoos are known as goblins, and they're the stars of this park, where erosion has worked its natural magic on soft Entrada sandstone over millions of years.
Fly me to…
A bit of Mars on Earth
An imperiled paradise
Cataclysmic colors
Silence at sunset
Star-studded sands
Stoic stones
High views in low places