95 Degrees and Totally Worth It!
Otherworldly beautiful hoodoos and trails are a staple of Goblin Valley
Beautiful and Daunting!
We decided to brave a 95°F day to hike to the Goblin’s Lair—officially known as the Chamber of the Basilisk—in Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. If you’re into surreal landscapes and don’t mind a bit of heat, this adventure is an absolute must.
We started at the main observation point and followed the carmel canyon loop, a 1.5-mile round trip featuring gentle scrambling over scree and boulders. Around half a mile in, the trail forks toward the Lair, plunging deeper into funky, mushroom-shaped sandstone hoodoos—the stars of the Valley.
Be prepared with hydration and sunscreen – this hike is exposed to the sun! We started later in the morning and the sun was high above us the whole time without many shady spots.
Roughly .25 to .35 miles into the hike, you’ll see a trail sign pointing toward the Goblin’s Lair. This is where you leave most of the crowd behind.
From here, the trail gets a bit rockier and steeper. You begin a gradual climb up a slope of broken sandstone and slickrock. The footing becomes more uneven, and this is where comfy hiking shoes are a must. We stopped for water breaks every 15 mins and kept pushing towards the goal.
The trail loosely follows the edge of the San Rafael Reef, curving along the base of tall cliffs with occasional views looking back over the goblin-filled valley. The ground is mostly stone or hard sand until you get to Sandy Mountain – I don’t think other people call it Sandy Mountain, but we did. It’s a 300 yard uphill climb to the foothills of the final scramble.
You’re at the top of Sandy Mountain – almost there!!
Incredible Spot! Just sit and enjoy some water and natural A/C!
From the foothills, there’s a short, steep scramble up hot rocks to the mouth of the lair. This can feel tricky, especially if your legs are tired or the sandstone is hot, but it’s manageable without technical gear. The entrance to the Goblin’s Lair is a small opening in the cliff face. You need to scramble down to enter the lair – don’t be afraid to booty scoot down the rocks and you’re there!
Once inside… wow.
The Goblin’s Lair (also called the Chamber of the Basilisk) is a massive vertical cavern, lit from above by a skylight opening over 90 feet up. The temperature inside was probably 20 degrees cooler than outside—our personal reward for the hot climb.
The light filtering down gives the chamber an almost mystical glow. The walls are smooth, curving, and surprisingly colorful when the light hits them just right—shades of rust, rose, ochre, and mauve.
Some adventurers choose to rappel in from the top with a permit. We just sat in the cool sand at the bottom, taking it all in.
#GoblinValley #GoblinsLair #Chamberofthebasilisk #BanditOutdoors #StealAdventure
Location
- Goblin Valley State Park, Utah
- Trailhead is at the Valley of the Goblins
Hike Details
- 3 Miles Round Trip
- No real elevation gain until Sandy Mountain and the scramble – maybe 300 feet.
- Out and Back Trail
- Took a young family 2 hours
What to See / Hints
- We packed our Bandit Pack with 64 oz’s of water and Gatorade, and drank all of it.
- Trail running shoes were perfect for the hike
- Take your time on the boulders / scramble. Footing is unstable and sketch.