Hiking to the Goblin’s Lair in Goblin Valley State Park – A Hot but Unforgettable Trek

It was 95 degrees. The kind of dry, desert heat that sizzles off sandstone and makes you question your life choices about a mile into a hike. But the destination? Absolutely worth every sun-soaked step: the Goblin’s Lair, a hidden slot canyon tucked into the sculpted cliffs of Goblin Valley State Park in Utah.

Here’s how the hike went down.

Trailhead to Carmel Canyon Junction

We began at the Observation Point Trailhead, just off the main parking lot. From there, the trail to the Goblin’s Lair overlaps with the Carmel Canyon Loop Trail. It’s well-marked, starting with a sandy path that winds among the mushroom-like goblin formations that give the park its name.

You’re immediately dropped into a landscape that looks like something out of a fantasy film—wind-sculpted hoodoos, bizarre rock shapes, and a terrain that’s somehow playful and rugged all at once.

Turning Toward the Lair

Roughly 0.25 miles in, 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 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 good hiking shoes are a must. Even in the heat, we found occasional shaded pockets along the cliff walls where we caught our breath and sipped water.

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 Sandy Hill and Final Scramble

You know you’re getting close when you get to the Sandy Hill – it’s soft and steep, and zaps your energy. Fortunately, the sandy hill isn’t very long and you’re almost there once you make the climb! Near the last quarter mile, the trail shifts from hiking to more of a Class 2 scramble. You’ll descend into a dry wash filled with loose sand and rock.

The Lair’s Entrance

The entrance to the Lair itself is a large crack in the cliff face—unassuming from the outside, but absolutely majestic inside.

There’s a short, steep climb up into the Lair entrance. This can feel tricky, especially if your legs are tired or the sandstone is hot, but it’s manageable without technical gear.

Inside the Goblin’s Lair

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.

The Return Trip

We exited the way we came, retracing our steps over slickrock and hoodoos. The heat had intensified, but we paced ourselves, rested in every scrap of shade we could find, and finished the roughly 2.5-mile round trip in just under two hours.

Trail Tips

• Start early – We hit the trail by 9:00 AM and still felt the heat.
• Bring more water than you think you need. We each carried 2 liters and drained them.
• Wear a wide-brim hat and sunscreen – there’s very little shade until you reach the Lair.
• Be cautious scrambling on hot rock – sandstone gets slippery when sandy and very hot.