Goblin Valley State Park is famous for its thousands of mushroom-shaped sandstone formations aptly named “goblins,” although “aliens” would have been equally descriptive. I was last here in 2009 with the entire family. I can still remember how much fun the kids had in this otherworldly landscape. It was my only stop on a day dedicated primarily to travel and the weather could not have been more cooperative. For the first time since I arrived, the entire sky was cloud filled providing the ideal diffused lighting for photographing in this park. Even better, this is the first park that offered drone permits ($15) and a dedicated take-off/landing pad. Ironically, this is the one park on my tour that is best photographed from the ground.

These goblin formations, known as hoodoos, were created over millions of years as an ancient inland sea left thick layers of Entrada Sandstone, which later hardened and was exposed to air. Erosion from wind and water carved away the softer sandstone beneath harder capstones, resulting in the bizarre, rounded shapes seen today.

During my drive, I traversed the San Rafael Reef, where I stopped briefly for a photo. Early settlers of the area would travel 20 miles north or south rather than attempt to make the treacherous crossing. In the mid-1960s, an ambitious construction project started to allow for I-70 to pass through the reef.