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Utah: Goblin Valley State Park, San Rafael Reef

131 images Created 8 Jun 2011

- Admire fanciful hoodoos, mushroom shapes, and rock pinnacles in Goblin Valley State Park, in Emery County between the towns of Green River and Hanksville, in central Utah, USA. The light-colored Curtis Formation caps the reddish-brown suite of rocks called Entrada Sandstone where the park goblins form. On the desert floor blooms vetch flowers, in the pea family. Snow caps Mount Ellen, at the northern end of the Henry Mountains, rising prominently south of the park.
- San Rafael Swell and Reef: Near Goblin Valley State Park Campground are some great hikes on BLM land, including a wonderful 9 mile loop hike up Little Wild Horse Canyon and back down Bell Canyon. Scramble up and down sandstone ledges, through occasional shallow water holes and fascinating narrow slots. Ding Canyon and the main Wildhorse Canyon are also worth visiting. On the other side of the reef is Crack Canyon, one of our favorite places for an amazing variety of rock patterns, 4 miles round trip (or longer if you can surpass a rope ascent and more obstacles). The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River. The San Rafael Reef (and Swell) is one of the wildest places left in Utah.

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  • Mount Ellen, at the northern end of the Henry Mountains, rises prominently to the south of Goblin Valley State Park. Admire fanciful hoodoos, mushroom shapes, and rock pinnacles in Goblin Valley State Park, in Emery County between the towns of Green River and Hanksville, in central Utah, USA. The Goblin rocks eroded from Entrada Sandstone, which is comprised of alternating layers of sandstone (cross-bedded by former tides), siltstone, and shale debris which were eroded from former highlands and redeposited in beds on a former tidal flat.
    06UT_1097-Goblin-Valley.jpg
  • Admire fanciful hoodoos, mushroom shapes, and rock pinnacles in Goblin Valley State Park, in Emery County between the towns of Green River and Hanksville, in central Utah, USA. The Goblin rocks eroded from Entrada Sandstone, which is comprised of alternating layers of sandstone (cross-bedded by former tides), siltstone, and shale debris which were eroded from former highlands and redeposited in beds on a former tidal flat. As part of the Colorado Plateau, the San Rafael Swell is a giant dome-shaped anticline of rock (160-175 million years old) that was pushed up during the Paleocene Laramide Orogeny 60-40 million years ago. Since then, infrequent but powerful flash floods have eroded the sedimentary rocks into valleys, canyons, gorges, mesas, and buttes.
    1503SW-0553_Goblin-Valley.jpg
  • Little Wild Horse Canyon, Utah. A short drive from Goblin Valley State Park Campground is a great 9 mile loop hike up Little Wild Horse Canyon and back down Bell Canyon. The hike requires some scrambling up and down sandstone ledges, through occasional shallow water holes and fascinating narrow slots. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River. The San Rafael Reef (and Swell) is one of the wildest places left in Utah. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    06UT_2001_Little-Wild-Horse-Canyon.jpg
  • Sunrise strikes a cliff above the narrow slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0420.jpg
  • Pleasure-Way RV at sunrise near Little Wild Horse Canyon in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0375.jpg
  • Sunrise near Little Wild Horse Canyon in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0368.jpg
  • Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0381.jpg
  • The honeycomb weathering on this vertical sandstone wall is a type of tafoni. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0397.jpg
  • The honeycomb weathering on this vertical sandstone wall is a type of tafoni. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0398.jpg
  • The narrow slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0401.jpg
  • Boulders in the narrow slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0414.jpg
  • The narrow slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0419.jpg
  • Colorful wavy sandstone layers are revealed in the slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0424.jpg
  • The narrow slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0426.jpg
  • The narrow slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0432.jpg
  • The narrow slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0438.jpg
  • Colorful sandstone patterns are revealed in the slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0440.jpg
  • Colorful sandstone layers are revealed in the slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0442.jpg
  • Boulders in the slot of Little Wild Horse Canyon. San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0445.jpg
  • Sandstone blocks dropped from cliffs. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US1-0458-59-Pano.jpg
  • Balanced rock on loop trail between Little Wild Horse & Bell Canyons, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0472.jpg
  • Balanced rock on loop trail between Little Wild Horse & Bell Canyons, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0474.jpg
  • Balanced rock on loop trail between Little Wild Horse & Bell Canyons, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0475.jpg
  • Balanced rock on loop trail between Little Wild Horse & Bell Canyons, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0476.jpg
  • Popcorn sandstone pattern in Bell Canyon. Hike a classic loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon to Bell Canyon, in the San Rafael Reef, Utah, USA. This great walk (an 8.6-mile circuit with 900 feet gain) is a short drive on a paved road from Goblin Valley State Park. The hike via fascinating narrow slot canyons and open mesas requires some scrambling over rocks, possibly through shallow water holes (which were dry for us on Sept 20, 2020 but wet in April 2006). Thanks to the greatest legislative victory in the history of SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance), in 2019, Congress passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which declared 663,000 acres of wilderness, including Little Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness, in San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, Utah, USA. The Navajo and Wingate sandstone of the San Rafael Reef was uplifted fifty million years ago into a striking bluff which now runs from Price to Hanksville, bisected by Interstate 70 at a breach fifteen miles west of the town of Green River.
    20.10US1-0482.jpg
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