Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley feels like stepping onto another planet—an open basin filled with thousands of whimsical, mushroom-shaped rock formations known as hoodoos. These “goblins” were sculpted over millions of years through the erosion of Entrada Sandstone, where a harder caprock protects softer layers beneath, creating their iconic top-heavy shapes.

What makes this place special isn’t just the formations—it’s the density and randomness. Unlike more structured desert landscapes, Goblin Valley is chaotic and playful, opening the door to a completely different creative approach.

Why it matters for photography:

• Encourages exploration over icon-chasing—there’s no single “hero composition”
• Ideal for foreground experimentation and intimate scenes
• Light wraps beautifully at sunrise and sunset, creating soft shadows and depth
• At night, it becomes an exceptional astro environment with minimal light pollution

Interesting tidbits:

• Once nicknamed “Mushroom Valley” before becoming a state park
• Frequently used as a filming location due to its surreal terrain
• One of the few protected landscapes where you can freely wander almost anywhere

“This is one of those rare places where there’s no pressure to find the shot—just wander, slow down, and let the landscape surprise you. The more you explore, the more it gives back.”

Maze Overlook: Entering the Landscape

This is where the shift begins. You’ll start to experience overlanding pacing versus traditional photo trips—where we’re no longer tied to hotels, rigid schedules, or pre-defined shooting windows.

We have the freedom to be exactly where we want, when we want.

The Maze earns its name from its extreme erosional complexity—a true labyrinth of canyons carved over millions of years. The landscape is dominated by Cedar Mesa Sandstone, dating back roughly 250–300 million years.

Key lessons:

• Composing with vast negative space
• Embracing scale ambiguity
• Letting scenes breathe rather than forcing structure

“We’re not chasing light anymore—we’re embedded in it.”

Maze Exploration: Geology + Light

This is one of the most remote regions in the lower 48—visited by only a few thousand people each year. The descent via the Flint Trail switchbacks marks a psychological threshold: you’re leaving behind conventional landscape photography and entering true commitment terrain.

Light behaves differently here. It reflects, bounces, and fills space in unexpected ways—making midday one of the most productive and creative times of day.

Flow of the day:

• Sunrise and sunset shoots
• Midday scouting and instruction
• Exploration of formations like the Chocolate Drops and Land of Standing Rocks

Creative focus:

• Abstract compositions
• Shadow layering
• Compression with longer focal lengths

“This place rewards curiosity more than icons.”

Iconic Locations + Personal Vision

We’ll explore marquee locations like the Doll House and Chimney Rock—some of the most surreal sandstone formations in Utah, shaped by differential erosion between harder and softer rock layers.

This is also where things begin to shift creatively.

What makes this day different:

• Moving from capturing scenes → developing personal vision
• Using lens choice and composition intentionally, not reactively
• Refining what draws you into a frame

Conditions permitting, we’ll take advantage of the near-total absence of light pollution for night photography.

What stands out here:

• True silence—an increasingly rare experience
• A sense of isolation that sharpens awareness and perception

Exit + Expanding Perspective

We’ll break camp and begin our journey out, often traveling via Poison Spring Canyon toward the Green River corridor.

The exit offers a different perspective—less confined, more expansive. These routes follow ancient drainage systems that have shaped the broader canyon landscape over time.

On the way out:

• Opportunistic shooting
• Slower, observational pacing
• Reflecting on how your perspective has evolved

The terrain opens up—and ideally, so does the way you see