Day 6 of 2020 Utah Trip, from Moab to Torrey

Sixth day of my Utah trip. In the morning, I would be visiting Corona and Bowtie Arch, which were two arches in the Moab area that weren’t part of any established parks. Then I would use the rest of the day to make the road trip to Torrey, the gateway town to Capitol Reef National Park, paying a visit to Goblin Valley State Park along the way.

Corona Arch

I had some business to address early this morning. So by the time I checked out of the hotel and made my way to the trailhead of Corona Arch, it was past 10am.

Not long after leaving Moab, UT279 to Potash factory / Corona Arch was running with giant cliffs on one side and mild Colorado River on another.

Colorado River in Canyon
The river found an opening between two giant hills and flew through.

Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs

Along the way Utah route 279 passed Poison Spider Trailhead, which was long and unappealing to me (didn’t know how it got such a name). But starting from the same trailhead, there was a short trail to a nearby cliff, with petroglyphs (rock carvings by native American people) and dinosaur footprints, so I paid the latter a visit.

And here are the rock arts, located at the foot of a cliff which was also the end of the trail.

 



Petroglyphs

Right next to the petroglyphs there was a slab of recently (< a century) fallen rock, with what I believed was a dinosaur footprint.

Dinosaur Footprint

Unfortunately, the area lacked a well-marked trail, so people roamed their way into many, that meant it’s extremely easy to get lost. It’s probably not a big deal as the parking lot was always in sight, and worst case one could cut through the bushes and made his way back, battling the guilt of destroying plants and virgin soil though.

That meant, it took me quite some time to find the following slab, with many dinosaur footprints on it. It’s actually located right next to an information marker, just that I didn’t look it up when I passed it the first time.

Dinosaur Footprints

Corona Arch

Paying Corona Arch a visit was probably very appropriate in the year 2020 as the other corona, the virus, was ravaging.

The only difficult climb along the 3.8km roundtrip Corona Arch Trail was equipped with a ladder, otherwise it’s an easy stroll with views of two other less-magnificent arches along the way.
Here’s GPS tracking:

Not long after leaving the trailhead, the trail reached a platform overlooking the parking lot, campgrounds by the river, and the majestic bend that the Colorado River made.

 

Colorado River

Bend of Colorado River

Then it crossed the Potash Railway. There was a small opening in the railway fence wires just wide enough for people to cross.

 
Railway

The railroad track was built in 1964, as a spur from Crescent Junction to the Potash Plant near Dead Horse Point State Park.

After that, it’s almost like hiking any other trail in the region. Parts of Corona Arch Trail was on loose sand, but most of it were on solid rocks.

 
Rocks and Alcove with Layered Erosion

 
 
Rocks with Alcoves

Distant Canyons

About two-thirds of the way, Corona Arch began to emerge from behind the rocks. That’s where a cluster of cairns were marking the occasion.

Cairn before Corona Arch

Cairns

Bowtie and Corona Arch

Corona Arch

Alcove
The hiking trail passed right above that thin slab of rocks.

Before Corona Arch one would pass Bowtie Arch. It’s a pothole-type arch located high above the trail.

 
Bowtie Arch

And finally, it’s Corona Arch, star of the day. Unlike most other arches in the Moab area, it’s one that one could easily hike through and admire by looking upwards. Its towering structure was looking magnificent against the landscape.

Corona Arch

Even better, since this part of land was administered by the Bureau of Land Management, I could launch my drone for some aerial views.

Corona Arch

Railway in Valley

 
Valley between Bowtie and Corona Arch

Valleys

And here is some footage.

Along the main trail, there was a spur leading to Pinto Arch, which was another pothole-type arch like Bowtie Arch.

Distant Pinto Arch

But since it wasn’t as magnificent as Corona Arch, I decided to take an aerial tour of it with my drone and mark it off my destination list.

Pinto Arch

 
Overlooking Colorado River

After that, I said goodbye to the town of Moab, and made my way to Capitol Reef National Park. I made a stop in the town of Green River, the only proper town along the way for a quick lunch, before continuing the journey to Goblin Valley State Park.

Country Road
US191 between Crescent Junction and Moab, running through wide open fields between distant mesas.

Highway
Interstate 70 approaching junction of UT24, where the surrounding landscape was starting to become rugged.

 
Country Road
UT24 with few traffic.

Goblin Valley State Park

Located 12 miles from Utah Route 24 through a paved country road, Goblin Valley State Park featured many hoodoos, which were mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles referred to locally as goblins.

Core of the park was Goblin Valley (below), where many of these structures were concentrated in a basin. It’s said that the area used to be the edge of a shallow inland sea millions of years ago, and that alternating layers of hard sandstone and soft siltstone from tidal effects created such a high concentration of hoodoos.

 

Goblin Valley

Wild Horse Butte

 
Cliffs to the West

With convoluted clouds heralding an incoming storm that I didn’t take too seriously at this moment. Later, I would find out how much misery that storm would bring.

Goblin Valley

Goblin’s Lair Trail

In addition to Goblin Valley, which was directly accessible from its parking lot, the park offered a 4km roundtrip hiking trail, around the perimeter walls of Goblin Valley to its opposite side, where a cave called “Goblin’s Lair” was located. That’s where I decided to explore first.

Three Sisters
A properly named set of rocks, still reminding me of the “Three Gossip” at Arches National Park.

 

Goblin Valley

Landscape

 
Rocks

I didn’t find any official names for this set of rocks. But since they resembled two groups of people to me, and in line with the park’s tradition of naming rocks with dignity and respect, I shall call them “Great Debate”.

 
Rocky Hill

Trail
Sand being blown off ground in the distance.

Unfortunately, the distant storm that I didn’t take too seriously half an hour ago reached Goblin Valley, just as I was halfway in my hike to Goblin’s Lair. It’s desert here so the storm didn’t bring too much precipitation, the kind that raindrops were evaporating off my shirts at the same speed as they were falling down. But high winds from the storm were sweeping off sand from the ground, and for a miserable 15-minutes, I was battered by a constant swirl of sand, trying to find my way forward while not breathing in too many particles.
The worst part of it? When I was at the footstep of Goblin’s Lair 15 minutes later, which would serve as the perfect shelter from such sandstorm, it stopped.

Molly’s Castle

 
 
Rocky Cliff

Since I didn’t want the sandstorm to scrape my cell phone screen, I kept it in my pocket and was navigating without it. As a result, I accidentally went past Goblin’s Lair, to the footstep of another nameless cave. The short 250m trail from Goblin’s Lair to this cave was marked with flags on the ground, which to a degree convinced me that I was on the right way.

Trail
If not for the few flags on the ground, it’s very hard to find a trail among these rocks.

Just like Goblin’s Lair, the final stretch up this cave was a steep, loose and narrow trail.

 
Trail to Cave

The last segment to the cave was a steep incline made of loose rocks, which did present me some challenge. A few flags were making the trail from Goblin’s Lair to this cave, as seem in these photos.

 
 
Cave

It’s not a very large cave, about 10 meters long. I didn’t stay there for long before coming back out.

Openings in Ceiling
So that the faintest light was falling through.

 
Cave Walls

Then I made the short trip back to the actual Goblin Lair.

 
 
Rocky Cliff

Snake

This creature’s probably enjoying the fresh air after the storm, and had little intention to budge. Since it’s blocking the narrow hiking trail, I stamped on the ground heavily and repeatedly, and after a minute or two he moved away into the bushes, reluctantly.

Trail up Goblin’s Lair
Still steep and loose, slips likely.

Just like the previous cave, the final stretch into its opening was steep and slippery. In addition, to get into Goblin’s Lair there was a final scramble down for about 10 meters, during which selecting the right path was crucial.
Unfortunately, I took the more difficult path down (below), ending up with some adrenaline-racing moments.

Scramble down to Goblin’s Lair

On my way down, I took the red path on the right, which turned out to be very technical (I would rate it as class 3 minimum, the good thing was that a fall there probably would be short and not lead to any injury). I took the green path on the left on my return trip, which was much easier.

Openings in Ceilings
More openings than the previous cave, so that it’s brighter inside at Goblin’s Lair.

Once inside, I did a quick tour of this cave, which was about 20 meters long. Apart from a few erosions on the walls, there’s nothing too special about the cave, compared with the exciting scramble down to it.

 
Erosion on Walls

Erosions in Walls
Looked like mini goblins to me.

 
Goblin’s Lair
The cave in its entirety.

Goblin’s Lair

After that, I left Goblin’s Lair and headed back to the parking lot.

Click here to display photos of the slideshow

Rocky Cliff

Rocky Cliff

Rocky Cliff

Trail to Goblin’s Lair
A dirt trail going around the rocky hill, that’s wide in most parts.

Trail to Goblin’s Lair
A dirt trail going around the rocky hill, that’s wide in most parts.

Rocky Cliff

Rocky Cliff

Rocky Cliff

Rocky Cliff

Goblin Valley

Finally, I was at Goblin Valley. There were no established trails among the forest of goblins, and the park allowed free-range hiking among them. So I spent about 20 minutes admiring the forces of nature that shaped these hoodoos.

Click here to display photos of the Goblin Valley.

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

So at 7pm, I left Goblin Valley State Park, and continued driving towards Torrey.

Roadside Drone Launches

Since Utah Route 24 to Torrey passed through some scenic landscape, I made a few stops along the way and played with my drone. The first stop was at the junction of Goblin Valley Road and Temple Mountain Road, just 10 minutes from Goblin Valley State Park, where I looked at the majestic Temple Mountain on the horizon and decided, that’s it.

Temple Mountain

Temple Mountain

Fault

 
 
Landscape

The area surrounding Temple Mountain seemed to be a playground for ATVs, with many dirt roads surrounding it. Hiking-wise, there didn’t seem to be any established trail to the summit of Temple Mountain (it’s said to be a class 5 climb), so for me a drone tour seemed most appropriate.

After that, I went on my way.

 
Country Road

Fremont River

After the town of Hanksville, UT24 was running along Fremont River. So 5 minutes out of town, I stopped by the side of road and launched my drone for the scenery.

 
Fremont River

Buttes by Fremont River

That’s when I found in addition to bushes and trees and farmland supported by the river, there were also buttes and mesas in vivid color not far from the river and road.

Click here to display photos of the slideshow

Butte

Butte

Butte

Butte

Field

Field

Field

Field

Caineville

Finally, just as the sun was setting, I made one last stop in the town of Caineville, which was the last/only named town on Google Maps before Capitol Reef National Park. That being said, the town/village was nothing more than a few patches of farmland, with water from nearby Fremont River.

 
Field and Roads

Overlooking Caineville

Mesa
The top of which was called uncreatively as “Town Point”.

Town of Caineville
A small unincorporated farming community along Fremont River.

And finally, at 9:30pm, I checked into my hotel for the next two nights, ending a quite fulfilled day.

 
Hotel Room

Red Sands Hotel. It’s located on the eastern end of Torrey (closest to Capitol Reef). At 83 dollars per night after taxes, it turned out to be the most expensive night of my Utah trip. On the plus side, it did have a boutique feeling, with chrome decorations on walls and lavender-scented shampoo. Oh yes, it had an indoor pool with a view, which was definitely a plus.

Day 6 of 2020 Utah Trip, from Moab to Torrey by Huang's Site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.