Little Egypt, Little Egypt Geological Site, hoodoos, Utah

The Little Egypt Geological Area, Utah: A Miniature Goblin Valley

Updated January 2024, The Little Egypt Geological Area, Utah: A Miniature Goblin Valley was originally published in October 2023

Sat just 35 miles to the south of the more popular Goblin Valley, you’ll find a miniature version of its hoodoos at the Little Egypt Geologic Site and without the crowds (more than likely you’ll be there completely alone).

While Little Egypt isn’t quite as impressive as its bigger sibling Goblin Valley, it makes a nice quiet detour from the star-studded road trip along Utah Highway 40.

Comprised of entrada sandstone, the hoodoos here at Little Egypt sit in a geologic transition zone between desert and alpine at the base of the Henry Mountains.

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The Geology of Little Egypt

Little Egypt gained its name from the hoodoo stacks that dot this area’s likeness to the spire-like features of Egypt’s ancient temples.

These unique hoodoo formations are created by wind and water erosion over hundreds and thousands of years.

Fractures within the entrada sandstone that comprises these hoodoos create points of weakness giving the stacks areas to form sharper edges where the sandstone erodes more quickly producing their round knob-ish appearance.

The entrada sandstone gets its red-orange hue from the levels of iron oxide (hematite) present.

One interesting feature here at Little Egypt is bands of white that can be seen in the rock.

These bands of white were formed groundwater that would have run through and removed the hematite from the entrada, thus bleaching out the stone before it was eroded.

How to Get to the Little Egypt Geological Area

From the town of Hanksville (the core of the town sits right where Highway 24 and Highway 95 meet), head south along Highway 95.

At N Turkey Knob Road about 20 miles beyond Hanksville, turn west. From here the remainder of the drive is on dirt road.

Continue on Turkey Knob Road for about 700 feet or so before the road T’s off. Head south from here and follow it for about 1.5 miles until you reach Little Egypt (38.0794304, -110.6273709).

You will easily spot the Hoodoos right off the road and there is a BLM sign marking Little Egypt.