- The Bureau of Land Management approved a 17-mile power line to Goblin Valley State Park.
- The project aims to enhance park infrastructure and provide reliable electrical service.
- Emery Telcom will add fiber-optic cables; installation dates remain unspecified.
GREEN RIVER, Emery County — Despite its remoteness and position off the electrical grid, Goblin Valley remains one of Utah's busiest state parks.
It's now poised for new upgrades and possibilities after the Bureau of Land Management approved a 15-kilovolt distribution line that it says will deliver electrical service to Goblin Valley State Park.
"We're happy to see the transmission line approved for Goblin Valley State Park. Its otherworldly terrain is in a very remote location, and this distribution line will deliver reliable electrical service to the park," said Ally O'Rullian, a spokesman for the Utah Division of State Parks.
The bureau's decision, handed down on Friday, allows the Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management to construct a series of wooden power poles along a route that extends mostly alongside state Route 24. Power lines can begin north of Hanksville Airport, continuing on along the highway for 11 miles before twisting east alongside Molly's Castle Road for about 6 miles, before reaching the park, according to the bureau.
Poles can rise about 30 feet above the ground, with an average of 300 feet between poles. Emery Telcom plans to install telecommunications fiber-optic cables that will run alongside the power lines, boosting bandwidth and providing high-speed internet to support park operations, officials added.
The decision was made after an environmental assessment determined the project would have no significant impact on the area.
Over 480,000 people visited Goblin Valley last year, making it the 10th-most-visited park within the Utah Division of State Parks portfolio. That was a slight decline from 2024, when a little more than 500,000 visited the park.
Federal officials acknowledged that the park's regularly high visitation and campground expansion have "exceeded the capabilities of existing generator-based power."
It's unclear when the lines will be installed or when power will reach Goblin Valley, but Drew Sprafke, the park's manager, told KSL that adding power will help officials upgrade aging infrastructure and help staff better serve visitors.
"We are excited about future opportunities this allows for camping improvements, and we are thankful to the (bureau) for their diligence throughout this planning process," he said.
