Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
4.7(5.7K)google
4.4(207)yelp
Geology
Overview
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, straddling the border of Utah and Arizona, is one of the most iconic and photographed landscapes of the American West. Famous for its towering red sandstone buttes, mesas, and spires, this sacred Navajo land has served as the majestic backdrop for countless Hollywood Westerns and sci-fi films. The park offers visitors a unique blend of geological wonders and rich Native American heritage. Travelers can explore the famous 17-mile scenic drive or take a guided tour with a Navajo local to access restricted areas and experience the true heart of this desert masterpiece.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration3-6 hours
Best TimeSpring and autumn are most perfect. It's highly recommended to book The View Hotel, the only hotel in the park, where you can enjoy a gorgeous sunrise from your room's balcony all to yourself; the morning's golden light renders the red monoliths extremely sacred
Getting ThereLocated on US-163 at the Arizona-Utah border. Turn from US-163 onto the site's only entrance road. Because it's in a remote desert, be sure to fill up on gas in the larger towns along the way before driving
Travel Tips
- This is the spiritual icon of the American Western, made up of countless grand red-sandstone buttes and mesas
- This is not a U.S. federal national park but is independently governed by the Navajo Native Americans; the National Park annual pass cannot be used here
- The most classic way to tour the park is to self-drive the 17-mile dirt loop (Valley Drive); this stretch is rough, rock-strewn, and dusty, so it's highly recommended to drive a high-clearance 4WD SUV
Photo Tips
Photo Spots
- The park's three iconic buttes (West Mitten, East Mitten, Merrick Butte) can be seen in full from the overlook behind the visitor center, which is also the iconic filming location for countless classic films and Forrest Gump
Reviews
Positive
- This is the purest American cowboy Western world in my mind! Standing at the overlook looking down, those giant monoliths rising from the ground are extremely stunning. The changing colors of the red sandstone at sunset are unforgettable for life
- We joined a local Native American guide's off-road tour; they took us into restricted areas that ordinary self-drive cars can't enter and played the Native American flute for us in a rock cave—an extremely stunning and unique experience
Heads up
- The road conditions on that 17-mile Valley Drive are really terrible, with deep pits and sand everywhere; low-clearance sedans often scrape their undercarriage in there, and the bumps nearly rattle your bones apart