Following the east of the 163 motorway and close the town of Kayenta, you will be driven to one of the most impressive large-scale landscapes of the US, comparable of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite Park… The Monument Valley, or Valley of the rocks as it is known in the Navajo language. If you decide to visit Monument valley this blog post will help you to organise your visit and highlight what to do and see.
General Information
The area is part of the Colorado Plateau, the height of which ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet from sea level. The red color of the landscape is due to iron oxide and the dark color of the rocks from manganese oxide. The Monument Valley is a large area, part of which is a park, known as the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, like the national parks of the USA, with the difference that it belongs to the nation of Navajo.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
The entrance to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is $10 per person or $20 oer car and you are not relieved of payment if you have the annual ticket of national parks. The operation hours of the park are 6 a.m.-8 a.m. in the summer months (May-September) while the rest are from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (October to April).
Your main activity in the park is to drive along the path (Valley Drive), a total length of 17 miles that crosses the valley and you can admire the amazing scenery. The road is earthen and in many places rocky for this reason is not suitable for cars that are low height. Many visitors choose to make the journey on their own, but there are also many organized tours that offer you a unique experience. We chose to take a guided tour and we did not regret it, you can read here our experience with Monument Valley Safari. If you choose to do the journey yourself, estimate 2-4 hours, depending on which points you stop. In summer you may find traffic, for this reason you could visit the park in the morning hours, where the photos are better, because of the colors.
During the journey you have to see many interesting points, with the goddess to the rocks vary depending on the angle you look at them. The valley was made known by the Westerns that were shot there. Some of the most interesting places along the route can be seen on the map that we prepared for you.
Where to stay in Monument Valley
The nearest big town in Monument Valley is Kayenta, 40 km away. There you can find various hotels at relatively good prices. At the nearest distances you can stay in hotels or motels that you will find in the Goulding ‘ s area near the airport of Monument Valley. Special experience, but relatively expensive is “the view hotel” at the entrance of the park, with amazing goddess in it. You can also find various campsites, with tents for rent, at relatively good prices, such as the one we found on Airbnb.
Other things to do near Monument Valley
If you want to go to Monument Valley you should not forget to go to some special attractions in the surrounding area. We distinguished the following:
- Goosenecks State Park
Also a park which does not belong to the National parks network of the USA, but is in the possession of the Navajo Nation. It is very small but worth a visit as it has an amazing view of the San Juan River and will remind you very much of Horshoe bend, but nut crowded. It is an amazing place for camping and to rest. The entrance to the park is $5 per car and is at a distance of 48 km and 35 minutes from the entrance of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
- Mexican hat
Mexican Hat is a special rock formation, which is worth admiring if you are in the area. You will find many places near the road where you can stop and enjoy the view.
- Forrest Gump Point
It is a spot with an amazing view of the Monument Valley and the endless road that crosses the plateau. Known point from the movie Forrest Gump, is an area where o lot of tourists stop to take pictures.
The Monument Valley is a unique experience that will remain indelible in our minds. We hope we help organising your trip!!!…enjoy!!!!.
