Absolutely stunning scenery and a true icon of the American West: Monument Valley is a must-see, but it's not without its quirks! The place gets extremely crowded, especially with tour buses (including a lot of Taurus-branded ones), which can make the visitor center feel hectic. Be prepared to pay a separate entrance fee since the park is on Navajo reservation land, and your National Parks pass won't work here. If you want to experience everything, you'll definitely need a 4x4 vehicle. The main loop is a rugged, unpaved dirt and gravel road, and there are some sketchy spots that really call for higher clearance and four-wheel drive. Regular cars can technically make it, but you'll be glad for the extra power and stability if you hit rough patches or deep sand. Inside the park, there are a few restaurants, but the food is just okay and pretty pricey. Still, the real draw is the landscape: jaw-dropping buttes and mesas that have starred in countless movies and photos. Every corner offers another incredible view, and there are endless opportunities for amazing pictures. Despite the crowds and rough roads, it's a five-star destination for anyone who loves dramatic scenery and film history! read more

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I was unable to check in. There was no internet at the time. We never get tired of visiting Monument Valley. The scenery is breathtaking with the monuments reaching for the sky. Most of the photos are taken at the Forrest Gump area. It is possibly the most visited area for photos. Visit if you're able. There are no facilities until you exit the park. Make sure you have water and the vehicle is gassed up. read more

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This red-sand desert region with massive sandstone buttes is absolutely gorgeous and serene. It's also fairly rural and remote, and there can be times when you are driving for an hour or more without any gas or other amenities, so plan your trip well. If you are coming out to visit for a longer stay, best bet may be to stay in Kayenta or the Oljato-Monument Valley area. I understand that the region is best known for being on the Navajo Nation and for having the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. This region may be known popularly because of Hollywood western, but this is a good reminder to remember where you are: The valley is considered to be sacred by the Navajo Nation (Diné) and the Diné people, and this is their home. When in the region, be attentive to local customs and laws, and leave no trace. I am still so fascinated by how the valley formed, apparently over hundreds of millions of years, eroded due to water and wind and carved out over time. Driving through the region, which is very sparse in terms of development, you can see for miles upon miles the stacks of sediment and horizontal strata. There are also numerous plateaus. Most popular are Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte. And there is a visitor's center where you can learn more and get some good photography. Apparently, there are also guided tours, including jeep tours, to get closer to the buttes. While here, it is highly recommended that you stop for some Navajo food -- especially fry bread and Navajo tacos. In addition to a number of restaurants, you will sometimes see shacks stood up along the roadway. read more

We loved Monument Valley. The monuments walls and formations are beautiful. But have a special love for dessert and rocks. The artist were wonderful informative and kind. There is a food stand at the John Wayne point that makes Navajo tacos. OMG SO GOOD. we had the carnitas verde I want to go back just for this ladies tacos. I wish I had gotten her name. Also you can have your picture taken on horse back for fun. The horse was general and the man loved where he was riding his horse with a big smile. The people and place are a must. Please respect the land this is there home. read more

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I love driving through Monument Valley. It is such an incredible place to visit and explore. Monument Valley is on Navajo tribal land and is known for its many reddish colored sandstone buttes. It is located on the Utah-Arizona state line near Four Corners. Monument Valley has served as the backdrop for many early western films directed by Director John Ford like "The Searchers" and "Stagecoach". Since then, many Hollywood movies have been filmed on location in Monument Valley like "Back to the Future III" and "Mission: Impossible 2". There are many great spots to take photos while visiting here. The most popular area is right before you enter into Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park next to The View Hotel. You can get a great overall view of the most famous of the sandstone buttes - West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte, and Merrick Butte. (they look like mittens) I recommend waiting till just before sunset for photos as the sun will really bring out the red color in the buttes. There is a fee to enter into the park. You also have to register your car to drive the 17 mile loop that includes many of the popular spots in Monument Valley like the John Ford's Point, Artist's Point, and the Three Sisters. Keep in mind that the loop is a dirt road and your car will get quite dirty. The two closest hotels for lodging are The View and Goulding's Lodge. Both have dining options and a gift shop that sells authentic Navajo jewelry and kachina dolls. They are within a few miles from each other. Goulding's Lodge is outside of the park and also has a museum and theater that shows John Ford movies. I have stayed at both and enjoyed my stay at both of them. If you don't want to pay to enter the park, there are many places in the surrounding area that you can take photos. One popular spot is the road that Tom Hanks' character suddenly finishes his marathon in the movie "Forrest Gump". I love the view in the background and it looks just like it did in the movie. Just be careful not to get hit by a car while standing in the middle of the road. Valley of the Gods is another area north of Mexican Hat that is fun to visit. read more

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What an excellent place to come and visit. I am at John Wayne enthusiast, and I had a good time visiting the place and looking at all the sites. The tribe does a good job at hosting people here. I had a good time here. read more

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Beautiful sunset and made me feel like I was in a movie. I was surprised it wasn't super crowded. read more

Monument Valley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

Thankful I had a chance to see a these amazing natural wonders, folks at gift shop were kind, and welcoming. read more

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Gorgeous rock formations, buttes and vista. Well worth a visit! We didn't pay for a tour, just drove ourselves. A tour would probably be even better. Look out for tourists in the road reenacting a scene from Forest Gump read more

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Monument Valley is absolutely incredible. This is a Navajo Tribal Park, meaning it's on Navajo land, tribal land, so there is a fee to enter and explore the park that's independent of any tour fees you may have. It's $20 for 1-4 people in one car and additional people will be $5 (not 100% sure if that's per person or just anything over 4, I'm guessing it's per person though). If you come during the day (between 8 am and 2 pm), you could drive around about 50% of the park by yourself on a self guided tour. Be careful though because the roads are all dirt roads and your car will be covered in a layer of red dust by the time you leave the park. We could easily tell just from the cars parked in the parking lot who had just come from the park and who hadn't gone yet. For my family and I, we booked a guided tour, which I would HIGHLY recommend if you're interested in learning about the meaning behind all the mesas, buttes, and spires you'll see throughout the park and especially if you're interested in learning about Navajo history and get a small glimpse into their way of life. If you're here just for the photos of the cool rock formations though, then I'd say you probably wouldn't enjoy the tour as much and would recommend that you just get here early enough (probably 12 pm at the latest because the park closes to self guided tours by 2 pm) to drive through the park yourself. I love learning about the meaning behind everything though, how Monument Valley even came to be, why each rock formation is named what they're named, how the Navajo people live in this area, etc., so the guided tour was very worth it to me. PLUS, on the Navajo-guided tours, they can bring you into the park after 2 pm, so you can do sunset tours with them and ALSO have full access to the park, which is 50% more than what is accessible on a self-guided tour. Part of the reason is because a lot of these roads go through land upon which Navajo currently reside, so they only want guided tours have access to these roads and the other reason is because a lot of these pathways are much more difficult to drive through and require the skills of those who are used to driving them day in and day out. All in all, Monument Valley is 100% worth a visit. We were coming from Page, and it is really close by from there and was definitely worth the 2 hour drive over. Monument Valley is located right on the border between Arizona and Utah, so if you're anywhere within that vicinity, stop by and check it out! You will not be disappointed! :) read more

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Monument Valley is definitely mother nature's gift to the world with its beautiful reds and browns sedimentary rock formation that occurred naturally by way of wind and water that have eroded over 50 billions of years ago. Monument Valley sits on Navajo Nation, which is located on the border of Utah and Arizona. You can enter Monument Valley from the Utah side and admission cost $5 per person. Please note that it is currently closed off to the public due to covid 19 (however there may be some private tours that may possibly still be operating that are willing to take tourists...). Please also note that this is not a national park (so if you do have the national park pass, it is not valid here). When this valley is open for the public, you are able to drive your own car here (~ 14 miles) on a dirt road (and yes your car will get quite dirty and so will your clothes so be sure to wear closed toed shoes and avoid wearing anything white or anything new). Along this road, you are able to see some of the must sees that include The Mittens, Three Sister, John Ford's Point, Totem Pole, Yei Bi Chai and Ear of the Wind. However a tour guide (for an additional fee) can take you to see more. I think when people see photos of Monument Valley, it may remind them of the American West since John Ford (the director) filmed several of his western films here (including Stagecoach that starred John Wayne). Definitely worth a visit to spend a day's worth exploring this park and getting all of your picture worth shots in. But be sure to bring a hat, plenty of water and wear sun block as it is all sun shining down on you during the day. read more

Monument Valley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

The sun does magic to the rock formations of Monument Valley but if I'm in the area when rain is expected, it's my preferred time to visit. Earth and sky seem to touch each other during storms and it's fascinating to watch the monoliths coyly hide in the drapery of brooding clouds. read more

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My friend and I paid for a tour ($100/person foe 2.5 hrs) of Monument Valley bc while you can drive in your own car or rented car along the unpaved roads, there are some parts that you cannot enter without a guide. The tour guide is pricey, but well worth it to 1) have someone else drive you in their company's car so you don't mess up your own, and 2) to see monuments you wouldn't be able to see if you were driving on your own and to also learn about Navajo life. The roads are unpaved because they want to preserve as much of the park as possible. I did see some 2 wheel drive passenger cars, but I can't imagine the fear and worry they felt because these roads are quite treacherous. There were pools of water (bc it just rained) and deep holes riddling the roads - nothing really suitable for any car so low to the ground. There are hiking trails if you to want to walk about - there's one that goes around one of the mittens. But honestly, the best views are from a bit of distance and height. The View Hotel has some really good views - apparently they shot Quantum of Solace there - if you go out onto the observation deck near the restaurant. If you stay there, you can wake up and go to sleep to the sunrise and sunset - the bits of gold and red light filtering in between the monuments. I enjoyed finally seeing what I had been seeing on movie or tv shows. For instance, we saw the cube where they shot Mission Impossible. If you get the chance, try and make it out here! read more

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Tucked away on the southwest border of Utah and northeast border of stunning, rust-red buttes that's visual glory is one of the Southwest's best-kept secrets. Or, maybe it isn't much of a secret, if you've ever seen a John Ford / John Wayne western. Nobody really knew what they were missing in Monument Valley until the 1930s, when Harry Goulding -- a local who lived amongst the Navajos (it's on Navajo land) went out to Hollywood. Goulding waited in John Ford's office until the director took a meeting and changed the course of filmmaking ... and the area. One of the first thing to know it's a one-horse town. That is, if horses were hotels, or restaurants, or tour guides. The Goulding estate owns a good chunk of primo land there, and if you want to stay, it'll be with them. The lodges are great, the food and the overall service is so-so, but whatever you think of either, your reaction will be tempered by the awesome red buttes that the lodges and restaurant are right up against. If staying at the lodge, I recommend sitting out on your patio at sunrise and sunset ... the view is amazing. You'll definitely want to do a jeep tour. They kick up a lot of the red sand, so don't wear white. There are several to choose from ... we went with Majestic, almost any one you choose will be great. Three Sisters, the North Window, John Ford Point, Artist's Point, Spearhead Mesa, Elephant Butte, Navajo Hogan, Totem Pole -- figure out what is on your must-see list, and make sure your tour goes by them. Most do! Be sure to see some of the classic movies that were filmed here before you go: most famously, John Ford's Stagecoach and The Searchers; as well as Easy Rider, Forrest Gump, The Eiger Sanction, and recently a few episodes of Doctor Who. There's also some cool movie history, "Captain Nathan Brittles' Cabin" also known as "John Wayne's Cabin" ... a set piece from She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, a movie Wayne and Ford made here in 1949. Right near the cabin it is the Earth Spirit Theater, where a Ford/Wayne movie (usually The Searchers or She Wore a Yellow Ribbon or Stagecoach) plays nightly at 8. It's an unforgettable place ... I hope you love it as much as I did! read more

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My parents and I visited this Navajo Tribal Park about two weeks ago during a week long bus tour throughout six states. This place has amazing views. You can choose to use your own vehicle or ride in a jeep. I would suggest riding in a jeep and having a real Navajo person do the driving as well as giving you a tour of their land. The tour guide that we had was very hilarious. He mentioned several times that a lot of movies have been shot in Monument Valley. I would also check out the gift shops as they have amazing and unique items that you can't find elsewhere. read more

Monument Valley - Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Visitor Center. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

Its was a stunning view... we did went around june it was hot what you expect. But it did end up a pretty exciting long ass trip... we all had fun in a summer hot weather read more

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Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park. We stopped here on the way from Moab, UT to Page, AZ. For a car of up to 4 people, it was $20 to enter. The main thing to do here is to take the 17 mile scenic drive. It takes around 1.5 hours with 11 designated stops at named butte and spire structures. The visitor center has some history info and a gift shop; gifts and trinkets are also sold by vendors at a lot of the stops along the way. You can also take various tours with guides. It's fun to see where many notable movie scenes have been shot, and I especially liked the view from Artist's Point. read more

Monument Valley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

This is an iconic spot to visit. The Navajo Nation has upgraded the park in the last couple of decades, making it easier to visit and navigate. It is now much more open to personal vehicles than it was earlier. You access the park via Hwy 163 (about 20 miles north of Kayenta, AZ). There is a turn off road that leads to the main parking lot for the park. Here, there is a visitors' center, a cafeteria, a gift shop, and a hotel. This is also a jumping off point to tour the park via your own vehicle (or to connect with a Navajo guide, who can take you to additional points in the park beyond the self-guided tour). We ended up staying for most of 2 hours doing the loop ourselves. We also spent time in the gift shop. We had previously taken a jeep/truck tour of the park, and it was very windy the day we went (kicking up almost a dust-storm within the park). The parking lot is large. The gift shop has an extensive array of items (jewelry, mugs, t-shirts, etc.). This area also has nice overlooks if you don't have time to venture further into the park, you can appreciate some of the classic views (the Mittens) here. The loop road took somewhere over an hour to complete. We stopped at several of the overlooks to take photos. My favorite is John Ford Point. There were good photo-ops at almost all the pull-offs and side roads, though. We only stopped here on our last day of travelling, when we had to drive the farthest. If we'd had more time, or known how we'd like some of the other sites we visited, we may have allocated more time for this one. On the way out (northbound), you can pull off after a few miles and get another iconic shot of the valley. There were a lot of people pulled up here when we passed, including some that almost laid down on the double yellow line for a photo, so slow down. You'll know the shot when you see it (possibly just in your rear view mirror). read more

Spectacular place! Views are simply breathtaking . Enjoyed every bit of this experience. Loved trying Navajo tacos and fried bread at the stand located at the "airport lookout". Enjoyed chatting with the local woman who lives in the valley. A must see! read more

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YOU MUST VISIT!!! You will enjoy the greatness of Nature and Time. Here are a few tips! If you drive from Kayenta stop by the Burger King. Check out the Navajo WW2 Display. Spring and Fall are the best time to visit. Lots of buses and tourists in high season. Take as much gas, water and food to go so you can spend all day inside the valley. Bring a selfie stick!!! A few miles before the main entrance visit the welcome center. Clean restrooms and great history about the valley. Its free. On the side of the road take a picture at the utah border sign. There is a Navajo lady in a white van willing to take your picture. She sells local jewelry for 75% off less than any store. Take advantage of the good deals. When you get inside skip the hotel for the end. Just drive to the park. DO NOT TAKE a TOUR. You will be covered by dust and dirt. The tour buses do not have windows so you will swallow all the dirt from the other cars. You will have to keep their pace. While inside the monument we had great cell. phone service so you can youtube all about monument valley. We view the guided tours and listened inside our car. Hollywood movie scenes and history. Lots of options to choose from. Great information. If you hire a guide is up to you. Follow the loop. It took us about 6 hours. We took our time. Stopped at every sight. There is a small store and jewelry shops inside the park just in case. No restrooms!!! Maybe a portable. At the end we visited the hotel. Now is time to use restrooms and visit the gift shop. The restaurant was closed. The menu seems ok. Get a beer/wine snacks from the gift shop....sit outside patio/ observation deck and enjoy the views....Sunset colors are incredible. After you are done You can either stay in Kayenta, drive east to Ute Mountain or drive west to Page for Antelope canyon. It all depends. I will recommend to stay close. I will not recommend to drive at night. You will find animals crossing the road, hitchhikers, the roads are very narrow, very dark. Google maps usually in this Area will send you thru dirt roads. Be careful read more

AMAZING. Save a couple hours to tour it by car. Dirt roads and bumpy so beware, but lots of picture opportunities. At some stops they sold jewelry and other souvenirs. You can tour it by horse or even go on a guided tour group on an open air jeep. It was nice having the car to escape the heat with our air conditioning though. Only down side are porta-potties are few and far between and very stinky... So make sure you go before hand! One thing we enjoyed is there is a pic opportunity near Three Sisters where you can pay $5 to get a pic on a horse with a nice view in the background. Worth the money if you have kids! read more

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We stopped in the middle of this fantastic road to make some pictures. Unfortunately I am a really small mouse and you can't understand the scale of this monuments. But you have to believe me that it is fantastic spot. Color is amazing. We arrived there when sunshine was coming so I enjoyed the view as much as I can. Mouse like this place! read more

Monument Valley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

Beautiful drive through the valley during the afternoon. We stopped at several points to take photos and booked a sunset tour with Navajo Spirit Tours to take us into the park for a few hours. It was a beautiful place for sunset and enjoyable for an afternoon trip. read more

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This is a majestic place on sovereign, sacred American Indian land. It's beautiful and tranquil. It's a must see for anyone!

Listed as the 8th Wonder of the World. One of my favorite places in the world along with Antelope Canyons. SUGGESTED MAIN POINTS: -2 days -GO on a tour AMAZING place. I woke up at 6am to take the scenery in near the new The View Hotel. I feel so insignificant, but in the best way possible when I look at the monuments. The roads have TONS and TONS of pot holes and dips so I highly recommend going on a Navajo guided tour. My boyfriend and I didn't take the Goulding's tour even though we stayed and camped there, but it was so much fun to drive around the valley and see ALL that couldn't be seen from the main hwy road. My favorite was The Hogan spot, the Mittens, the Butte, and Totem. Our guide busted out his flute and played us a tune. His name was Aaron Farland. Nice guy but drove super fast and we were literally falling out of our seats :P Check out the gift shops. Great culture and great people and great place. read more

A must visit. Drove from Flagstaff and crossed the border into Utah :-) Spectacular scenery and the best was the "postcard" picture moment at Artist's Point. Just did the self-drive tour so that we could stop at other open areas besides the points of interest. Stop by the Trading Post to pick up some gifts. They had a very nice selection of jewelry (but I probably would check out the Wikieup Trading Post first.) read more

Monument Valley - Artist's Point - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

When I told my friends that I was going to visit Monument Valley, they didn't know what it was. I had to explain to them that it was where Forrest Gump stopped running, and then they understood. Despite the fact that many movies, commercials, etc... have been shot in Monument Valley, the location is very real - from the hundreds of miles on a two-lane road (literally) driven to get here, to the vistas of massive buttes rising high above the valley floor. It is all very real. This is truly an awesome and AMAZING place. The sights and vistas here represent some of the finest landscape images of the rugged West, which have been deeply engrained in the American psyche for years. Say "American West," and most likely, some images from Monument Valley come up. The location is on the Navajo Indian Reservation, and like the reviewer said before me, the Navajo people are generally poor. Tourism makes up the majority of the Navajo economy. Yes, the Grand Canyon is more famous, but it isn't necessarily better! Monument Valley is very rugged, so be prepared for it. There is a fine red dust that permeates everything, and it will eventually get on your clothes and personal belongings. I stayed at the brand new View Hotel, and I have to say that it is one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever stayed in (see separate review). Upon paying the $5 admission fee to the Navajo tribe (fee allows one day of visitation), most people drive the 17 mile loop road, which is really rough for the first mile or so. You can get away with the 17 miles in a regular sedan style vehicle, but I recommend a vehicle that is high off the ground, like an SUV. Four-wheel drive is not required on the loop road, but it helps. DO NOT bring your sports car here - leave it at home! Despite the uneven and unpaved road, the loop road is scenic, enjoyable, and easily done. Go for it! BUT, if you want to dive deeper into Monument Valley, you have to invest in a guide. Most of the interesting parts of MV (ancient ruins, petroglyphs, beautiful arches, etc...) are restricted to the general public, and you need a Navajo guide to access them. I came here to do only photography, so I charted Tom Phillips, who is well known, very knowledgeable, and has worked with many of the finest photographers around. Taking a tour with Tom Phillips has been one of the highlights of my life, as he made MV come to life through his stories and personality. While Tom works with photographers, and is typically well-booked, there are many guides available at the Visitor Center booth. Please be sure to tip your guide well. A couple of other tips/hints: 1. Don't forget to visit Mile Marker 13. Drive north on US 163, 13 miles from the Monument Valley turnoff. When you get to mile 13 (look at the mile markers), stop your car on the side of the road, and look behind you. You'll be looking at one of the most famous images of the American West. This is the famous road shot, with the two lane road dipping downward, then up again, and leading straight to Monument Valley in the background. 2. The best place to catch the sunrise in the morning is in the area near the hotel and visitor center. 3. Near the visitor center and hotel (and a current construction site), are two rather large boulders which stick out like bumps. This is the site where Ansel Adams photographed his famous image of Monument Valley, with the three buttes in the background. 4. Try to get your guide to take you to Mystery Valley, where a lot of the ruins and petroglyphs can be found. 5. The View Hotel, which opened in Dec. 2008, is the place to stay here (forget Goulding's). Every room has a view of the valley, with the buttes. The hotel is very clean, modern, and the staff very friendly. As a sign of the significance of this place, I met a lot of foreign tourists during my visit, who had no problem driving the hundreds of miles used to get to this very remote location. Monument Valley is very well worth the trek out here. read more

This is a gem of a place. A must see. Come and travel into the Valley and take a further look into amazing views within the valley. You can hike around the "mitten". Nothing about this place will disappoint. read more

Monument Valley - You'll never get tired of this view. Such an amazing drive towards Monument Valley. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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OMG there is nothing like this in the world! I've seen a lot of beautiful sites and this is certainly one of them at the top of my list! You happen upon this place while driving in Utah. We were driving south to the Grand Canyon. I thought it would be a great idea to drive through this park. I would put it right up there with the Grand Canyon. The rock formations are amazing and to think that these are all natural blows your mind. There are lots of red rocks in view. They have the Mexican hat rock which is really cool and many stops along the way where you want to say "I want my picture there!" And then other spots where we just take the pictures in awe. I am still in awe at the marvel of this place. I will definitely come back to visit because it was fabulous! Just a little tip: stay at the Desert Rose Inn in Bluff Utah which is not far away. read more

For those of you who come here first, please know that the official name of Monument Valley is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. It has its own listing in Yelp*, and it carries more reviews than this location. If you are going to MV, check out the MVNTP first. Happy exploring! read more

Went in July 2011. Costs $5 per person to drive up to the visitor center. There is a hotel, restaurant, restrooms, and large gift shop. The "mittens" are really not too far from the visitor center, so much so that my little point and shoot camera could not get the cluster of 3 monuments in one shot. I estimated the closest mitten is about a mile from the visitor center observation areas. The center was very clean, modern, and well maintained. I saw tiny elevators for wheel chair bound folks. The terrain around is not flat. So you park in the paved lot and walk up to the center, or you can pay to drive on the extremely dusty dirt road, or pay to ride in a pickup truck and see the canyon. There are parts of the valley you cannot see from the visitor center or hotel. These areas are covered on the dirt road. You can tell which cars took the trip because they come out covered in red dirt. This has got to be bad for your engine. So the visitor center sits on a bluff overlooking the mittens and the valley. It is nearly impossible to see the mittens without paying for the view due to the terrain. We drove north into Utah and the view of the mittens was still blocked by the terrain. It's about a three hour drive from Flagstaff by taking hwy 89 to 160 to 163. There is little between Flag and MV except 3 small towns with gas stations and fast food places. The terrain between the two is "other worldly". The area around the intersection of hwy 163 and Monument Valley Rd is cluttered with ugly billboards and indian jewelry shacks and stores - very touristy and nasty looking. I found marginal cell coverage and no 3G service in the area. And there were places between Flagstaff and Kayenta where there was no cell coverage at all. The valley is part of the navajo reservation. The area is covered with shacks and rotted mobile homes. Keep in mind that the laws/rights you are accustomed to in the USA may not apply in the reservation, so behave accordingly. read more

"Nature is God's gift to us". Or at least that's how I remember that Hallmark ditty. Actually, Monument Valley is truly truly beautiful. Even though the Grand Canyon is more famous, it ain't necessarily better. Monument Valley has the great mesas and rock formations that is commonly associated with Arizona. Be-yoo-ti-full landscapes and vistas! But it is hotter than hades in the summer, so plan your trip carefully......and because it is still part of the Navajo reservation, remember that there are still Navajo people who live in the Valley, many without modern conveniences and in the hillside caverns, and are poorer than you could even imagine. Oh, and when I was there in the mother-f****** heat (had to be about a bazillion degrees) we found two puppies that had been dumped in the middle of the g**damn desert, without food, drink or shade. No surprise to my brother or his friend who were playing tour-guide....they say it happens all the time. So when you donate money to Native American groups (because they really do need help) please make another donation to a dog rescue in these desert areas. They are the ones who end up saving the ones that survive. Last note: Kayenta has two things that have "upped" its status. There is an awesome display on the Navajo windtalkers at the Burger King (it is the only one in town, so you can't miss it) and there is now a Holiday Inn Express hotel to stay at. If it is full, you might have to stay at the Anasazi Motel (paint by numbers clown pictures in every room)...I only remember that name because 1) we had to stay there one night and 2) it was the same name as a very creepy X-files episode. read more

This place needs no description, being well known to us through photographs and motion pictures. Note: Kayenta (where Yelp has this placemarked) is a good 25 miles from Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. As others have mentioned, normal vehicles are allowed on the 17-mile scenic loop drive. But, I wouldn't recommend it. I gave up in my little sedan under a mile in. I've taken it on gravel roads before; but, this would've required an extraordinary amount attention to space between the road and my car bottom, and would've surely extended my drive to over 2 hours. Unless you've got a 4x4 or at least a truck/SUV with high clearance, I suggest thiring a tour. Quick tip: If you want to recreate the famous Ansel Adams image of the 3 buttes, I believe the 2 boulders are now gone; that spot is now a balcony at the back of the gift shop, adjacent to the restaurant. read more

Made it here right before sunset and it was gorgeous. We didn't drive through Monument Valley, just hung around the visitor center to watch the sun set in front of the "Three Mittens." And boy, was it AMAZING. read more

Monument Valley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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I can recommend to book a guided tour. So you have the Chance to see what not everybody is aloud to see. read more

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Horrible experience, good paved road up to gate to pay to go in, then you see a gravel road they say a regular car can do. Not true, big holes in road, sides have step drop off, a car in front of us slide off, they pulled it out with wench tore up bottom of car. We didn't even go half mile, turned around and left. They have Jeep tours but so dusty road so bumpy didn't look like. Anything I would want to do. read more

Second time here and the views are so good! We have an off road vehicle so driving the loop was a piece of cake. We took our time, stopped when we wanted pics and headed out after visiting the gift shop. Lots of picture takers along the entrance roads including one naked one, so exercise caution while driving. We did see a lot of cars I wouldn't take on the loop but to each their own. read more

First of all: if you are going there by car (your own or a rental), see the IMPORTANT HINT that I mention a few paragraphs below. So-- on to the review. I'll agree that this place is AMAZING and worth the trek out there. If you're looking for places to stay, try Kayenta (10 minutes away) or Gouldings, UT (five minutes away, with one hotel that is a bit more expensive than the ones in Kayenta.) The Anasazi Motel (that the other reviewer mentions) is about 15 to 20 minutes away, slightly west of Kayenta, and is situated on another beautiful canyon, the road of which looks like another interesting road detour for a few hours that we sadly didn't make. The road in Monument Valley (the valley itself) is a dirt road that is 17 miles long, it's doable in a regular car but I don't recommend it-- there were some parts of it that I at least wouldn't have wanted to take my sports car on. However, I saw a bunch of rental vans and rental cars tackling it without a problem. It's totally doable in an SUV. It all depends on how much you care about your supension: I care about mine, I don't care about Hertz or Enterprise's. Suggestion: get a jeep tour. There will be people staked out in a booth in the parking lot ready to take you on one, but to be safe you can arrange one ahead of time via phone or internet. You can do it a few ways; the hotel in Gouldings offers tours, but I think you have more people on your tour. They seemed to take people on a rickety truck with bench seats type of situation. The company we used was called Black's (www.blacksmonumentvalleytours.com), a 2.5 hour sunset tour was $60 per person and well worth it. It was me, my friend, and our guide, in a jeep all to ourselves, so we could stop when we wanted and where we wanted. Our guide was friendly and we tipped him well. (If you like your tour, you should too... the local Navajos often have limited options for income, and tips are a crucial part of it.) We really liked Black's and would use them again-- they take credit card reservations through their website. IMPORTANT HINT FOR VISITING: --The visitor's center does a weird thing: there are two road gates-- one to get to the visitor's center, and the other to get down the dirt road into the canyon-- and they will CLOSE AND LOCK THE GATES BEFORE EVERYBODY IS OUT. You very well might find yourself seemingly stuck there for the night with no escape. So if you're going to be there around closing time or sunset, find the escape routes first, because they ARE there-- just hidden. The escape route to get out of the canyon: when you hit the locked gate, back up about 50 feet and go down the other dirt road to your right-- the one that you probably didn't notice. It will get you out to the main paved road just uphill from the kiosk where you paid your entry fee. If you are stuck in the parking lot, then the escape route is via the "employee parking" lot. It's still not obvious, so get out and walk it but then you'll see how to get out. CAMPING: There are two camping areas. Both are first-come, first-serve, but neither were crowded, even on a labor day weekend. The "main" one is near the employee parking, just south (i.e., to the right) of the Visitor Center. We didn't see or go to this one, but it supposedly has bathrooms and showers. I'm not sure if there's a fee. We camped at the other one, which is a big flat area north (to the left) of the Visitor's Center, located at the top of the dirt road going into the canyon. There is no fee... or at least, we didn't pay one, and nobody came to collect it, and there wasn't any obvious place to deposit it. We camped literally on the edge of the canyon and saw the most amazing sunrise... find the local sunrise time on the small board in the museum (near the stamp pad) and set your watch alarm, so that you don't miss the sunrise like the poor sap next to us, who ought to have killed his buddy for not waking him up to see it. Again, there didn't seem to be a fee to use this second campsite. There were porta-potties but no showers. So if you find that the other side charges a fee and you are feeling cheap, then try this secondary camping area. The museum inside the Visitor's Center is a bit dated, but okay... the best part of it is the display on the Navajo Code Talkers. We didn't get to the Code Talker museum in the Kayenta Burger King (really) to compare, but the one here was interesting. They have an inkpad stamp that you can stamp your National Park passport with... it's not a National Park per se, but it's kind of the same idea, so it's fun to stamp your passport with a stamp signifying a visit to a very unique (and rather out-of-the-way) place. read more

We visited Monument Valley during a 5 day motorcycle tour of Southern Utah. This place is very spiritual and serene. The landscape is spectacular and scattered with massive buttes of various shapes and sizes. The The two primary resorts are The View Hotel (with best views of course) and Gouldings Resort, where we spent two nights. You can drive your own vehicle into the valley after paying a $5 entrance fee, but I don't recommend it (unless it's a four wheel drive or rental car). The dirt roads are extremely rough, scattered with huge rocks and massive pot holes. For that reason, we paid for a guided tour by Gouldings Resort. We took the "Sunrise Tour" which I highly recommend. That way you'll get to see the valley in the best light (especially good for photography) and before the huge dust clouds that result from all the tourist traffic. read more

Jeep tour was great. Our guy was great. Bring sunglasses, sun protection (hat), and maybe a mask to protect against dust. Canyon is awesome.