So if you want to do a horseback riding tour at Monument Valley without wasting time, I would recommend booking it in advance! Even in the low season, it was difficult to get a hold of anyone here. When we passed, most of the horses were away on a tour (we saw people riding in the distance) and there was nobody to inquire about the next one. You can take horseback riding tours here. Good to know: Just before the parking area, on your left, you will see horse stables. The rocks are quite far in the distance and you are not allowed to leave the designated area, but the landscape is amazing and worth a quick photo stop! One of them stands a bit apart from the others and is named Totem Pole. From here, you can see the rock formations. Just a short drive further, there is another parking area on your right. It’s not to be missed! (See also the featured image at the very top of this article).Īlso, take some time to look around at the souvenir store, and be sure to use the bathrooms before you start the scenic drive of the valley. TIP: Before you even start the drive, be sure to stop at the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center! One of the best views of the breathtaking Monument Valley scenery can be enjoyed from the outdoor terrace right at the entrance of the gift shop. At the end of this article, you can also find all kinds of helpful information and tips for your visit. In this article, we share all the best places to see on the Monument Valley Scenic Drive, together with pictures of each site.

Some of them are very easy to identify, some others leave you guessing what you are looking at… But in reality, there are a few other landmarks that are indicated by signs next to the road, and so our list includes them too (a total of 15). There are 11 main places to see indicated on the official map of this valley drive. This is a loop drive and a big part of it is a one-way road. A self-guided scenic drive leads to overlooks of the park's famous formations, while further exploration is offered via guided tour.Good to know: The Monument Valley Scenic Drive is a 15-mile (27 km) dirt road that brings you to some of the nicest places in the heart of Monument Valley. Both the park headquarters and visitor center offer information on the area and exhibit Navajo archaeology, arts and crafts. This iconic symbol of the American West is internationally recognizable, having appeared in countless movies. Of that 17 million acres, more than 91,000 acres are set aside as Monument Valley Tribal Park - a space larger than Arches National Park. Here's another way to look at it: Monument Valley is like a national park, but it falls within the jurisdiction of the Navajo Nation's 27,425-square-mile (71,000 square kilometers) territory in the Four Corners region of the United States. The same hospitality we offer to you, and we hope that you have a safe and pleasant visit to our land.” They are offered shelter, warmth and nourishment so they can continue on with their journey. Whenever visitors come they are always treated as honored guests. The Navajo Parks and Recreation Department, which manages the park, shares this message with visitors: “The Navajo people have a custom that has endured. Guided tours of the park are available by vehicle and by horseback. The visitor center offers museums, souvenirs, restrooms, a restaurant, a lodge, and much more. The formations in Monument Valley have achieved some Hollywood fame as the backdrop of many movies and television shows, beginning with several John Wayne films including Stagecoach in 1939. The spires, buttes, and other formations are still slowly chipping away but will be around long after we are gone. The basin lifted up and became a plateau then the natural forces of water and wind slowly removed the softer materials and exposed what we see before us today. For millions of years, layers upon layers of sediments settled and cemented in the basin. How did these incredible sandstone towers form? Like Arches and Canyonlands national parks to the north, Monument Valley showcases eons of nature's erosive power, yet has distinctive formations unlike anywhere else in the world. Set aside by the Navajo Tribal Council in 1958, the park covers almost 92,000 acres in northern Arizona and southern Utah and lies within the Navajo Nation reservation. Combined with the surrounding mesas, buttes, and desert environment, it truly is one of the natural wonders of the world. The valley is host to towering sandstone rock formations that have been sculpted over time and soar 400 to 1,000 feet above the valley floor. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, known by the Navajo as Tse’Bii’Ndzisgaii, is said to be one of the most photographed places on earth.

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