Monument Valley

Previous: Black Canyon of Gunnison/Mesa Verde                    Next: Bryce Canyon

April 12

Monument Valley

With our changing plans due to the abbreviated visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison we figured on hitting Monument Valley in Navajo Nation Utah on the way to Bryce Canyon National Park.  There is one hotel at Monument Valley, The View Hotel owned and operated by the Navajo.  The day before, I was unable to make an online reservation for this night as it was booked, both via Expedia and the hotel’s website. Staying here would be so convenient for us considering our driving times so I called the hotel to ask for a room. After about a minute on hold the desk person came back to tell me there was a room available…score!

Off to Monument Valley, on the Arizona/Utah border, about 2.5 hours from Cortez.  This was another ride with gorgeous, big sky, vast scenery.

Between Dennehotso and Kayenta, Arizona, on Rt. 160 along Navaho land were some very unusual red rock formations.

We took a short detour to hit Four Corners Monument. This monument marks the point where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It is the only location in the United States where four states intersect at a single point. It is also on Navajo land and so run by the Navajo Nation. This was a fun and interesting stop, with lots of Navaho arts and crafts tables to navigate. Considering the size and quality, and obvious good care of the monument, it is surprising that visitors can access only unkempt port-a-johns for relief. Oh well, Em said she didn’t have to go anyway.

As we got closer to Monument Valley we were treated to some beautiful previews. The inspiring highway approach was made famous in the movie Forrest Gump, and scenery looks just like it does in all those John Wayne westerns.

Monument Valley Scenic Drive

We got to Monument Valley at 1:30 p.m.

There were five cars ahead of us at the entry gate. Check-in at The View hotel isn’t until 4:00 p.m. so once through the entry gate we headed straight for the 17-mile scenic drive through the valley. The scenic drive start is walking distance from the hotel.

There are really only two things one can do here without hiring a guide or going on a tour.  One is a hike called the Wildcat Trail, and the other is the scenic drive through Monument Valley. We figured to do the drive first, and then hike after we check in to the hotel so we could dress for the hike and shower after at our room. It was a beautiful blue-sky day, and about 65 degrees…perfect.

The dirt road scenic drive through the valley is advertised as a little rough but doable with most cars.  Umm…NO! It’s VERY rough with large divots, lots of bumps, and sand to get stuck in. The worst is at the very beginning. We suspect they keep it that bad at the beginning to entice people to turn back and get on one of the many tours available. We figured our Jeep Cherokee 4×4 would be fine, but there were some pretty rough spots…wishing we had a rental!

The scenic drive is truly fantastic.  It’s like stepping into a western movie set all along. Like most scenic drives there are several turnouts to park and see the more notable rock formations. Each of these also feature Navaho artisans selling their ware.

The first pull off is for a look at the famous “Mittens” monuments.  Not sure why they call them mittens, though.

Next stop: Three Sisters

The highlight, and most popular stop is John Ford Point. This is where director John Ford set up his camera for the classic background in several of his movies. We even had the opportunity to pay to have a photo of us sitting on a horse to mimic an iconic shot in one of his films. We did not do the horse thing but John Ford Point is not overrated.

We also came across some sheep being herded by a dog at one of the stops on the scenic drive.  Remember, this is Navaho tribal land not a National Monument or Park.

The View Hotel

The whole 17-mile drive features epic scenery and is worth the detour and price of admission all on its own. It took us a little over two hours to complete the drive. Perfect timing to check in to The View Hotel.

Check in was easy and accommodating considering it was 15 minutes early. We are glad we checked in a little early as the line for 4:00 check in at this only hotel at Monument Valley got long quickly.

After getting into our room we could see why it’s called The View Hotel. Even on the first floor, where we were the view from our private porch overlooked the valley and two of the most prominent monuments, the Mittens. The hotel is actually very nice and well run, but there is no alcohol available per Navajo regulations.

Wildcat Trail

We changed into our hiking clothes and embarked on the 3-mile Wildcat Trail loop with the trailhead adjacent to the hotel and start of the scenic drive. This is the only hike that can be done without a guide at Monument Valley, fortunately it’s very good.

This great desert hike took us between the Mittens and Merrick Rock. We circled the left Mitten as the trail looped around it, back towards the hotel. We got some great up close views of these colossal monuments. We are glad we did this before summer heat kicked in though…it is true desert with little shade. This hike provides the opportunity to walk amongst the ghosts of Western films past.  It took us two hours to complete…a great way to end the day.

Off to a way overpriced average dinner at the hotel restaurant. Then we watched sunset from the hotel, which was just ok as it doesn’t set over the valley from this direction. We went to bed with greater anticipation for the morning’s sunrise over the monuments from our porch.

April 13

We set our alarm for 20 minutes before sunrise in order catch it over Monument Valley from our balcony. We caught it, but it rose directly behind the left Mitten monument down in the valley. So, we enjoyed seeing the sunrise shining on the other red rocks all around us, and a gorgeous sky, but we didn’t actually see the sun rise. Still beautiful to see it pop out from over the Mitten.

Then back to bed until 9:00 a.m. We had a nice breakfast (included) on the porch outside the restaurant with gorgeous valley vistas.

We both enjoyed a shower at the hotel before checking out since we would be camping for the next five nights.

Off to Bryce Canyon National Park about 4 hours away.  The drive again provided awesome southwest scenery.

Next: Bryce Canyon