Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Sheer-walled mesas, buttes, and pinnacles stand majestically in this otherworldly landscape. Changing colors and shifting shadows across the rock faces and rippled sand dunes add to the feeling of enchantment. Agathla Peak and some lesser summits, roots of ancient volcanoes, rise in the southern part of the valley; their dark rock contrasts with the pale yellow sandstone monuments. The desert valley lies at an elevation of 5,564 feet and receives an annual precipitation of only 8.5 inches.

In 1863–1864, when Kit Carson was ravaging Canyon de Chelly and rounding up Navajo, Chief Hoskinini led his people to the safety and freedom of Monument Valley. Merrick Butte and Mitchell Mesa commemorate two miners who discovered rich silver deposits on their first trip to the valley in 1880. When they returned, both men reportedly met their deaths at the hands of Paiutes. Hollywood movies made the splendor of Monument Valley known to the outside world. Stagecoach, filmed here by John Ford in 1938, began a long series of movies, television shows, and commercials shot in the valley that continues to this day. Warriors from John Wayne (in numerous westerns) to Susan Sarandon (in Thelma & Louise) have ridden across these sands.

Visitors Center

Perched on the rim of the heart of Monument Valley, the visitors center (435/727-5872, www.navajonationparks.org) provides an information desk, exhibits, restaurant, gift shop, and booths where you can sign up for tours; it’s open 6 a.m.–8 p.m. daily in summer and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily the rest of the year; closed Thanksgiving Day afternoon and Christmas.

Visitors pay a $5/person fee (free ages 9 and under) to enter the tribal park. Staff can issue permits for hiking and camping in the Rainbow Bridge and San Juan River areas. From Kayenta, head north 24 miles on U.S. Highway 163 to just past the Utah border, then turn right 3.7 miles. Navajo sell crafts and food from little shops near the highway turnoff.

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Monument Valley Drive

This 17-mile, self-guided scenic drive begins at the visitors center and loops through the middle of the valley. Overlooks along the way provide sweeping vistas. The dirt road is normally OK if you drive cautiously, but don’t attempt it with RVs over 27 feet or extremely low-clearance vehicles. Avoid stopping and becoming stuck in the loose sand that sometimes blows across the road. Allow 1.5 hours for the drive. No hiking or driving is permitted off the marked route. Only the visitors center and campground have water, so you’ll probably want to bring some along. Entry to the drive closes half an hour before the visitors center does, and you must be out before dark.

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Wildcat Trail

You can get a good feel for Monument Valley on this 3.2-mile loop around the West Mitten. It’s the only hike in the park that you can do without a guide. The trail—foot travel only—begins from the picnic area .4 miles north of the visitors center, then drops down from the rim. Cairns and a few signs mark the way. It’s open the same hours as Monument Valley Drive.