Monument Valley: Valley of the Rocks

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Called the Valley of the Rocks in the Navajo language, Monument Valley is a sacred area in the Navajo Nation Reservation on the Utah-Arizona state line. Its landscape is filled with skyscraping sandstone buttes reaching up t0 1,000 feet. Just the drive to the Monument Valley is enough to snap a few pictures. But the real wonders are among the massive rock towers.

I came to Monument Valley as part of a Utah-Arizona road trip, check out my itinerary!

Some sceneries might look familiar, Monument Valley was the backdrop to most westerns, including John Wayne’s 1939 movie “Stagecoach” and is really what most Americans think the Wild Wild West looks like. Though, it’s not only westerns, other movies shot in Monument Valley include Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Oddessy”, a running scene in Forest Gump, Johnny Depp’s “The Lone Ranger”, “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, and many, many more.

The drive through the valley is incredible. Long, straight roads that seem to disappear into massive rock formations miles away.

Once you pay your $8 at the entrance, head to the visitor’s center for some amazing views and options to explore the valley. You can go for a scenic drive along the (very bumpy) 17-mile dirt road on your own. Or schedule a Jeep tour guided by local Navajo, hop on horseback or get a bird’s-eye view from a hot air balloon. You can also get a backcountry permit to hike on your won in the area. On the loop, you’ll run into local vendors selling handmade goods and stacks of small rock monuments.