If you are road tripping through American Southwest, Monument Valley is definitely a place to put on your visit list. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is located along the Arizona – Utah border, on the Navajo Nation, which is one of the largest American Indian tribes. This is probably one of the most photographed and filmed destinations on earth. But although you have seen it a hundred times in movies, it still leaves you speechless when you see it with your own eyes.

In one day or even in just one afternoon, you can fully experience the Monument Valley. Before visiting this Tribal Park, we were in Moab and Arches National Park. We headed on the road after breakfast, not too early, around 9 am, and had a little less than 3 hours driving to Monument Valley. We spent a great afternoon there and then went to our next destination, Page, which was a little more than 2 hours driving.

→BEFORE YOU GO

RESEARCH – Before you go, search for the places you want to see, things you want to do… The most important pieces of information you can find on a Navajo Nation Park site. You can also get a lot of information at the Visitor Center in the park.

ENTRANCE FEE – Monument Valley is a Navajo Nation Tribal Park and not a National Park. So the National Parks Pass is not valid here. General admission is $20 per non-commercial vehicle up to 4 people ($6 for each additional passenger).

TRANSPORTATION – There are no shuttle buses, so it’s really best to come in your own car. But you can book different tours, for example driving the 17-mile road.

WHEN TO GO – The park operates on the following dates and hours:
April 1 – September 30 (Peak Season): 6 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days a week
October 1 – March 30 (Off Season): 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., 7 days a week
CLOSED: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day

→WHERE TO STAY

You can stay in designated campground areas or cabins, you can find some on Goulding’s or on The View. You can also stay in a hotel.
THE VIEW – hotel with the best location and what its name says, it offers the best view.
GOULDING’S LODGE – another great one with a great view and also a great location.
Those are the only two hotel options on site. You can also stay in some of the nearest locations outside the park. These are the nearest. And they both have a great outdoor pool.
KAYENTA MONUMENT VALLEY INN – this one is located in Kayenta, around 50km and 45 minutes driving to Monument Valley.
HAT ROCK INN – this one is located in Mexican Hat, around 40km and 40 minutes driving to Monument Valley.

→WHAT TO SEE

If your ‘what to see in your road trip’ list is quite full with all the amazing places and you only have half a day available to explore Monument Valley, here is a list of sights you can see.

FORREST GUMP POINT

This is a famous place, outside the park, where Forrest Gump decided to stop running. If you are going to Monument Valley from Mexican Hat, you can’t miss this spot. The view is really spectacular.

MUSEUM, VIEW AREA, RESTAURANT, AND GIFT SHOP

The first stop is the Monument Valley Visitors Center which contains a restaurant, museum, gift shop, and The View hotel. From the Visitor Center, you see the world-famous panorama of the Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte. You can also book guided tours from Navajo tour operators. Places such as Ear of the Wind and other landmarks can only be accessed via guided tours.
And the gift shop is awesome, I spent a small fortune there 🙂

17 MILE SCENIC DRIVE

This is an offroad loop, 17 miles long of which 13 miles is a one-way loop, and typical times for the full trip are 2 to 4 hours.
There are two ways to do the 17-mile scenic drive, by yourself or with a guided tour. I think both have some pros and cons.
1. When you go by yourself:
– you’ll need an SUV because you’ll be driving offroad and some parts of the road look horrible
+ it’s more comfortable driving your own car, with no other people crowding next to you
+ you get a small map and short description of some sights on the way
+ you can stop on the way for as long as you like
+ save some $ because you don’t book a guided tour
– you actually don’t drive the whole 17 miles, because part of the road is open only for guided tours

2. When you book a guided tour:
+ you don’t need to worry that you’ll get stuck on the road
– it can be crowded if there are many other people
– it’s an open car, so it cold or hot weather, you can’t really protect yourself, as you would in your own car
+ you get a more detailed description by the guides
+ the tour is longer and you get to see more
– you spend a lot more $$$

JOHN FORD’S POINT AT THE 17 MILE SCENIC DRIVE

This is one of the great spots to stop along the scenic drive. This famous cliff is a great photo opportunity. You can even take a photo on a horse on the edge of the cliff.

GOULDING’S MUSEUM & TRADING POST

Museum and Trading Post are located next to Goulding’s Lodge. In 1921, Harry Goulding and his bride purchased 640 acres here and they spent their first years trading with the Navajo people out of their tent. Later, in 1928, the Gouldings completed construction of an old stone trading post and made an apartment in the upstairs. Now the building is a museum. The museum is open to all visitors with admission on a donation basis and donations from it go to a scholarship fund for local students.
When a movie director, John Ford, was looking for a place to film a western movie, Goulding’s heard about it, and send him pictures of the Monument Valley. He really liked it and soon began filming a movie with a lead actor John Wayne. Both of them returned many times to this area for other films.
Find out more about id on Gouldings page.