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Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Photo: MARELBU / CC BY 3.0 · source

🏜️ Canyons & deserts

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Kayenta, AZ · Colorado Plateau, Navajo Nation, Northern Arizona

About

The buttes rise 400 to 1,000 feet off a red sand floor, and from the visitor center terrace the Mittens sit close enough that the scale finally registers. This is Navajo Nation land, not a national park, so the America the Beautiful pass buys nothing at the gate. Expect a per person fee plus a vehicle charge, and check the current rate before you go. Valley Drive is the self-drive option, a 17 mile unpaved loop past John Ford's Point, about two hours with stops. Deep sand and washboard ruts keep it slow. A sedan usually manages when dry. RVs and motorcycles are barred. Wildcat Trail, a loop of three to four miles around West Mitten Butte, is the only walk you take unaccompanied, and it has no shade and no water. Everything beyond needs a licensed Navajo guide. July to September monsoon storms flood the washes and close the road without warning, and the valley floor gets punishing hot.

Highlights

Navajo Tribal Park, NPS passes not acceptedPer person fee plus per vehicle charge, verify current rate17 mi unpaved Valley Drive, no RVs or motorcyclesWildcat Trail is the only unguided hikeBackcountry is Navajo-guide-onlyRoad closes after rain or snow, monsoon flash floods Jul to SepNavajo Nation observes daylight saving time

Getting there

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Curated guides that feature Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Best Slot Canyons and Red Rock in the US15 places

Best Slot Canyons and Red Rock in the US

The sandstone country of the Colorado Plateau and its edges: corridors sanded smooth by flood water, arches by the thousand, hoodoo amphitheaters and thousand-foot buttes. Fifteen places, honest about which ones need a permit, a Navajo guide, or a high-clearance truck, and which you can simply walk into.