Monument Valley...
A Land of Beauty

Monument Valley is a column of blue-clad mounted Calvary, led by John Wayne, charging across the seemingly endless desert, their horses’ thundering hooves kicking up choking clouds of dust, a strident bugle spurring them on.

This is a land of striking beauty, a land of towering buttes and spires, Yei Bi Chei and totem poles, crenulated sand dunes and the ubiquitous tumbling tumbleweeds.

At that time, the road leading into the Park from off Highway 163 was just a dirt road, and visitors were immediately greeted by a shanty-town of Native-American vendors selling everything from hand-crafted jewelry and Navajo blankets to Kachinas and Navajo pottery.

These shops were nothing more than simple rag-tag wooden structures put together out of scraps of lumber, canvas tarps and corrugated tin salvaged from who knows where.

It was like something out of a third-world country somehow misplaced in this land of striking beauty.

I found it denigrating and a poor first impression of the Navajo, a proud people, rich in cultural history.

Today, thankfully, this rag-tag shanty town is gone; replaced now by a beautiful modern complex which houses a Welcome Center, Amphitheater, Arts and Crafts Mall, a new hotel with restaurant and trading post.

scenic loop in open-air vehicles driven by knowledgeable Navajo guides.

One thing that has not changed, however, is the primitive dirt road, often clogged with tourist-packed tour-vehicles leaving clouds of thick dust in their wake.

If anything, it seems somehow rougher, dustier and less accommodating of anything short of an army hummer.

The scenic tour through the Park is seventeen miles.

Some of the things you will see are:

• The East and West Mittens, Merrick Butte & Mitchell Mesa
• Elephant Butte
• The Three Sisters
• John Ford’s Point
• Camel Butte, the Hub, Rain God’s Mesa
• Bird Spring and Sand Spring
• The Totem Pole & Yei Bi Chei
• Artist’s Point & Spearhead Mesa
• North Window
• The Thumb

Map: Courtesy Navajo Tribal Park

Although visitors may drive their own vehicles on the scenic tour, some of the reasons you may want to hire a Navajo guide include:

• The guides are intimately familiar with the Monument and knowledgeable about the history and religious significance of all that you will see here.
• They can take you to places within the Monument where you cannot go without a guide.
• They can help you find unique photo opportunities .e.g. the sand dunes near the Totem Pole.
• You will save wear and tear on your own vehicle.

Mexican Hat, UT Current Weather and Forecast

Guided Tours:
The following were downloaded from the Navajo Nation Parks website. I have no personal experience with any of them, nor do I recommend them over any guides who may not be listed.

Bennett Guided Tours
Martha Bennett
(435)727-3283
members.tripod.com/bennett_tour

Black's Jeep
Roy Black
(928)429-0637
www.blacksmonumentvalleytours.com

Blackwater Tours
(435) 727-3312 or (928) 206-9022
www.blackwatertours.com

Daniel's Guided Tours
Daniels Chee
(435)727-3227 or (800)596-8427

References & Resources:
Navajo Nation Parks
http://www.navajonationparks.org/index.htm
http://navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalleytours.htm

Open Travel Info
http://www.opentravelinfo.com/area/north-america/u-s-a/arizona/the-best-way-to-tour-monument-valley.html

Wikimapia
http://wikimapia.org/10587079/Monument-Valley-Welcome-Center

Return From Monument ValleyTo Lake Powell Country