I didn’t know it at the time, but myMonument Valley itinerary was written in my youth. With a great affinity forcinema, this storied location was waved in front of my eyes countless timesgrowing up. Watching Clark Griswold crash his car in National Lampoon’sVacation. Marty McFly driving through the Valley being chased by nativeAmericans in Back to the Future 3. And my all-time favourite movie with ForrestGump ending his back and forth US marathon here. And from a cinematicperspective, that’s all before you get into the various westerns that calledMonument Valley home.
The word iconic can be often overused, butMonument Valley is exactly that.
You don’t need to be inspired by cinema tomake a visit here worthwhile. Whatever your motivation, you can be assured avisit to Monument Valley will be indelibly etched into your memory long afteryour visit. Of a month long Great American road trip from Atlanta to LosAngeles, this was my number one highlight. And one that feels like a justreward for embarking on an epic road trip.
Read along to learn about our MonumentValley itinerary.
At a glance || A perfect Monument Valley itinerary
Get some shade under the sombrero of Mexican Hat
Go your own way at Forrest Gump Point
Drive the 17 mile loop at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
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Driving west to begin your Monument Valley itinerary
We had arrived after around 6 hours driving.The trip broken up by a visit to the Four Corners Monument on the borders ofArizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. A lot of this drive is through vast,arid landscapes that can fill countless hours on a US road trip.
As we drove west towards Monument Valley onthe 163 Highway, the landscape began to shift. The muted tones of the scenerygradually become a deeper shade of red. Rock formations start to rise from theEarth like jagged, unfinished chess pieces. As the road curves around intostraights of wavy tarmac, the outline of Monument Valley starts to appear inits silhouette in the distance.
We arrived in late afternoon. This was asmuch a part of the long drive we’d had but also worked well to coincide withensuring we were in Monument Valley for sunset.
Mexican Hat
Our first stop on our Monument Valley itinerary was our very first ‘monument’ that sits outside of the formal park. This formation is also home to a very small town of people. Mexican Hat is a weird and wonderful natural formation. It will leave you wondering how long until the hat falls victim to erosion?
Forrest Gump Point
It’s now time to crank Go your own way and Against the wind on your playlist. A soundtrack for this part of the journey is not an option, it’s mandatory. No Monument Valley itinerary is complete without it.
Lying a ~10 minute drive further on from Mexican Hat, turn that stereo up and find yourself at the famed Forrest Gump Point. If you don’t know why it’s called this, shame on you. Please head to your nearest streaming device for 3 hours of epic film watching. Or at the very least watch this snippet of Forrest’s run scene.
Those that do know the movie will instantlyrecognise this as the spot where Forrest stops running. It will come as nosurprise that this point is now an icon unto itself. Forrest Gump point as ithas become known is located on a straight, undulating part of the road outsideof the Valley proper. Even without its notoriety in film, the spot is stillawe-inspiring.
We took in the early part of sunset here.It turned out to be a great time to visit. By all accounts, it can get quitebusy along here with other tourists having the same idea to take in the view.We had 2-3 cars to share the space with and everyone had the opportunity totake photos of each other on the road.
You won’t need too long here, although wedid spend some time in our car after having a wander and photo session on theroad taking in the view.
Safety warning: whilst the road is straight and long with good visibility, ensure someone is keeping an eye on traffic. Whilst traffic was minimal during our visit it is still a live road. From what we’ve read, there are times when it gets busier. Don’t become an entry into the Darwin Awards for the sake of a photo. Take care, and exercise a little bit of patience and caution.
Head on to Oljato-Monument Valley
Driving further on down the 163 highway,you’ll soon hit the main intersection with Monument Valley road. There’s not awhole lot here, but it’s effectively the centre of town, or valley as it were.
At this intersection, turning right willtake you towards the local airstrip. Nearby, you’ll find a grocery store, gasstation and accommodation – Goulding’s Lodge. The Goulding’s own all of theseshops and provide most of the Monument Valley economy.
Where to stay in Monument Valley – Goulding’sLodge
We stayed overnight at Goulding’s Lodge which was an excellent stay. The rooms are basic, but cosy and warm with a balcony to breathe in some of that fresh country air. You can hear just about everything going on for some distance as you sit in the tranquillity. The dark sky filled with stars is a show unto itself.
Goulding’s has a restaurant called Stagecoach on site which serves a mix of American food and some Navajo dishes. If you’ve not had it before, the must try dish here is the large Navajo taco. Different to a Mexican taco, it is served on frybread and chilli con carne and your usual taco toppings. It’s a large portion, so easily shared between two people alongside an entrée or appetiser.
BOOK NOW: Goulding’s Lodge || From $US100
Other accommodation options in MonumentValley
Other than camping, there is another optionfor accommodation. The View hotel is situated inside the Monument Valley TribalPark. We have nothing negative to say about The View, but we were glad wedidn’t stay there during our visit. This is no slur on the property itself, butdue to a highly unusual occurrence. The Tribal Park was closed upon our arrivaldue to a dispute between some booked customers of The View and the local tribespeople.
Monument Valley Tribal Park is not anational park. It is run by the local Navajo tribespeople, who took theextraordinary (but within their power) step of closing the Tribal Park.
Bizarrely, this situation escalatedquickly. FBI and local enforcement authorities were on site and cut off accessto the park. A police barricade was set up and we were told we’d be unable tovisit the Tribal park for the unforeseen future.
The offending customers eventually agreedto leave in the middle of the night and the local tribespeople opened the parkup once again in the morning (just as we were checking out – phew!). Again,none of this is a negative of the property, indeed we had looked to stay hereoriginally but it was booked out. But it did cause quite the unexpected fanfarein sleepy old Monument Valley during our stay!
The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
After a good night’s sleep (and hopefully noFBI/police operations) it’s time to pack your bags and head into the MonumentValley Navajo Tribal Park. The Tribal Park is home to the famous ‘monuments’that you’ve seen in those classic western movies.
In the park, you’ll pay an entry fee of $20which grants entry for your vehicle and up to 4 passengers. There is a VisitorCenter which includes a small convenience store, restaurant and has souvenirsavailable for sale. From here, you’ll commence the 17 mile loop drive or Valleydrive. Along the way, you’ll be able to stop as you like and take pictures.There are bays you can pull over in which make it easy to get out, enjoy theview and take those precious photos.
The road itself is a dusty, bumpy one. Fearnot though, a 4WD is not required, our Hyundai Elantra did the job nicely. Justtake your time, drive slowly and respect other motorists taking in the sameiconic views as you. Some of the amazing sights you’ll take in along the wayare:
The Mittens and Merrick Butte
You’ve possibly already seen these on theway in, but there is a great spot up close that you can take in these monuments.They look like mittens you’d wear in winter and Merrick Butte looks similar butwithout the thumb.
The Three Sisters
Opposite the Mittens, you’ll find the ThreeSisters. These three finger like stones rise out of the red rock.
John Ford’s point
This is probably the most iconic spot onthe loop. Named after film director John Ford, who filmed Stagecoach, She Worea Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande amongst others in the Monument Valley area.Here, you can even mount a horse to get that well known photo overlookingMerrick Butte.
If horses aren’t your thing, feel free to wander out onto the promontory and take in the views here. It’s hard not feel small amongst such a vast land.
Totem pole
It’s pretty easy to guess why this spot iscalled totem pole! It does indeed look like a totem pole, which stands byitself with some distance to the Yel-Bichel formation.
Artist’s point
Another popular vantage point, if you’ve brought a picnic lunch, this is a great spot to enjoy the views with a snack and a drink.
Looking for another south-western destination? Check out our one day guide to Page, Arizona.
Other considerations for your visit to MonumentValley
I’d encourage you to take your time on thedrive. Firstly for safety, but secondly it’s a much more enjoyable way oftaking in the sights along the way. Everyone seems to have their favouriteparts of the loop drive, enjoy taking the time to find a favourite spot of yourown!
As mentioned, the Monument Valley NavajoTribal Park is the land of the local Navajo. It’s not Government owned and thelocal people do ask for you to respect their rules and beliefs. You can drivethe loop and wander around within reason, but do not go off the tracks. Do notgo hiking into the wilderness. Follow the rules as you’re instructed, you’re aguest on Navajo land. Be a good traveller.
There are tours available around the loopand other parts of Monument Valley. Enquire at the Visitor Center to find outmore.
How to get to Monument Valley
Monument Valley is a destination accessed from many different areas. In saying that, it isn’t exactly close to any major city. You’re out in the wilderness here folks. Like us, it may be easiest reached as part of a larger southwest road trip itinerary. This would be the most convenient way to tie in a trip to Monument Valley.
Distances from nearest sights and cities to Monument Valley
Four Corners Monument – 108 miles
Page, Arizona – 128 miles
Farmington, New Mexico – 155 miles (nearest major airport)
Grand Canyon South Rim – 180 miles
Phoenix, Arizona – 322 miles
Salt Lake City, Utah – 385 miles
Las Vegas, Nevada – 400 miles
How long do you need to visit MonumentValley?
We spent one night in Monument Valley. Theafternoon prior and a full day following was enough to see these highlights.Alternatively, if you want to participate in an organised tour and do somefurther exploring, an additional day may provide more time to do these.
It’s the open countryside, some may arguethere is no amount of time that is too much.
When to visit Monument Valley?
We visited in late November. Temperaturesin November see highs of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of 30 degrees. Ourvisit was on the cooler side during both days, but nothing a jacket couldn’thandle. Overnight, it certainly bordered into fresh territory, so you mightneed to duck in and out of your room only briefly to take in the Milky Wayviews. I’d happily return at this time of year.
In winter (December-February) unsurprisinglyyou’ll find much colder temperatures. If you’re very lucky on a winter visit,you may be presented with a dusting of snow. Monument Valley’s impressivescenery becomes an auspicious level of beauty when the red monuments are sprinkledwith white snow against a blue sky. The red, white and blue of the UnitedStates right there.
As you can imagine when it comes summer,temperatures can be quite oppressive. Any outdoor activities may be challengingand staying hydrated will be your number one challenge. For our itinerary,given how much was conducted inside a vehicle, I’d feel comfortable doing thisin the summer too.
With less than 7 inches of rain a year,you’d be unlucky to get wet during a visit at just about any time of year.
Autumn and Spring offer the most pleasant all round conditions. No matter, when your Monument Valley itinerary, it’s a great destination where there is no such thing as bad weather but only a poor choice of clothing.
Are you putting together a Monument Valley itinerary? We’d love to hear where you’re at in planning for this magnificent bucket list destination.
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