Monument Valley, no better name could describe the unbelievably breathtaking views of a vast desert valley with its scattered colorful sandstone buttes.

One's heart will instantly fall in love while the mind will start traveling through the existence of life at the first glance of the majestic Monument Valley with its towering red sandstone buttes scattered all over the vast colorful valley.

We have seen it in pictures, in movies, in documentaries, and even on calendar pages, but having the chance to see and explore it in person, is a whole different story. Join us on our journey through the Monuments of the Valley!

Accommodations within the Park

From the very beginning we knew we will want to spend as much time as we could in the park, so we booked a campsite at The View Campground, right there in front of the West and East Mitten Buttes. Also inside the park are the The View Hotel, RV Campground, or Cabins. They are great options if you are looking for other ways of spending the night among the giants.

Our Monument Valley campsite with views like from a John Wayne movie

The sunrises and sunsets are truly spectacular and you simply just get up and walk either to the East or to the West of the campground and voila, you experience the beautiful morning or evening light!

Monument Valley sunrise looking with West and East Mittens and Merrick Butte

View from inside The View hotel at Monument Valley

Hiking

What about fun stuff to do in the park?

Well, there are 3 self-guided trails that originate at the View Hotel and a long 17-mile valley drive on an unpaved dirt road, all with spectacular views of the monuments.

We learned that there are other trails that can only be hiked with guides readily available to take you on a trip from the parking lot of The View Hotel.

This is the only park where we can say we hiked all its self-guided trails! Hurray! Well, that was quite simple as there are only 3 of them: Wildcat Trail, Lee Cly Trail, and Mesa Rim Trail.

Wildcat Trail

Wildcat Trail is a 4-mile hike, a fairly level route that loops around the West Mitten Butte.

View of Monument Valley from the Wildcat Trail

View of the West Mitten Butte from Wildcat Trail, Monument Valley

A hike on the Wildcat Trail, Monument Valley

Lee Cly Trail

Lee Cly Trail is a 2.1-mile loop trail that goes towards Mitchell Mesa.

Mesa Rim Trail

The Mesa Rim Trail is a 0.7 mile out and back trail that splits off of the Lee Cly Trail. Like the other ones, it provides a great view of Monument Valley from above.

Valley Loop Drive

The Valley Loop Drive is a 17-mile scenic drive with spectacular views that could take up to 4-5 hours. The speed limit is 15mph and some areas are too rocky and bumpy to go any faster. The views prompt you to stop many times for photos and just to take in the scenery. Take you time and enjoy it, it’s spectacular!

View of Monument Valley from John Ford's Point

Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chei, Monument Valley

View from Artist's Point, Monument Valley

View through the North Window, Monument Valley

Forrest Gump Hill

Before you leave the spectacular Monument Valley behind, you must stop at Forrest Gump Point. This is the place where Forrest Gump, after running for 3 year, 2 months, 14 days and 16 hours across America, decided he was "pretty tired" and decided to "go home now". It's only 16 miles from the Park's Visitor Center, on US Highway 163, and you just have to see it. Look it up on your maps app, search for Forrest Gump Point.

Forrest Gump Point, US Highway 163, Monument Valley

A Lesson Learned While Tent Camping in the Desert

Truly spectacular, but it didn't come with no surprise. We immediately learned that the tent can quickly fill up with loads of very fine sand if the wind is blowing even just slightly. We also learned that the sun can be very harsh mid-day and, with no tree coverage at the campsite, we had to find shelter elsewhere. The Visitor Center and Museum were our escapes - great places to learn more about the Navajo people and their beautiful lands.

Home of the Navajo

Monument Valley was so touching for both of us! We learned more about the Navajo people at the visitor center and got to visit this wonderful place that some of them call home. The giant monuments are impressive, but seeing them shooting up to the sky right from the backyards of people’s residences, like they did for centuries, was really touching. I can’t describe those feelings in words, you just have to go there and feel it for yourself.

We’re so thankful that we were able to be there and experience the splendor of this park and the story of its inhabitants. Thanks to the Navajo people for making this possible.

We hope you enjoyed this story and our photos and that you will enjoy your trip to Monument Valley!

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park