Monument Valley

Discovering Monument Valley, Utah

By

CarylAnn Minor

To RV'ers traveling north on highway #163 out of Kayenta, AZ, sand and stone formations become almost commonplace, resembling hundreds of others they might have seen in the West. But just north of the Utah-Arizona border, the ordinary ends. At an unheralded crossroads, marked on the east by directions to Goulding's Trading Post, turn west through a cluster of Indian shops to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Campground, Museum and Visitor Center.

Made famous as the setting for a plethora of 20th century western drama and once recognized worldwide as an icon of the West, the Navajo heart of Monument Valley seems forgotten today judging by the empty mid-May campground and the almost lonely highway.

For $10 a night and a one-time fee of $5, campers can drive a 17-mile loop through the monoliths as many times as they desire, or lounge in the shade of a Ramada and soak up the scenery and the silence. There are no hookups, but modem restrooms offer all the amenities and an attractive restaurant overlooks the familiar formations of East and West Mitten. Tribal security is visible 24hours a day.

On the downside, the cobble-stoned roads of the campground deter any speed demons but they also jar the heck out of anything that moves. And hiring one of the several jitneys lined up outside the visitor's center would be wiser than taking a low-clearance vehicle into the valley.

But if you enjoy discovering the people and customs of other cultures, venturing just a little off the beaten path, or soaking in the silence and serenity of nature check out:
Monument Valley. The experience will be far more than your eye alone, can see and the
memory will last forever.

Try something new and exciting - Monument Valley tours or Grand Canyon trips.

Our campsite in Mittenview Campground.

This panorama of Monument Valley stretches more than thirty miles to its southern escarpment.

From the north rim of the Navajo Tribal Campground, the monoliths of East and West Mitten dominate the landscape. A dirt road visible on the left in the picture drops more than 1000 feet to the valley floor. With 360 degrees of spectacular scenery, the rim is a favorite place for campers to position their chairs and watch the changing colors as darkness settles over the vast expanse.

Sunrise clarifies the southern escarpment and highlights topological differences in the massive rock formations close at hand. A portion of the 17-mile self-guided loop open to tourists is barely visible in the shadow of the northern rim of the valley.

A dirt road meanders north through a restricted portion of Monument Valley where more than 400 Navajo still live much like their ancestors did.

In some places along the loop, the sandstone cliffs resemble giant blocks of milk chocolate from which the valley road appears to have been freshly chiseled. Visitors are requested not to take photos of people or dwellings, but a Navajo complex, usually
consisting of both male and female dwellings, is visible at the base of the cliff midway between the left of the photo and the back of the truck.

In other places along the 17-mile loop, rising spires of polished basalt testify to an ancient existence. Wind and water continue the slow process of erosion which geologists say has gone on here for more than a millennium.

The view from Artists's Point provides a sense of the magnitude of ' 'the spaces between the rocks." The Dine, as the Navajo refer to themselves, occupied Monument Valley after earlier tribes had moved on, leaving behind the evidence that they had considered the rock formations themselves to be the sacred art of the gods. The Navajo extended that belief to the valley's entirely, declaring "the spaces between the rocks" to be holy as well.

Sheep and goats forage where they will, here delaying passage through that portion of
Monument Valley open to tourists. According to a tribal policeman, the animals will be shorn when and if their owners need the money and younger relatives are available to help with the task

These horses did not appear to have an owner and kept their distance. Other small groups were spotted grazing far off. Still others were spotted near hogans and appeared to be fenced.

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Clubhouse | Monument