Monument Valley

Monument Valley is known for its stunning isolated red buttes surrounded by sandy desert. It has been depicted as the essence of the American West, mostly because Monument Valley has been featured in numerous films, commercials, and advertising.

 

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Its located within the Navajo Indian Reservation on the Utah-Arizona border. The entrance fee was $20 per vehicle. This allows access to the 17 mile valley drive on a dirt road. The drive took about 2 hours.

Monument Valley is in the Colorado Plateau at an elevation of 5,000 to 6,000 feet. The sandstone buttes reach up to 1,000 feet above the valley floor.

The red color comes from iron oxide. Blue-gray rocks get their color from manganese oxide.

Goulding’s Lodge Monument Valley

Goulding’s was established in 1923 as a trading post. Now its a lodge, RV park, store, restaurant, airport and a museum. Gouldings is located just outside of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

During the depression, Harry and Mike Goulding (well, her name was Leone, but Harry couldn’t spell her name so he called her Mike) drove to Hollywood and showed director John Ford photographs of the area. Ford loved the landscape, made arrangements with the Goulding’s, and filmed many movies with John Wayne here. When they retired, they gifted their Monument Valley homestead. Harry and Mike moved to Page, Arizona. Harry died in 1981. Mike moved back to Monument Valley and lived there until her death in 1992.

The Goulding’s museum has a lot of memorabilia. We had lunch at the restaurant. Sandy enjoyed the Navajo fried bread taco.

Hidden Arch

The arch was a short hike from the RV park. There was no one else on the trail, so Sandy had some fun!

Forrest Gump

A picturesque location on Highway US 163 with Monument Valley in the background.

The location is where Forrest Gump ends his cross country run.

Mexican Hat

Its a town on the San Juan River that has a population of 31. Mexican Hat is known for an upside down sombrero shaped rock.

Moki Dugway

The Moki Dugway was constructed in 1958 by Texas Zinc, a mining company, to transport uranium ore from the Happy Jack mine to be processed in Mexican Hat. The road is unpaved, has steep switchbacks, and offers amazing views.