Monument Valley Magic

I’m on a mission to soak up as many iconic views in the Wild West as possible. My dad is a massive fan of Westerns. I’ve never been a big fan of the flicks, but the sweeping vistas and mesas left a lasting impression. There is nothing more iconic than Monument Valley and the majestic sandstone columns. I absolutely had to fit in a visit on my way to Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Country.

I left Taos and headed north to Shiprock, an eery solo monument amidst sweeping plains and mesas. It’s not far out of the way from the Four Corners Monument, and worth a field trip. The stunning formation is a remnant of a volcanic eruption 30 million years ago. It’s the magma core that stands strong after all the surrounding rock eroded away. It stands the test of time, braves the elements all alone, and draws others to admire its fortitude. I appreciate that about it.

I’m hoping to revisit the state and national parks out west that I haven’t seen since a grade school road trip with my dad, but this adventure hits on several Navajo Nation parks. The drive out to the Four Corners passes some interesting terrain. The monument itself is in a valley that acts as a massive wind tunnel. I honestly couldn’t wait to get out of there, so in this case the journey was better than the destination. It was not very busy and most of the vendors booths were empty, but at $5 a person, it’s still worth the novelty of a visit.

There are two routes to Monument Valley from here, I chose the Northern Route so I could drive through more of Colorado and Utah knowing that I’d see most of the Arizona side once I started my sit in Flagstaff. I could have spent a LOT more time exploring along this route. It’s honestly worth at least a day so you can pull off and explore anything that interests you. The Twin Rocks Trading Post in Bluff, Utah had me flip an immediate u-turn to admire the glory of the massive rocks. The monument is beautiful and the Trading Post has a wonderfully curated collection of native crafts.

Mexican Hat feels like Mars, it is a stunning shade of red. I was so enamored by it, I couldn’t stop giggling as I wandered around. My jaw was dropped as I passed Goosenecks State Park and Comb Ridge. Seriously, there were so many beautiful spots that had never even crossed my radar. This handy round up of non-national parks has me reconsidering my van-venture for April. There is a LOT to see off Route 163, and I beg you to spend some quality time exploring. I was pretty nervous about what the gas situation was going to look like out there, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It’s not like there is a gas station on every corner, but I wasn’t constantly watching the gas gauge in panic. Take the time to take it in.

I started following EmilyVentures somewhere along the way, and saw her incredible Air B&B stay here. Her views of Monument Valley were breathtaking, but the cabin wasn’t available for my night off between sits. I was flabbergasted when I saw that the Mother Earth Turquoise Hogan was available for my trip. Located right on the Arizona/Utah line, and right down the street from the Monument Valley Scenic Drive, I couldn’t have asked for a better location. I learned that there aren’t many addresses in the Navajo Nation, and that they provide directions with landmarks to find each other. Being as directionally challenged as I am, it was really important to me to reach the Hogan before dark. I paid the extra $20 for a homemade Navajo Fry Bread Taco and tea and had to arrive by 6 to get it. I was delighted to spend the time talking to my host, Rosalyn, and her daughter. She gave me so many helpful tips on what to see and do in the area and I learned so much about the tradition of constructing the Hogans. Her family built it with their own two hands, and the view out the front door is forever etched in my memory. I can’t recommend the experience enough, and couldn’t have loved it more. My only regret is that I couldn’t stay another night, and it was far too cloudy to enjoy the supposedly spectacular stars over the valley.

I drove around after dinner checking out the views, and the storm rolling in gave me spectacular skies. I set my alarm for dark:30 to go catch the sunrise from The View Hotel. There are several famous vantage points to watch the sun rise over the monuments. Park at the gift shop, pick a vantage point from the viewing deck. Head into the giftshop and pop out the side door so that you can check out Photographer’s Point, John Wayne’s Point, and meander around the balconies with the other early birds. It was cold and windy, we all ducked back into the gift shop to defrost and check out the views from the panoramic windows.

You’ll have to exit the parking lot and go back to the park entrance gate to pay your admission and join the line to enter the 17 mile scenic drive. They are seriously limiting how many cars can enter the park at a time, so showing up for sunrise is great not just for the views but helps get you in before the minivans.

It kind of feels like a scavenger hunt. They only let 5 cars in per hour, so you’ll see the same handful of people at each view point. We all felt like friends by the time we exited the park a few hours later. My tripod broke in my suitcase, so I had to get creative to take some photos. I learned to pull my car up alongside the views, rolled the window down, and hooked my ring stand over the half-open window. It was HILARIOUS, especially in the uneven terrain and undercarriage killers. I thought maybe I’d drive around for an hour or so and head out, but I was there for at least 4. Honestly, I could have happily gone around and done the loop again. The changing light and insane wind kept things incredibly interesting. It is impossible not to fall in love with each of the changing views. I had lots of questions about these majestic monuments, so I did a little research. I found this summary really helpful (in case you are curious.)

It made me a little sad to drive away, but this part of the country has no shortage of blindingly beautiful views. I backtracked up towards Utah to the Forrest Gump Viewpoint. It was so windy and crowded on my way in, I thought I’d try again on the way out. Me and about a hundred new friends waited for breaks in traffic to snap our iconic photos. I got to help out a group of biker, and they kept us all laughing. It was the perfect way to enjoy the iconic scenery, but I still had a lot of ground to cover and it was time to head south to my sit.

You should plan to do Horseshoe Bend on the same day as Antelope Canyon, but I couldn’t get a tour until the following weekend. Due to the danger of flash flooding, you must take a guided tour of Antelope Canyon, and with COVID restrictions they are pretty hard to come by. I’ll shared all of the natural wonders of Page, Arizona here.

I hope you don’t think I’m overly excited by a bunch of really old rocks- but I am in constant awe of how interesting this landscape is and how quickly it changes. It makes you feel so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, which is a reminder I think we all need much more often. I haven’t spent real time in Arizona since I was 8, and I’ve been trying to schedule it’s great for the heart and soul. I had no issues wandering around solo. I felt very safe, and there were plenty of people around to ask to snap a photo for me at the iconic spots. It wasn’t hard to get around, there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of research to do, and there was plenty of cell service to help navigate and get around. Monument Valley IS magical and you absolutely need to see it for yourself.