Monument
Valley is Navajo territory. This vast area -- with its
magnificent red buttes beloved of Hollywood's western
movies -- is Monument Valley Tribal Park. It is reached
by driving southwest on U.S. Highway 163 from the small
settlement of Mexican Hat, in the "Goosenecks" area of
southeastern Utah.
Aside
from the memorable buttes, much of the attraction of
Monument Valley is the Navajo culture. The huge Navajo
Indian Reservation covers 25,000 square miles in three
states. The Utah section alone covers one million acres.
Several cultural attractions are found in the valley.
Goulding's Trading Post re-creates valley life in the
1920s. The Tribal Park Museum features Navajo archeology,
and the Indian relics are remarkable. The museum is open
each day from 8 am to 6 pm. Oljedo Trading Post and
Museum in Monument Valley is a state historic
site.
The
road into Monument Valley is paved as far as the visitor
center and museum. The rest of the routes in the valley
are dirt sideroads, which are regularly maintained.
Drivers have the choice of taking a self-guiding loop
road that shows some of the attractions or taking a
guided tour of the park. Guided tours are available from
park headquarters, at Goulding's Lodge and -- from
outside the park -- in the towns of Bluff, Monticello,
Blanding, and Moab, as well as from the nearby community
of Mexican Hat. Highway 163 continues south toward the
Grand Canyon, which is 143 miles from the Utah/Arizona
border.
Other
nearby scenic wonders include the Valley of the
Gods, with a series of sculpted rock formations, 10
miles north of Mexican Hat on a loop road off Hwy. 261.
For the most spectacular scene of them all, with
panoramic views of Monument Valley, the Goosenecks
of the San Juan River and the Four Corners, drive farther
north on 261 to the Moki Dugway Lookout.
Mexican
Hat is a launching point for rafting trips on the San
Juan River.
A
campground is operated by the tribal park. There
is a private RV park in Mexican Hat, the nearest
town. Goosenecks State Park -- 4 miles northwest
of Mexican Hat -- has a public campground as well as fine
views of the 1,000-foot chasm of the San Juan
River.
The
only overnight accommodations in the valley are at
Goulding's Lodge. Tours are available here, as
well as 64 rooms, a restaurant, and a swimming pool. For
information, phone (435) 727-3231.
The
nearest accommodation outside the valley is in Mexican
Hat. There are three trading posts here, as well as
two motels, an RV park, and two cafes. The community is
22 miles north of the Utah/Arizona border, across the San
Juan River from the Navajo Reservation.
