Experience The Spectacle of Monument Valley

Above, Ear of the Wind arch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that Navajo tribal parks have reopened, although at 50% capacity, a visit to Monument Valley Tribal Park that is located at the Arizona - Utah border is now doable.

Above, yours truly at the left and right mittens. 

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has posted an article on the best way to experience the spectacle of Monument Valley. I last visited Monument Valley in November 2016 and stayed at Goulding's Lodge Campground.

The article begins with:

One of the most picturesque places in the world is practically at our doorstep — the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Located on the border of Utah and Arizona, the park boasts buttes, mesas, spires, pinnacles and arches, arranged in some of the finest panoramic views on Earth.

You’ve no doubt seen the photographs, or scenes from the movies that were filmed here, but seeing the place firsthand is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, well worth the six- or seven-hour drive.

The park was established in 1958 and encompasses 91,696 acres, all within the 16-million acre Navajo Reservation. The Diné, as the Navajo people refer to themselves, have called this region home for more than 400 years. Prior to that Ancestral Puebloans lived here.

You can get a few classic views just driving around the area or by taking in some popular viewpoints, but most of the real treasures are off-limits to visitors traveling on their own. The absolute best way to discover the place is by taking a tour with an approved Navajo guide. These Jeep tours run different lengths, and if you have the time I highly recommend doing a full-day trip.

I took a two-hour tour of Monument Valley with Goulding's Tours back in 2016. It was an enjoyable tour, although it was cold and windy that day. We were comfortable in the tour van.

Above, the tour van that took me around Monument Valley in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.