Monument Valley Tours Run Half-Empty

Above, the tour bus stopped at The Thumb during a
 sunrise tour I took in 2022. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In recent years, I have taken two guided tours of Monument Valley. Both were by open air bus originating from Goulding's Lodge. I also took a tour by horseback.

The Navajo Nation, in which Monument Valley is their tribal park, offers Jeep tours. It used to be necessary to make advance reservations as the tours were popular.

According to an article in Travelers Today, those tours have been running half-empty. The Goulding's Lodge tour I went on in 2022 was also half empty.

The article begins with: 

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is in the middle of its peak summer season, and something unusual is happening in the valley: the guided jeep tours that once required advance reservations are running at dramatically reduced capacity. The global drop in international travel to the United States has hit Navajo-owned tour operators at Monument Valley harder than almost anywhere else in the Southwest — and for a traveler arriving this summer, that creates a rare window of access, even as the park's fees are higher than ever and the Navajo Nation holds a presidential primary today that will shape its tourism policies through 2027.

Above, yours truly at a viewpoint during a sunrise tour in 2022.
The East Mitten and Merrick Butte are in the background.

To read more, go here. 

6 Notable Buttes of the American West

Above, the West and East Mittens of Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One great thing about traveling in an RV, car or truck, one can see up close rock formations around the U.S.

MSN posted a slide show of different buttes one can see. Most of them are in Monument Valley Tribal Park that straddles the Utah and Arizona border.

They begin it with:

Prominent buttes across the American West include formations in Monument Valley, the Badlands, and other desert landscapes. These steep-sided, flat-topped landmarks have been shaped by erosion over millions of years and are often celebrated for their cultural importance, particularly within the Navajo Nation. Many are recognized symbols of the region, featured in films, photographs, and scenic viewpoints.

To see the slide show, go here. 

Adventurous Monument Valley Tours Expands Access

Above, the Mittens and Merrick Butte during a sunrise tour of Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I moved to New Mexico eight years ago, one of my favorite trips within the Four Corners region of the U.S. is to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

It is less than a half day's drive from home and the tribal park area has campgrounds available (Goulding's Lodge Campground and Monument Valley KOA Kampground). 

The tribal park also has guided tours available and Adventurous Monument Valley Tours has expanded Navajo-guided backcountry and air experiences.

According to Journals & Courier:

OLJATO-MONUMENT VALLEY, UT, UNITED STATES, April 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Adventurous Monument Valley Tours, part of The Adventurous Group, is expanding its Navajo-led tour experiences, offering travelers enhanced access to Monument Valley’s iconic red rock landscapes through guided backcountry and aerial tours. The expansion strengthens the company’s mission to provide immersive, culturally respectful, and unforgettable experiences across one of the most recognized landscapes in the American Southwest.

Located within the Navajo Nation along the Utah–Arizona border, Monument Valley is both a world-renowned travel destination and a protected tribal park with deep cultural, historical, and environmental significance. While millions of visitors are drawn to its towering sandstone buttes and expansive desert views, access to much of the region is restricted without a certified Navajo guide.

Adventurous Monument Valley Tours addresses this limitation by providing structured, guided backcountry experiences that allow visitors to explore beyond the standard scenic Monument Valley drive. Through its offerings, guests gain access to areas of the valley that would otherwise remain inaccessible, along with expert interpretation that brings meaning and context to the landscape.

Above, the Three Sisters rock formation. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.  

Stay In A Navajo 'Hogan' Home In Monument Valley

Above, a traditional Navajo hogan in Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visitors to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park that straddles Utah and Arizona is a part of the Navajo Nation.

A Navajo woman in Monument Valley is opening her hogan to visitors for overnight stays.

AOL reported:

The Diné, or Navajo, are indigenous to the Southwestern United States, where they have lived for over a thousand years. Travelers seeking to explore Navajo traditions and culture can now stay in a hogan, a traditional dwelling, within the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, or Tse’Bii’Ndzisgaii. A Navajo hogan is usually dome-shaped or multi-sided and built entirely out of natural elements like logs, bark, and mud.

The MonetValley Eco Hogan sits within the tribal park north of Kayenta, Arizona, and is owned by Verna Yazzie, a Navajo woman who was born and raised in Monument Valley. Her hogan, completed in 2020, is built out of juniper wood, bark, and sand. It is an off-grid structure with no electricity or running water, offering guests an extra dose of dark night skies (the area is renowned for its stargazing) and the chance to connect with the natural world.

By opening her hogan to visitors, Yazzie hopes to introduce people to the Navajo lifestyle, which traditionally involves herding sheep, weaving rugs, growing crops, and silversmithing. The name of her hogan, MonetValley, is an ode to her grandmother, who also lived in Monument Valley.

 To read more, go here.

Monument Valley: Ancient Stories Beyond Hollywood Fame

Above, the Mittens and Merrick Butte at sunrise. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Regular readers of this blog can safely guess that I have a fondness for the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park that straddles Utah and Arizona.

I have been there several times, most recently last September. It is my good fortune that I live within less than a half day's drive from it.

Le Journal Catalan has posted an article on Monument Valley.

They begin it with:

The red sandstone monoliths that punctuate the horizon at Monument Valley aren’t just rock formations – they’re ancient storytellers rising dramatically from the desert floor. This extraordinary landscape, straddling the Arizona-Utah border, represents one of America’s most iconic and instantly recognizable natural wonders, yet many visitors fail to fully appreciate its profound cultural significance.

A sacred homeland, not just a movie backdrop

While Hollywood westerns put Monument Valley on the tourist map, this 91,000-acre expanse represents much more to the Navajo (Diné) people who have called this region home for centuries. The tribal park sits within the Navajo Nation, where these dramatic formations – some towering over 1,000 feet tall – are considered sacred.

 To read more, go here.

Ultimate Guide To Monument Valley

Above, Monument Valley's West Mitten. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Being a resident of the northwestern sector of New Mexico, it affords me easy access to places in and around the Four Corners of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. 

Above, John Ford Point. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One place that's an easy three-hour (or so) drive from home is Monument Valley Tribal Park. I have been there four times, two of which has been within the past three years.

For those who may be wondering about where to go for a spring or summer vacation, Monument Valley should be placed high on the list. There are hotels and campgrounds for extended stays. I have stayed at two area campgrounds: Goulding's Lodge Campground and Monument Valley KOA.

Above, my RV at Goulding's Lodge Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mygrandcanyonpark.com has posted an "ultimate guide" to visiting Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. 

It begins with:

Monument Valley Tribal Park, an iconic landscape of breathtaking beauty, has for centuries stood as a testament to the Navajo Nation’s culture, traditions and connection to the earth.

It is a place where nature’s wonders take center stage. The sandstone buttes, in hues ranging from warm oranges to deep reds, create a surreal and otherworldly landscape. Whether you plan to embark on a guided tour, traverse the scenic drives, or venture on foot to embrace the solitude of this ethereal landscape, Monument Valley Tribal Park promises an unforgettable experience.

Find this park in the very rural southeastern portion of Utah. It’s located just north of the Utah-Arizona border, off Hwy. 163, between Kayenta, Arizona and Mexican Hat, Utah. You’ll definitely want to add this park to your agenda if you’re visiting the Grand Canyon, or Utah’s eastern parks like Arches and Canyonlands. Just past the border, turn east onto Monument Valley Road, which takes you towards the visitors center and into the park.

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

To read more about Monument Valley, go here. 

Monument Valley: It Should Be On One's Bucket List

Above, Monument Valley's West and East Mittens. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Monument Valley is one place that every American, especially film buffs, are familiar with.

It is best known through westerns directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne starting with Stagecoach in 1939.

It has appeared in non-western movies as well, such as Forrest Gump (1994) and, believe it or not, Godzilla Final Wars (2004).

A tour of Monument Valley (a Navajo tribal park) should be on everyone's bucket list. 

Only In Your State posted an article on making Monument Valley on bucket list of tours to take.

They begin it with:

Monument Valley is one destination that is rich in beauty, culture, and history. However, it is also a destination that is often overlooked and doesn’t receive the attention that many national and state parks in Utah receive. To help change that, there is one underrated tour that is an absolute must. It is the Monument Valley Historical Sightseeing Tour and it will change the way you think and feel about this remarkable and unique area in southern Utah. It’s a tour that every history buff, Utah resident, and out-of-state guest needs to put at the top of their bucket list.

Above, yours truly at Artist's Point in 2022.

I took the 2.5 hour afternoon tour in 2016 and the sunrise tour in 2022. Both were equally enjoyable. I camped at Goulding's Lodge Campground both times.

To read more, go here. 

How To Visit Monument Valley In 2024

Above, a morning view of John Ford Point. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're only now just starting the second month of 2024, but vacation season will start in four months. 

In case one is now thinking about a vacation to somewhere, The Planet D has posted a guide to vising Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in 2024.

I have been to Monument Valley several times, most recently in October 2022. I camp at nearby Goulding's Lodge Campground. If one is interested in geography or old western movies, it is a place worth seeing

The Planet D begins with:

Monument Valley just hits differently. The red-sand desert floor stretches over 92,000 acres across the Utah-Arizona border, dotted with sandstone buttes and dirt roads. This region is best known for Monument Valley Tribal Park – a once frequent filming location for old Western movies. You’ve already seen the valley on your TV screen. It has featured as a backdrop for all the John Wayne films, plus classics like Forrest Gump. But there is more to the valley than just good looks. You can visit attractions like the Navajo Shadehouse Museum and enjoy incredible hiking trails.

Researching Monument Valley is so much fun. It is one of the most famous sections of any Arizona road trip and one of the leading US road trips. Between the red-sand scenery and Hollywood-worthy scenic drive, Monument Valley has wiggled its way onto millions of bucket lists. 

To read more, go here. 

Mesa Verde Eclipse Viewing Information

Above, Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park will be closed due to tribal eclipse rituals, the next best place to view the annular eclipse on October 14 in the Four Corners would be Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

The path of the eclipse will take it over the park.

However, there's just one problem: if there's still a government shutdown on October 14, Mesa Verde National Park will be closed. That's unless the state of Colorado pays to keep it open.

In case there's no shutdown on that date, The Denver Post has an article on everything one needs to know about viewing it at Mesa Verde.

They begin it with:

NASA personnel will soon be in Colorado for a celestial event that hasn’t been visible from North America in more than a decade.

On Oct. 14, Mesa Verde National Park in Southwest Colorado will be almost directly in line with the annular solar eclipse. During this type of event, the moon comes between the Earth and the sun and blocks most of the light.

Because the moon will be at one of its furthest points away from the Earth, the moon will appear smaller than the sun and not block its light completely. Instead, the moon will appear as a black dot surrounded by what’s called a “ring of fire.”

It’s a stunning sight – one that can only be viewed safely with the aid of protective eyewear, according to NASA. That’s why Mesa Verde is expecting robust crowds during the otherwise sleepy shoulder season.

“This event might be pretty huge compared to an average October day,” said Eric Sainio, supervisory park ranger at Mesa Verde. “NASA has told us that in former annual eclipses, they’ve seen crowds something like a busy summer day plus 50%. For us, that might mean around 6,000 people.”

The last time an annular solar eclipse was visible from North America was in 2012. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about making the trek to Mesa Verde to witness the event.

Note: These details may be affected by the federal government shutdown. Visit nps.gov for the latest information about park closures.

To read more, go here. 

All Navajo Tribal Parks To Be Closed During Annular Eclipse Oct. 14

Above, the start of the "diamond ring effect" of the 2017 Great American Eclipse. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I had guessed in my September 19 blog post of the closure of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park during the October 14 annular solar eclipse, all other Navajo tribal parks will be closed during the event.

According to Space.com:

A solar eclipse will be visible across most of the Americas, including eight U.S. states from Oregon to Texas, in October, but you won't be able to see it from a few key places after all. 

While millions of people will be flocking to the path of annularity — the narrow strip from which the 'ring of fire' solar eclipse can be seen — there are some locations along this path that will be closed to the public during the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14. 

This month, it was announced that all Navajo Tribal Parks would close from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. MDT on October 14, 2023, due to Navajo cultural beliefs surrounding the event. This includes Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park and parts of the Tséyi’ Diné Heritage Area in Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Local businesses may also be closed.  

In Navajo culture, an eclipse is a new beginning. The Navajo word for a solar eclipse jóhonaa'éí daaztsą́ means "the death of the sun" according to Navajo Traditional Teachings. During a solar eclipse, many Navajo people will remain inside, fasting and praying.

To read more, go here.

Monument Valley To Be Closed During "Ring of Fire" Eclipse

Above, the West and East Mittens and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The annular solar eclipse that will take place on October 14 will cross directly over Monument Valley Tribal Park.

Unfortunately, the park will be closed for five hours that day.

Forbes reported:

Will Monument Valley be open for the “ring of fire” solar eclipse on Oct. 14? No—the iconic destination within the Navajo Nation on the Arizona-Utah border will be closed for five hours over the “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse, it has been confirmed. 

A public notice dated Friday, Sept, 15 is now displayed on the website of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park that reads:

“Please Be Advised the Navajo Tribal Parks will be in observance of the Eclipse on October 14, 2023 in regards to cultural beliefs during the eclipse. Navajo Tribal Parks will be Closed from 8:00 am and will reopen at 1:00 pm.”

My home in Jamestown, New Mexico will be on the eclipse's path, so I don't have to drive anywhere to see it.

To read more go here. 

Awe-inspiring Monument Valley & Old West

Above, a sunrise view of the Mittens and Merrick Butte. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of my favorite places in the Southwest to visit is Monument Valley Tribal Park. I was last there in October. It is about three hours from home.

It has been used over the years for location shoots of many movies, including, Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, The Searchers and many others.

Easy Reader News has posted an article on visiting Monument Valley.

It begins with:

There is a very special place on the Arizona/Utah border that is synonymous with the American West and should be visited by every photographer at least once. This giant landscape is tailor-made for mobile phone cameras and the ultra-wide angle lens. No fancy gear needed!

It’s Monument Valley, part of the Navajo Nation, discovered by the director John Ford back in the 1930s, and immortalized ever since in such films as “Stagecoach” “Back to the Future III” and “Thelma and Louise.”

To read more, go here. 

Planning A Southwest Road Trip

Above, an early morning view of The Mittens and Merrick
 Butte at Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Summer is just around the corner and now is the time to start thinking and planning a vacation trip.

If one is stuck wondering about where to go and do, the East Bay Times as a suggestion: an epic road trip through the Southwest.

They begin it with:

When you’re from California, it’s easy to think that some of the world’s most beautiful and wild, rugged places are right here in our lovely state. But while the Golden State has plenty of incredible scenery to offer, both back in those Wild West days as well as now, the landscapes across America’s Southwest are some of the most spectacular to be found anywhere on the planet.

A road trip is a perfect way to see our favorite special spots in the Southwest — Nevada, Utah and Arizona — where you can see ghost towns, hoodoos, natural arches, sandstone spectacles, dark-sky stars and a really huge hole in the ground.

Before you begin, consider purchasing an annual national parks pass at the first park you enter. That $80 pass gets everyone in your car into every national park for a full year. You don’t have to be an American citizen to buy an annual pass, but if you are, and you’re age 62-plus, buy your lifetime pass for $80 and never again pay to enter a U.S. national park. (Considering that Zion National Park’s entry fee is $35 per car, getting the annual pass is something of a no-brainer.)

To read more, go here.

A "Must-See" Spectacle At Monument Valley

Above, the West and East Mittens at dusk. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Twice a year, a view called "a must-see spectacle" occurs at Monument Valley Tribal Park.

It involves the famous East and West Mittens. I've been to Monument Valley three times, most recently last October. During each of my visits, the spectacle didn't occur.

From Wyoming Public Media:

MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah — A sunset spectacle featuring two mitten-shaped rock formations played out this week at Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation along the Arizona and Utah border.

Twice a year, in late March and mid-September, spectators, photographers and videographers get a visual treat. As the sun sinks, the West Mitten Butte's shadow crawls across the desert valley floor before climbing up the side of the East Mitten Butte.

The spectacle draws people from around the world to Monument Valley Tribal Park, which already is popular with tourists.

To read more, and see a photo, go here. 

Behind Monument Valley's West & East Mitten Buttes

Above, the Mittens and Merrick Butte at dawn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Perhaps the most recognizable images of the Southwest are the East and West Mittens (also called Right and Left Mittens) of Monument Valley. This is especially true of the westerns of John Ford and John Wayne.

TheTravel has posted an article about the Mittens and the rest of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

They begin it with:

Perhaps nothing better symbolizes the American Southwest than Monument Valley and its iconic scenery, along with its extraordinary collection of buttes. These buttes are located in the present-day Navajo Nation (the largest American Indian reservation). The two most iconic buttes are perhaps East Butte and West Butte. They are free to visit and have long captured the public imagination. They have become ingrained in America's mythic "Wild West" and shape the perception of the Southwest.

To read more (and see plenty of photographs), go here. 

Monument Valley, Totem Pole and Clint Eastwood

Above, Totem Pole (center) as seen during my 2016 tour of Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During his heyday as an action film star, Clint Eastwood often pushed the envelope to deliver the goods for his movies when outdoors doing action scenes.

One such time was in The Eiger Sanction (1975) in which Eastwood plays a college art professor who is also a retired secret agent for a secret government spy agency that specializes in eliminating (called sanctions) enemies. He is called back into service, reluctantly, by the agency head who is a full-fledged albino (played by Thayer David of Dark Shadows fame). 

Above a view of Totem Pole taken last October. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

He is charged to sanction someone connected with an international climbing team of Switzerland's Eiger mountain for murdering a fellow agent who was also a friend. He proceeds to Utah for his pre-climb training under the wing of George Kennedy. Scenes of his training include Zion National Park (Checkerboard Mesa, the Zion Lodge pool (now gone)) and Monument Valley Tribal Park, where Eastwood became the last person to legally climb the 400 foot tall Totem Pole. Scenes of his Totem Pole climb are spectacular, particularly when Eastwood and Kennedy pop open some beer while sitting atop it. While Eastwood climbed the world's tallest spire himself, Kennedy was airlifted onto it by helicopter.

During recent years, I took two tours of Monument Valley with Goulding's Lodge Tours and saw Totem Pole from two distant vantage points.