Monument Valley is a magnificent red-sand desert region on the Arizona-Utah border, known for the towering sandstone buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. An iconic filming location for Western movies, it is accessed by the looping, 17-mile Valley Drive which we visited for 6 days in April, 2023
Here we are parked in our campsite for the week at Gouldings Campground in Monument Valley
This is view from our windshield at our campsite at Gouldings Campground in Monument Valley
Across the canyon from our campsite is this rock formation - Libby reaching for the sky in the middle
Here we are headed for the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center, Taffy on high alert
Photo at a viewpoint of the East & West Mitten Buttes - photo of me holding our new pup Riley
Closein photo of me holding our new mini-Schnauzer pup Riley
Photo near sunset across the Valley near Gouldings Resort
The same view taken from the Gouldings Museum with an authentic stagecoach parked outside.
Libby and I are standing at a scenic overlook known as John Wayne's Point
The Duke filmed 5 famous western films here in Monument Valley with director John Ford
To Libby's right & left are East & West Mitten Butte, and to my left is Merrick Butte
Here's a zoomed in closeup of Merrick Butte
Up near the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center is a sign promoting Navajo tours of the Valley.
We took a guided Navajo Jeep Tour of the scenic 17 mile Loop through the Valley.
That formation is called the Three Sisters, a.k.a. "W V" for Welcome Visitors!
Here I am standing at a different viewpoint with Merrick Butte over my right shoulder
This is a different viewpoint on the Loop tour with one of the Mitten Buttes and a long plateau
Here are Libby and I posed in front of the same view.
This is an isolated view of the impressive long plateau
This is a different distant view across Monument Valley
Another interesting group of rock formations on the Loop tour
An interesting arch formation out along the restricted part of the Loop tour (Navajo guides only)
Another interesting arch formation in the same area with our jeep out in front
This interesting formation has a hole in the overhead which allows sunlight to shine thru below.
Some interest petroglyphs left by ancient Navajo inhabitants of Monument Valley
Our Navajo guide called this small rock formation "E.T." after the famous film character
Here I am in front of a little Navajo Arts store at John Ford Pont
If my photos have left you wanting to learn more about Monument Valley, may I suggest you watch this 20 minute historical video on Youtube called "Among the Monuments"
