![]() The town’s namesake rock formation - an upside down sombrero - is about 1.5 miles away and is popular with rock climbers. ![]() Several adventure tour companies are located in Mexican Hat, about 30 miles northeast of Monument Valley. Today, you can see the persuasive photos, as well as artwork, pottery and family mementos at the Goulding Trading Post Museum. He went to Los Angeles armed with photos of the unique landscape, hoping to convince directors to come here to film their Westerns. Hollywood’s interest in Monument Valley was piqued by local trading post owner Harry Goulding. Monument Valley ItineraryĪfter you’re awestruck by the scenic drive, there are other things to do in Monument Valley. It has since been featured as a backdrop in countless movies, including 1994’s “Forrest Gump.” Put on your smiley face T-shirt and a trucker hat to pose at the finish line - you know, where the title character said he was tired. Beginning with 1939’s “Stagecoach,” starring John Wayne, Ford’s many happy returns to Monument Valley shaped how much of the outside world pictures the American West. Monument Valley captured a larger audience’s attention via director John Ford’s Westerns. You can even take a little home in the form of handmade jewelry or a dyed wool rug. Explore their history, their way of life, their cuisine and their art. Monument Valley is a window into their culture. The Navajo culture took root centuries before Spaniards entered the area in 1581, and 250,000 of their descendants still live on the 16-million-acre Navajo Nation. Their art and building structures remain, hinting at an ancient resourcefulness that found promise in a foreboding desert. The earliest people to mark the area were the Anasazi, or Ancestral Puebloans, who settled in around 1200 BCE. Find them on one of a dozen hikes nearby (mostly easy with a few that get tricky). There are plenty of things to see in Monument Valley, including natural bridges and a wealth of Anasazi ruins. A handful of outfits will show you through the area on horseback, just the way people have been exploring it for hundreds of years. Navajo guides can lead you deeper, into Mystery Valley, Hunts Mesa and more. Exploring Monument ValleyĪ 14-mile graded dirt road will show you around most of the major monuments - The Mittens, Three Sisters, John Ford’s Point, Totem Pole, Yei Bi Chai and Ear of the Wind. It’s about 30 minutes from Utah’s section of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. If you’re driving north to Monument Valley via Highway 163, you’ll pass by the town of Oljato-Monument Valley, on the Arizona side of the Utah-Arizona border. The visitor center is open seven days a week. When you arrive, you’ll find a tiny town with a lodge, camping, outfitters and a few restaurants.
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