Travel Advisory: Monument Valley

Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii: Valley of the Rocks in Navajo.

Monument Valley is the picturesque definition of western America. It is a part of the Colorado Plateau, and is characterized by vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching at 1000 feet above the valley floor.

Located on the Arizona-Utah border (36°59′N 110°6′W) near the area of Four Corners, the valley is within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation and accessible by US Highway 163. Monument Valley exists between 5,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level, and was carved by meandering rivers of millennia ago.

Monument Valley is officially the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, a Navajo Nation equivalent to a national park. Oljato is also within the area designated as Monument Valley, and the Navajo Nation is comprised of more than 25,000 square miles of land. To gain access to Monument Valley, you can pay an access fee of $20 per vehicle (1-4 occupants, ages 6 or younger free) and drive through the 17-mile dirt road (2-3 hour trip) that traces the valley floor. Parts of Monument Valley like Mystery Valley and Hunts Mesa are protected, and only accessible by guided tour.

The valley is within a desert climate and has cold winters and hot summers. The heat ramps up in June with the average day temperature reaching 88 degrees, and July being the hottest month with an average of 92. Days rarely exceed 100 degrees, however the area’s precipitation is less than five inches annually—so humidity and water is scarce. Summer nights are comfortable and cool, with temperatures dropping quickly after sunset into the mid-60s.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Navajo Nation’s parks, or purchasing permits to travel to Monument Valley or surrounding Navajo parks, visit their website.
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