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WHAT IS IT?Isolated red rock buttes, mesas and spires that have been indelibly etched in the world’s collective memory due to their ubiquitous role in American Western films.
BEAUTY (9/10)
Monument Valley’s surrounding is simultaneously absolutely familiar and unbelievably strange. The red rock formations known as the Mittens, the Three Sisters and Elephant Butte stand in their desert setting strong and alone, unobstructed by cliffs, other mesas and canyon walls. They are tough; they are John Wayne. They are our mental geographic image of the West.
But when you stand in the monuments’ shadows your perspective changes. The dirt is so red, the rock lines so odd and the formations’ stature so awesome. At this point, the landscape feels like nothing else on earth. The sunset brings infinite shades as you stare, mouth agape, at the beauty. Hollywood’s cowboys and Indians disappear; this place is too amazing.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (7/10)
What is history? Is it strictly the events of the past or does it also include the myths that have altered our factual memory? When modern leaders are referred to as cowboys and gunslingers are we imagining textbooks-based evidence of the American West or the Hollywood representation? Little happened here but that does not mean that Monument Valley’s effect on history has not been great.
CROWDS (8/10)
The myth of the American West is alive and well outside of our borders. We overheard Japanese, French, German, Dutch, Spanish and a full range of English accents. More than half of the Park’s visitors seemed to be international travelers. Only at Monument Valley will you hear four middle age Britons discuss how much a place reminds them of their youth.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (1/5)While we were in Moab, Utah we got into a discussion with a man about the most remote park in the Southwest. He offered up Monument Valley. It is hard to argue with his choice. Park entrance is just off U.S. Route 163 near the Utah-Arizona border. Flagstaff, to the SE, is 182 miles away. Durango, Colorado, to the E, is 185 miles away and Moab, Utah, to the NE is 175 miles away. In all other directions is a whole lot of nothing.
Monument Valley Tribal Park is still active in its role as Hollywood background and potent symbol of the American West. Movies are still filmed here, albeit not as much as they once were. The Park still features prominently in what seems like every other SUV commercial. In order to maintain its timeless ruggedness, the 17-mile loop road through the Park is unpaved but passable. Your shocks will be fine. Just make sure you find a car wash soon to remove what will be a thick layer of red dirt.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (1/5)
We could not find a bookstore in the Tribal Park’s Visitor Center.
COSTS (2/5)
Park entry is $5 per person. Your National Parks Pass does not work here; the independent Navajo Nation runs Monument Valley. Campsites are $10. If you do not camp, your Park Entry is good for only one day. If you stay at the nearby motel and plan to return the following day, it is going to cost you entry anew.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (1/5)
No official Rangers on site. If you wish to keep your car relatively pristine, unaffiliated (with the Park) Navajo Nation guides offer tours in their 4x4’s for a steep but manageable price.
TOURS/CLASSES (2/10)
Educational chances here are few and far between. The museum has an interesting display on a Navajo man now teaching in Slovenija and training to climb Mount Everest. A film about the Navajo wind talkers, World War II encoders, is shown on request.
FUN (9/10)There is a good reason that John Ford filmed all his classic westerns here: Monument Valley is exceptionally photogenic. Bring extra film. If you have a digital camera, bring an extra memory card.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (10/10)
Are you really going to travel to the Southwest and say you didn’t see Monument Valley? That’s like going to South Dakota and forgetting to go to Mount Rushmore or driving to New York without looking at the Statue of Liberty.
Monument Valley is the visual image of the American West. And unlike so many other symbols of America, we didn’t even have to build it.
TOTAL 50/80
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