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Monument Valley?

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Texas T said:
I agree with everything Stephen said. Depending upon when you go, be prepared for some HEAT. Remember that you are treading on Tribal land and the Navajo do not take lightly anything that could be interpreted as desecration. Behave yourself.

I hired a Navajo guide the last time I went into the Valley and we were taken off the beaten path.

MV is my 2nd most favorite spot in Arizona with the Grand Canyon being the 3rd, but Canyon de Chelly being in the top spot. I love that place, but again, you're in Tribal land. You can drive/ride around the rim, but if you want to go down into the canyon you need a native guide. In my opinion, it is the best way to see everything and to learn the history. To this day, Navajo people still live and farm within the walls of the canyon, roughly 5000 years after their ancestors discovered the place. Like Mesa Verde in CO, there are numerous cliff dwellings within the canyon.
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Texas T, the last time we were in Arizona, you recommended we go to Canyon de Chelly and the government shut down locked us out. It's first on our list this time. I'll be there Sunday.
 
my6 said:
Ever since I watched the John Wayne US Cavalry movies I've always wanted to go see Monument Valley. It's extremely high up on my bucket list.:rider:
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If you do that, you may want to stay at Goulding's Lodge instead of at the View Hotel. Read this for some background info on Goulding's / John Ford / John Wayne... http://www.gouldings.com/about-us/

The last time I stayed there was in 1978 and my wife and I slept in one of the original cabins. The entrance door was probably 5 1/2 feet high, there was a wood fireplace inside, and the total sq footage was about 150. I don't know when it was built, but based upon everything else I have read, it would have been in the 20s or 30s. For all I know, Ford or Wayne could have slept there in the past. These were built before the Lodge itself was built.

The last time I was there the lodge had expanded and the cabins were gone. :-(
 
humanrace said:
Texas T, the last time we were in Arizona, you recommended we go to Canyon de Chelly and the government shut down locked us out. It's first on our list this time. I'll be there Sunday.
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Excellent. For most folks the Grand Canyon is the ultimate place to visit, but perhaps I'm just jaded from having been there so many times.

For the old timers among us, you may remember the 1969 movie Mackenna's Gold. It had an all star cast and was a big deal back in the day... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackenna's_Gold

If you take the tour you can see many of the sites that they used in the film, including the footholds cut into the canyon walls by the Anasazi many thousands of years ago. You're not allowed into any of the ruins but at least they can get you up close to them. If you don't take the tour you're restricted to what you can see from the canyon rims, and you really need binoculars to see the details of the cliff dwellings so you're so high up.

This info is decades old, so confirm with the guide what you're actually going to see and where you're going to go before you sign up for it.
 
Texas T said:
MV is my 2nd most favorite spot in Arizona with the Grand Canyon being the 3rd, but Canyon de Chelly being in the top spot. I love that place, but again, you're in Tribal land...
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Finally got to mark Canyon de Chelly off my Bucket List last May. It was cold and we didn't stay long, so maybe there's a Bucket List II!
 

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Yeeha! Stephen said:
Finally got to mark Canyon de Chelly off my Bucket List last May. It was cold and we didn't stay long, so maybe there's a Bucket List II!
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We went there back about 2000 and I don't remember having a tribal guide to enter the canyon then.
 
bmcdonau said:
We went there back about 2000 and I don't remember having a tribal guide to enter the canyon then.
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Enjoy a tour into the canyon by vehicle, horseback or hiking. Private companies registered with the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department (NPRD) are authorized to provide canyon tours in the park. Please contact the companies directly for prices, reservations and availability. Reservations are recommended from March to October. Use of POV's, ATV's, UTV's or motorbikes for tours are not permitted.

You can take hikes into the canyon when led by a Ranger, but those hikes are limited to the first 15 people and they have to be signed up for in person.

A guide is NOT needed just to drive the rim road and stop at the various look-out points.
 
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Yeeha! Stephen said:
Yes there is a kiosk for the actual valley. It's on Navajo Reservation land and the Indians charge a fee to drive thru.

http://navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalleyhours.htm

The entrance is off US 163 and like above, I like coming in from Mexican Hat. We usually stay at the San Juan Inn (older but OK) so we can see the Valley early in the morning or late in the day where the light makes the Monuments more photo-worthy. (If you eat at the Café at the San Juan Inn, don't get the Indian Fry Bread... It's just canned Ranch Beans on a fry bread.) The Park opens early so you can get in when the light is right.

You can see a lot of the formations from US 163, but do your Bucket List a favor and spend the $20 to go inside the Navajo Park. You will not regret it.
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Ignored your advice. Slap self 6 to 8 times.
 
Just got back after 2 weeks of touring. The only unguided tour into the Canyon is the White House Trail.
 
humanrace said:
Uploading pics as we speak. Highs in the upper 90s. Lows in the 20s. Snow 3 days. Pass at Brien Head closed. Cedar Breaks snowed in.
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I ran into two riders and wives at the Window Rock memorial and they were from Colorado Springs. They said they came down to get out of the snow. ;-)
 
Just returned from Monument Valle and Hwy. 163 from Mexican Hat to Monument Valley is all new asphalt. Great scenery and beautiful road. Valley of the Gods is free and takes you up to Moki Dugway, awesome road with a killer view. DO IT. Swinging Steak house in Mexican Hat has great steaks.

Monument Valley drive is all gravel, sand etc. Can be done on a large DS but be careful for sand spots. Very dusty but beautiful in every direction. Cannot go off the main road, BIG NO NO to Navajo People. Gouldings has the best campground with pool and nice showers. Monument Valley campground is BASIC, but great views. Enjoy.
 
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