Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

The majestic buttes in Monument Valley have appeared in TV shows and movies for years. The area was brought into the spotlight by Harry Goulding, who owned a ranch nearby. During the Depression, in hopes of stimulating the economy in the area he contacted his friend, film director John Ford, to scout the area for filming. The rest, as they say, is history.

I've always wanted to visit this iconic symbol of the West. It didn't disappoint. We stayed in Monument Valley Camp Park right across the Arizona border in Utah just a couple of miles outside the Tribal Park.

Our first goal was to find "The Mittens." They were hard to miss!

We stayed that first evening to watch the shadows change as the sun was setting.

Sunset on the Mittens

Early the next morning we drove out on the road leading up to Monument Valley to watch the sunrise. You can just hear "Run, Forrest, Run! 

Within the park you can drive a 17-mile unpaved loop road to soak in the beauty of the valley. Here are some of the buttes and vistas we saw.

The Totem Pole

The Three Sisters

Artists Point

Seriously?

This overlook is called John Ford Point, named for the movie director who filmed many movies at this location. The Navajo man in the photo lets people sit on his horse at the edge of this point and have their pictures taken. The person in the photo below has just had her picture taken. The Navajo man is coming back to get her. It is a narrow strip of land with steep drop offs on either side.  

The classic western scene

Monument Valley was wonderful, but it's time to move on. Next up, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah.