Monument Valley

Monument Valley is on Navajo land which is in both Utah and Arizona. The state lines do not determine the area for the Navajo Nation which spans about 17 million acres across 3 states. We were staying in the Utah side of Monument Valley and would cross the state line into Arizona when we visited the Navajo Visitor Center, museum and  gift store. It is also the starting point for many guided tour activities.

Driving towards Monument Valley

Monument Valley is most famous for the mesa and buttes that have been the backdrop for many movies from John Wayne’s western era all the way to something more recent like Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible and many others. The heavy metal band Metallica even shot a music video (I Disappear) on top of one of the buttes. Interestingly, the Navajo Nation sued Camel and Marlborough cigarette companies for using Monument Valley imagery in their advertisements once they found out smoking is linked to cancer. The landscape is quite something to behold, the red hues from the dirt, rocks and sandstone formations in contrast to the blue sky.

West Mitten Butte, Merrick Butte and East Mitten Butte

Since we only had one full day in Monument Valley, we knew exactly what we had to do to maximize our stay – a 3-hour cultural tour of the area and horseback riding. All the tours are run by the Navajo people and they are the only ones that can take you to the restricted areas in Monument Valley to see petroglyphs, interesting arches and sandstone formations.

Our guide for the cultural tour was extremely knowledgable about his people and history. He said the published history of the Navajo people is wrong as it is written by the perspective of outsiders who have no true understanding of their history and culture. Our first stop was a natural amphitheatre and when we arrived there was a Navajo guide singing a traditional song. After that our guide played the traditional flute. The whole experience was quite special – to listen to the music in a spectacular place. Definitely not an every day experience.

Walking towards the natural ampitheatre

In the late afternoon we went for a horseback ride on the Mittens Trail. It was the first time for the kids on horses. Marcus got the hang of it pretty fast but Caroline was just too timid to kick the horse to go faster, her horse just took his own sweet time along the trail. We rode the horses to the West Mitten butte and it was just amazing seeing it up close.

Against the famous Monument Valley backdrop

Our trip to Monument Valley was short but in that one day of touring we have learnt so much about the Navajo people and culture.