Monument Valley
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Categories: Colorado Plateau | Regions of Arizona | Valleys of Arizona | Rock formations in Arizona | Valleys of Utah | Rock formations in Utah | Regions of Utah
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Image:Monumentvalleyviewfromnorth.jpg
View of Monument Valley in Utah, looking south on highway 163 from 13 miles north of the Arizona/Utah State line.
Monument Valley is located on the southern border of Utah with northern Arizona (around ). The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation, and is accessible from U.S. Highway 163. The Navajo name for the valley is Tsé Bii' Ndzisgaii (Valley of the Rocks).
GeologyImage:USA 10315 Monument Valley Luca Galuzzi 2007.jpg
Totem Pole formation in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The floor is largely Cutler Red siltstone or its sand deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide. The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is Organ Rock shale, the middle de Chelly sandstone and the top layer is Moenkopi shale capped by Shinarump siltstone. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed Eye of the Sun. Between 1948 and 1967, the southern extent of the Monument Upwarp was mined for uranium, which occurs in scattered areas of the Shinarump siltstone; vanadium and copper are associated with uranium in some deposits (see Uranium mining in Arizona). The Valley in mediaThe twin buttes of the Valley ("the Mittens"), the "Totem Pole," and the Ear of the Wind arch, among other features, have developed iconic status. They have appeared in many television programs, commercials, and Hollywood movies, especially Westerns. Image:Monumentvalley.jpg
Monument Valley Panorama, taken from the Visitor Center and showing the "Mittens" and the road which makes a loop-tour through the Park
FilmImage:USA 10279 Monument Valley Luca Galuzzi 2007.jpg
John Ford's Point in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
Director John Ford's 1939 film Stagecoach, starring John Wayne, has had an enduring influence in making the Valley famous. After that first experience, Ford returned nine times to shoot Westerns — even when the films were not set in Arizona or Utah (see The Searchers, set in Texas, but filmed here). A popular lookout point is named in his honor as "John Ford Point." It was used by Ford in a scene from The Searchers where an American Indian village is attacked.
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TourismImage:Monument Valley 2.jpg
Monument Valley from the valley floor.
Monument Valley is a large area, but the most scenic locations are within Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, a Navajo Nation equivalent to a national park. A visitor center, and small convenience/souvenir shop stands on the rim of the valley, and includes a restaurant. Visitors can pay an access fee and drive through the park on a 17-mile dirt road (a 2-3 hour trip). Tours are also available, and the fee varies between about $40 and $100 per person depending on the services provided and route. There are parts of Monument Valley which are only accessible by guided tour, such as Mystery Valley and Hunt's Mesa. Horseback rides are also available from various establishments both inside the park and in the general area, and rates vary widely depending on the length of the ride. Rides may be only an hour, or overnight camping trips. . Monument Valley is part of the Grand Circle, which includes the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef, Natural Bridges, Hovenweep, Arches National Park, and many other attractions. LodgingImage:Hogan Navajo (intérieur).JPG
Interior of a "male" style Navajo hogan, with a stove made from a 55 gallon barrel
It is often difficult to find a place to stay near Monument Valley during the peak tourist season (between May and October). Places to stay include Goulding's Lodge, which includes a swimming pool, gift shop, and restaurant, located about 10 miles from the park, and Bed and Breakfast establishments such as FireTree Bed and Breakfast, where guests can sleep in a traditionally built Navajo hogan. Campgrounds are also available, including Goulding's campground, and a campground near the rim of the Valley operated by Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. There are also lodgings further from the park, in Bluff (50 miles), Mexican Hat (22 miles) and Kayenta (about 25 miles). Each small town has several motels, such as the Desert Rose Inn in Bluff, the Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn in Kayenta, and the San Juan Inn in Mexican Hat, located on a ledge above the San Juan River. See also
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