The natural miracle, created by desiccating Colorado winds, is located in the heart of a huge plateau, revealing millions of years later the iridescent riches of sandstone in the form of cliff-remnants. It's about the Navajo Navy "Monument Valley" park, which is located in the southeast of Utah, right on the border with the state of Arizona. However, in fact officially named Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park the reserve is not a national park of the USA, but it does not detract from its delights.
How to get here
To reach the Monument Valley you can on a single highway, so it's almost impossible to get lost. For example, the road from Flagstaff to the car takes about four hours.
A bit of history
The historical owners of the valley - the Navajo Indians - have consolidated their proprietary rights in a monopoly for providing excursions to the valley for motley tourists, thousands visiting the landmark of the state every day. Moreover, part of the tour is a visit to the indigenous settlements of the valley, which live permanently on the territory of Monument Valley, without electricity and running water.
The Indians call their valley the "Place between the rocks," which reflects the geographical description of the sandy vase in which huge rocky boulders and dunes, 300 meters in height, sit comfortably. Most of the rocks were formed in the 19th century, then for the first time white people visited the valley, immediately taking advantage of unique landscapes for the filming of the movie "Stagecoach" in 1938.
Visit center
At the entrance to the park you can get a scheme with the allowed route for self-acquaintance.
Opening hours of the visit: 6: 00-20: 00 (May-September), 7: 00-19: 00 (March-April).
Allowed hours of driving the car in picturesque places: 6: 00-20: 30 (May-September), 8: 00-16: 30 (October-April).
The admission fee is $ 5 for adults, and you can also explore remote corners of the Valley by taking a ride on a horse or jeep.
- After the tour, it is necessary to purchase souvenirs from the local population, namely traditional Indian silver jewelry and masterfully woven rugs and rugs with ritual drawings.
- On the way to the Valley, taste the burgers of the so-called "Mexican McDonald's" in Takobella.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of the Monument Valley
The most famous sights are: "East Varezhka" and "Western Mitten" - two blocks with thin columns slightly apart from the main block of the rock, like the thumbs of mittens; "Superior", "Three Sisters", "Totem Pillar", the famous arch "Wind Ear" and others.
In addition to exploring the picturesque valleys of the Valley, which can be done directly from the car, it is worth to visit the most beautiful and absolutely symmetrical arch of the Rainbow Bridge .It is located just west of the Monument Valley, at the confluence of San Juan in Colorado, over the creeping river Bridge Creek .Sandstone, shimmering with pink, bluish and reddish-brown flowers, acquires amazing outlines against the background of the dazzling blue horizon of the Valley .The discovery of a quaint bridge for mass tourist visits led to the creation of the National Park of Stone Arches three hundred kilometers north of the Rainbow Bridge, a region dotted with unusual rocky piles and stone bridges, has .All the poetics of the Indians splashed out in the names of the exhibits: "Dark Angel", "Ship Pine", "Farewell", "Heavenly Arch", "Landscape" and even "Robe of the Old Maid" .
Another amazing place is located to the south of the Monument Valley in the Painted Desert, where the remains of a fantastic forest still excite the imagination of tourists .Knots, stumps, trunks, branches of ancient trees consist not of wood, but of the strongest stone, the origin of which belongs to the Triassic period of the Mesozoic era .The largest of them are called: "Blue Mountain", "Crystal Forest", "Rainbow Forest", "Black Forest" and "Jasper Forest" .Admiring the petrified fossil forest, inevitably the paths lead to a striking sanctuary of stone trunks "Agate House", the energy of which is legendary .
In addition to a lot of westerns, it was here that the well-known Marlboro advertising backdrop was filmed. Needless to say, how many fathers of families captured their version of the famous advertisement?
On the territory of the valley there is a park "Monument Valley", belonging to the Navajo tribe. The park managers of the Indians are desperately speculating on the glory of their historic homeland: they pose on horses, sell souvenirs and arrange interesting walks along the Valley - riding and jeep.