Whether approaching Monument Valley from the north (Utah, 25 miles) or south (Arizona, 28 miles) the drive is awe inspiring. It probably is one of the most photographed roads in the Southwest. The road through this richly colored land of majestic red monoliths, spires, hoodoos, and mesas rewards travelers with one of the Southwest's most unusual and inspiring landscapes.
Kayenta
Kayenta is your gateway to Monument Valley. While there, visit the Navajo Culture Center in Kayenta. This small museum is housed in a shade house located between Burger King and Hampton Inn and displays items and structures common to the Navajo culture. In addition there is a section on Navajo Code talkers from World War II.
Monument Valley
Monument Valley became an overnight attraction for sightseers and Old West buffs in 1939 when director John Ford began filming movies there. Movies continue to be filmed here and have included in recent decades: National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Back to the Future Part III (1990), Forrest Gump (1994), Mission: Impossible II (2000), The Lone Ranger (2013), A Thousand Ways to Die in the West (2014), and Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014).
Experiencing one of the most majestic - and most photographed - points on earth. The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park maintains a visitor center, campground and restaurant, with Navajo-guided tours operating from the visitor center and Goulding's Lodge. A 17-mile, graded dirt loop road within Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park allows breathtaking views of the better known monuments.
Goulding's Trading Post is a lodge, trading post, and museum located just north of the Arizona-Utah border, adjacent to the Navajo Tribal Park in Monument Valley. Opened in 1989, the museum is both a showcase of varied artifacts and a glimpse into a bygone era. It is comprised of several rooms that show case different aspects of life at Monument Valley.
