36.9969° N, 110.0986° W
THIS ULTIMATE MONUMENT VALLEY TRAVEL GUIDE COVERS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING THE STUNNING MONUMENT VALLEY ON THE BORDER OF ARIZONA AND UTAH IN THE USA.
Known as Tse’Bii’Ndzisgaii in the native Navajo language, the stunning Monument Valley is by far one of the most well-known icons of the American West. In fact, pop culture critic Keith Phipps stated that "its [Monument Valley's] five square miles have defined what decades of moviegoers think of when they imagine the American West."
But Monument Valley, or its full name the Monument Valley Tribal Park, is much more than just a marketing tool for cowboy movies or as a name for a popular online puzzle game. In truth, it is a mesmerizing desert destination full of adventure and wonder - and some pretty incredible buttes; including, the iconic West and East Mitten Buttes, Merrick Butte and the Three Sisters.
We strongly suggest that if you are anywhere near Monument Valley - including in other popular desert destinations like Lake Powell or Page, Arizona - you put aside some time and add it to your road trip itinerary. We promise you will be blown away, not just by the massive rock structures and drop-dead gorgeous desert landscape, but also by Monument Valley's rich culture and its strong connection to the Navajo Nation (the valley is considered a sacred place for the Navajo people).
❔ GOOD TO KNOW: Monument Valley is NOT a USA national park, instead it is a Navajo Nation Tribal Park - which is the equivalent of a national park just on Navajo land. Therefore, even if you have the Annual National Park Pass you will still need to pay to enter (see more about this below).
Below you will find our comprehensive Monument Valley Travel Guide that covers everything fellow adventurers need to know about visiting and exploring the stunning valley.
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🚌 HOW TO GET TO MONUMENT VALLEY 🥾 THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN MONUMENT VALLEY
☼ THE BEST TIME TO VISIT MONUMENT VALLEY 🗺 THE BEST ADVENTURES NEAR MONUMENT VALLEY
🏕 WHERE TO STAY IN MONUMENT VALLEY 📎 OUR 2 DAY ITINERARY FOR MONUMENT VALLEY
THE ULTIMATE MONUMENT VALLEY
TRAVEL GUIDE
MONUMENT VALLEY | THE BASICS
WHERE IS MONUMENT VALLEY
This stunning and simply iconic Western destination is located smack dab on the border of the US states of Utah and Arizona in the American Southwest. As mentioned, the valley lies within the territory of the Navajo Nation Reservation, which is the home of the Navajo people and also the largest land area retained by a Native American tribe in the whole USA (by area, the Navajo Nation is larger than 10 US states).
💬 INSIDER TIP: the nearby tourist attraction the Four Corners Monument - which is the point where four different US states meet - is also on Navajo Nation land. It is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to the east of Monument Valley.
HOW TO GET TO MONUMENT VALLEY
Due to Monument Valley's relatively remote location, there are very few major cities nearby - at least no major cities with a sizeable airport. In fact, if you are planning to visit Monument Valley and are hoping to fly in and rent a car, then expect to put in at least 3 hours of driving - likely a couple hours more.
Below are the closest major cities to Monument Valley, as well as a few other awesome adventure destinations nearby.
THE CLOSEST BIG CITIES TO MONUMENT VALLEY
| Phoenix, Arizona - 5 hours and 10 minutes south; has a major airport
| Las Vegas, Nevada - 6.5 hours west; has a major airport
| Salt Lake City, Utah - 6 hours and 22 minutes north; has a major airport
| Denver, Colorado - 8 hours northeast; has a major airport
| Flagstaff, Arizona - 3 hours south, has a small airport and also an Amtrak train station
THE CLOSEST ADVENTURE DESTINATIONS TO MONUMENT VALLEY
| Page, Arizona - 2 hours and 6 minutes to the west
| Antelope Canyon - 2 hours to the west (near Page)
| Grand Canyon National Park - 2 hours and 35 minutes to the southwest (near Flagstaff)
| Moab and Arches National Park - roughly 5 hours to the north (we did this drive and absolutely loved it!)
➳ You can find even more nearby adventure destinations at the end of this travel guide.
