Because the land is located inside the Navajo Nation, taking a full Monument Valley tour requires you to hire a local tour guide. However, you can take the scenic drive through the park on your own as long as you don’t wander too far away from the road. There’s still plenty you can see from the 17-mile scenic road that winds through Monument Valley, so it’s well worth a trip even if you don’t hire a guide to gain access to the off-limits areas.
Monument Valley is known for its unique and striking geological formations. Since these towering buttes and spires can easily be viewed from the road, you can fully enjoy the tribal park without paying to get a closer look, although the guided tours are also a terrific way to spend a day. When you first enter Monument Valley, you’ll see the Mittens, two iconic buttes that stand next to one another. You might recognize them from any number of classic Hollywood movies, including Stagecoach, The Searchers, and Once Upon a Time in the West. More recently, Monument Valley has been prominently featured in Forrest Gump, The Lone Ranger, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. The Mittens were also famously used as the backdrop for the iconic Marlboro Man advertisem*nts of the 1950s.
If you’re looking to experience Monument Valley without having to pay for a guided tour, we recommend our own Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Self-Guided Driving Tour. The tour will take you all the way through the 17-mile scenic drive, with 35 stops and points of interest along the way. You’ll also learn a little bit more about the history of the Navajo people and the park itself, including its Hollywood legacy.
Explore the “Wild West” of Hollywood and Navajo history as you drive through Monument Valley's dramatic landscape. This self-guided
self-guided
A self-guided tour is a tour in which the participant is not escorted by a guide. As with escorted tours, self-guided tours may be conducted on foot or by vehicle.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Self-guided_tour
audio tour along a 17-mile Navajo route allows you to enjoy the incredible panoramas while learning about Navajo culture, tribal history, and Hollywood stardom.
This entails driving the 17-mile loop and planning your own itinerary. Alternatively, you can book a tour that will take you around the area. The unique, red rock formations of Monument Valley make it easy to see why it's so popular with tourists.
The Mittens and the Valley Drive dirt road. Please note: if it rains, this road can become impassable, even if you have four-wheel drive. This is the only part of Monument Valley you can visit without taking a tour. To go off the Valley Drive and explore further, you must schedule a tour with one of the many companies.
If you're planning a trip near the region, a self-guided drive through Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park will bring you the best of nature's wonderland–from gorgeous red rock creations to towering spires and buttes. And if you're wondering can you drive through Monument Valley, the answer is yes, and it's easy to do!
Explore the “Wild West” of Hollywood and Navajo history as you drive through Monument Valley's dramatic landscape. This self-guided audio tour along a 17-mile Navajo route allows you to enjoy the incredible panoramas while learning about Navajo culture, tribal history, and Hollywood stardom.
Unless you decide to take a guided tour, there's probably no reason to spend more than five or six hours in Monument Valley. The sights are gorgeous, but the loop itself is fairly short and you can't really do any exploring on your own. Still, it's a great way to spend a morning or afternoon with your family.
Fall and spring are the best times to visit Monument Valley. This is when temperatures are most pleasant. If you are looking for warm days and comfortable nights, we recommend September as the best month to visit Monument Valley. Monument Valley is cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
Staying overnight in Monument Valley offers an experience that goes beyond the typical day trip, allowing visitors to witness the park in all its changing lights and moods.
The drive through Monument Valley covers a 17-mile (27 km) loop road. Most people spend about 3 hours driving through the valley, but some people spend as little as 2 hours or even longer than 4 hours, and basically it all depends on you and how much time do you want to spend at Monument Valley.
Fees: $8 per person per day. Children 7 and under are free. Visitor Center hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., year-round. Scenic Drive summer hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last vehicles are permitted onto the drive at 6 p.m. and must depart it by 8 p.m.
Offering easy access to some of the most beautiful scenery in the heart of the famous Monument Valley, the scenic drive is definitely worth it! It allows you to get really close to some of the most impressive rock formations and enjoy amazing views that you wouldn't see otherwise.
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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