- Drive the 17-mile dirt road to get up close and personal to Monument Valley
- Take your time and stop at amazing formations and landscape views
- See Merrick Butte and Mitchell Mesa, named for two silver prospectors
- Stop at Artist’s Point and grab your brushes and canvas – or camera
Why should I drive the Monument Valley?
Monument Valley Arizona, near the border with Utah, offers a lovely view of the Colorado Plateau and special formations of rock spires, buttes and mesas. It’s a unique trip on a scenic drive within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.
Where does the Monument Valley drive begin and end?
Your tour of Monument Valley AZ starts at the end of the paved road into the valley area (accessible from US Highway 163) and circles to come back to the entrance point.
How long does the Monument Valley take to drive?
To take a scenic drive through Arizona Monument Valley, you will normally spend about two or three hours to drive for 17 miles on a dirt road from start to finish. The time you spend depends on how much time to stop at each special site.
What will I see along the way?
When you embark on the Monument Valley National Park drive, you can pick up a scenic drive brochure with a map. The descriptive names were bestowed on the various sites by early settlers and by the Navajo people.
- East and West Mitten Buttes: These buttes resemble hands.
- Merrick Butte and Mitchell Mesa: This butte and mesa were named for two prospectors who discovered silver here and were killed by Ute Indians.
- Elephant Butte: This butte is appropriately named, which you will see from its giant shape.
- Three Sisters: You can imagine a Catholic nun facing two of her pupils.
- Camel Butte: Shaped like a mid-eastern camel, this butte faces west.
- The Hub: For the Navajo people, this area symbolizes the fireplace in the center of a Navajo home.
- Rain God Mesa: This marks the center of the park. The rain god stored water so the people never went thirsty.
- Bird Spring: Here you’ll stand and look out over a vast sand dune.
- Totem Pole Spire: See what erosion can do to a butte.
- The Yei Bi Chei: This formation shows dancers as they emerge from a Navajo home.
- Artist's Point: This is the perfect place to get the perfect landscape painted of this incredible land.
- Spearhead Mesa: You will be able to see the spearhead in this spire monument.
- North Window: The view of the northern valley provides sights never to forget, such as the Elephant Butte and Cly Butte.
- The Thumb: You may wonder why this freestanding spire is called the Thumb. It looks more like a cowboy boot.
