Exploring Navajo Country

Thursday, October 1 2026

My drive today was from Mexican Hat, Utah to Page, Arizona with stops at Monument Valley Tribal Park and Navajo National Monument. All but the last 3 miles (5 km) of the 170 mile (274 km) journey was within the Navajo Nation, a semi autonomous region where the tribe has jurisdiction over most aspects of life.

Monument Valley is probably well known to most for its massive, interestingly shaped red sandstone buttes but, unfortunately, the stereotypical view, as seen in the movie Forest Gump, was hidden from my dash cam today due to fog. Luckily the fog and clouds largely cleared as I went further down the valley.

The clouds hung low and then suddenly ended. This photo, and the next, were taken from the same spot about 3 seconds apart This is the view in front and to the left.

and this is the view directly in front of me.

I had only visited the tribal park once before, with my friend Tom, when we hired a guide for a private Jeep tour. Basically, the park consists of a restaurant, hotel, car park and viewing platform with a tiny visitor center outlining the basic statistics of the Navajo Nation. It’s main purpose is to collect $10 per visitor and offer guided tours. I tried to book a tour online but did not find anything that allowed a single person to book. The minimum was two tickets per order even though these were not private tours and the vehicles typically carry 12 to 15 people. There is a 17 mile dirt road that visitors can drive for $15 on top of the entrance fee but everywhere else in the valley is only accessible on a tour. I don’t resent the tribe making money from tourism as native Americans are among the poorest people in the US and have been treated horribly by the US government but it is the reason that I normally drive past.

I did get some nice photographs from the viewing area.

I could not find the name of this butte but I like it. Driving around and imagining that all of the Colorado plateau was once as high as the butte got me wondering about the huge volume of rock that must have been deposited elsewhere or in the ocean as everything else was eroded away.

These three buttes are called the Mittens and are the main focus for the photographers at the visitor center. The start of the self-drive tourist loop is in the foreground. Here the wisps of cloud enhance the view.

The Navajo National Monument protects several areas of cliff dwellings dating from the 13th century. Visitation to the dwellings is only by ranger guided tours and they are only offered from the last week of May to the first week of September but there is a nice trail from the visitor center to an overlook of the Betatakin Cliff Dwelling.