The Mittens

Navajo Name: Tse'Bii'Ndzisgaii
Elevation: 5,564' above sea level
Size: 91,696 acres
(extends into Arizona & Utah)

Welcome to the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Park.  You are experiencing one of the most majestic - and most photographed - points on earth.

This great valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet. framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding.

The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size.  The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs, trees and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley.  All of this harmoniously combines to make Monument Valley a truly wondrous experience.  Enjoy this beautiful land.

HISTORY
Before human existence, the Park was once a vast lowland basin.  For hundreds of millions of years, materials that eroded from the early Rock Mountains deposited layer upon layer of sediments which cemented a slow and gentle uplift generated by ceaseless pressure from below the surface, elevating these horizontal strata quite uniformly one to three miles above sea level.  What was once a basin became a plateau.

Natural forces of wind and water that eroded the land spent the last 50 million years cutting in to and peeling away at the surface of the  plateau.

The simple wearing down of altering layers of soft and hard rock slowly revealed the natural wonders of Monument Valley today.

From the visitor center, you see the world-famous panorama of the Mitten buttes and Merrick Butte.  You can also purchase guided tours from Navajo tour operators, who will take you down into the valley in jeeps for a narrated cruise through these mythical formations.  Places such as Ear of the Wind and other landmarks can only be accessed via guided tours.  During the summer months, the visitor center also features Haskenneini Restaurant, which specializes in both native Navajo and American cuisines, and film/snack/souvenir shop.  There are year-round restroom facilities.  One mile before the center, numerous Navajo vendors sell arts, crafts, native food and souvenirs at roadside stands.

Three Sisters

Average Monthly Temp(F)

GENERAL INFORMATION: top of page
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Visitor Center Hours
Summer (May-Sept) 6:00am - 8:00pm
Spring (Mar - Apr) 7:00am - 7:00pm
Thanksgiving Day - closed
Christmas Day - closed

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Scenic Drive Hours
Summer (May-Sept) 6:00am - 8:30pm
Winter (Oct - Apr) 8:00am - 4:30pm

Entry Fees
General Admission - $5.00
Ages 9 or under - Free

**National Parks and Golden Eagle Passes are not accepted.

get directions to Monument Valley, using Mapquest.com

view Map

For information contact: top of page
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
PO Box 360289
Monument Valley, Utah 84536
(435)727-5874/5870 or (435)727-5875

The office listed above is located in the Monument Valley visitor center at Monument Valley, Arizona.  Information and permits can be obtained for Rainbow Bridge trails, the San Juan River and the Oljato area.

Navajo Parks & Recreation Department
PO Box 2520
Window Rock, Az. 86515
(928)871-6647

The View Hotel
Four Miles East of Highway 163
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Monument Valley UT 84536
1-435-727-3470
viewhotelandspa@yahoo.com
www.monumentvalleyview.com

Grand Opening
Press Release - 2/1/08

The View Hotel will feature exclusive arts and jewelry designed by Native American designers, along with memoribilia from the history of Monument Valley, from ancient artifacts to Hollywood pictures shot on location.

The Navajo people call this place the Valley of the Rocks, the playground of rivers long past, a place where mother nature left some of her greatest works on earth. Recognized world wide as the definitive image of the Southwest, one would expect Monument Valley to be bustling with visitors, yet the remote locale has set this magical place apart as a truly peaceful and unique experience, free from the crowds and hectic pace of many of the other popular Southwest destinations.

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Black's Hiking Tour
Roy Black
(928)309-8834