Much of the bone-dry desert landscape Arizona is known for was only made possible by water erosion over millions of years. Once it was all said and done, iconic red rocks and sandstone pillars like those found at Monument Valley remained. This sacred Navajo park has been photographed more times than almost any other place on Earth, and for good reason.
Monument Valley - or Tse’Bii’Ndzisgaii in Navajo - is the product of 50 million years of slow, methodical wind and water erosion.
Flickr/Airwolfhound Today, the nearly 100,000-acre park spans two states and is one of the most photographed places on Earth.
From the visitor center, a breathtaking panoramic view showcases three buttes: two known as Mittens; the other, Merrick.
Flickr/pedrosz These majestic sandstone formations tower between 400 and 1,000 feet high and their apexes seeming to brush the clouds above.
Take a closer look and you can probably see why the name “Mitten” was chosen.
Flickr/snowpeak As if to agree, the moon often sits perfectly in-between the thumb and index finger during its nightly appearance.
Visit at dawn for perhaps the most spellbinding view possible, when the buttes’ rocky silhouettes dance with the rising sun against the horizon.
Flickr/George Vnoucek Watch their color begin to appear as daybreak slowly creeps in and you’ll find yourself awestruck at something so simple as the cyclical nature of Earth.
Some argue dusk is the most magical time to visit due to the remoteness of the area.
Flickr/snowpeak The sky is so dark that millions of twinkling stars are visible to the naked eye. You’ll be forever changed after watching the Milky Way swirl above the ancient monoliths.
Winter brings with it a scene so peaceful, you could almost reach out and grasp the stillness.
Flickr/mobili Snow as white as pearls blankets the ground, contrasting so beautifully with the rocky maroon landscape.
Jeep tours, which take you on a narrated journey down into the valley, can be purchased at the office.
Flickr/Jirka Matousek We highly recommend this experience, as the Navajo people know the ins-and-outs of their sacred land far better than anyone else - so much so, in fact, that the tour leads to areas of the park not otherwise accessible.
Visit the official park website to learn more.
Flickr/Airwolfhound
Today, the nearly 100,000-acre park spans two states and is one of the most photographed places on Earth.
Flickr/pedrosz
These majestic sandstone formations tower between 400 and 1,000 feet high and their apexes seeming to brush the clouds above.
Flickr/snowpeak
As if to agree, the moon often sits perfectly in-between the thumb and index finger during its nightly appearance.
Flickr/George Vnoucek
Watch their color begin to appear as daybreak slowly creeps in and you’ll find yourself awestruck at something so simple as the cyclical nature of Earth.
The sky is so dark that millions of twinkling stars are visible to the naked eye. You’ll be forever changed after watching the Milky Way swirl above the ancient monoliths.
Flickr/mobili
Snow as white as pearls blankets the ground, contrasting so beautifully with the rocky maroon landscape.
Flickr/Jirka Matousek
We highly recommend this experience, as the Navajo people know the ins-and-outs of their sacred land far better than anyone else - so much so, in fact, that the tour leads to areas of the park not otherwise accessible.
Have you ever been to Monument Valley? If so, what’s your favorite thing about it? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.
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Address: Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ 84536, USA
