MONUMENT VALLEY, SOUTHEASTERN UTAH

Monument Valley, part of the Navajo Indian Reservation, is a scenic region of approximately 2,000 square miles and is located in southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona.  The landscape is made up of tall, red sandstone buttes, mesas and arches which were creates by erosion and reach a height of about 1,000 feet rising out of a sandy plain.

This famous valley is well known for having been the scene of numerous Western movies and to many, it symbolizes the open spaces and rugged landscape of the American West.

The Valley has many rock formations that resemble animals or other images that are familiar to visitors – such as Bear, Rabbit, Stagecoach, etc.  One noteworthy spot is John Ford’s Point which was named for the first Hollywood film director to use the Monument Valley location for a film set.  The film was “Stagecoach” which starred John Wayne. 

The Navajo constitute the largest American Indian tribe in the United States.  In 1981, they numbered about 162,500.  Their main reservation is located in southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico and covers approximately 62,000 square miles.  The Navajo are relative newcomers to the region since they arrived in the area not more than 500 years ago, having originally lived in northwest Canada and in the interior of Alaska. 

Since the filming of Stagecoach, numerous films have been made in the Valley in addition to automobile commercials.  Some of the movies made in Monument Valley are:

·  Billy the Kid-1941

·  My Darling Clementine-1946

·  Fort Apache-1948

·  She Wore a Yellow Ribbon-1949

·  The Searchers-1956

·  How the West Was Won-1962

·  Mackenna's Gold-1969

·  The Eiger Sanction-1975

·  The Legend of the Lone Ranger-1981

·  Back to the Future II and III-1983/91

·  Forrest Gump-1993

·  Tall Tales-1993

·  Waiting to Exhale-1995

Some of the well known rock formations include:

·                     Rain God Mesa which contains a sacred burial ground and was a platform for “medicine men” to pray for rain.

·                     The Hub looks very much like the center of a wagon wheel but is also the actual geographic center of Monument Valley.

·                     Thunderbird Mesa has been named for the mythical Thunderbird.  The form of this creature has been etched into the side of the rock by the forces of nature.

For those who wish guided tours of the Monument Valley, there are a number of individuals and companies to provide these tours.  In addition, the area has motels and bed and breakfast inns if you wish to stay in the area for several days. 

·                     San Juan Inn, phone 801-638-2220

·                     Burch’s Trading Co. Motel and Café, phone 801-683-2221

·                     Canyonlands Motel, phone 801-638-2230

·                     Mexican Hat Lodge, phone 801-683-2222

·                     Valley of the Gods Inn, phone 801-683-2292

The aforementioned motels are all located in Mexican Hat, Utah which is approximately one hour from Monument Valley. 

  Two of the local campgrounds are:

·                     Mittenview Campground, Monument Valley, Utah, phone 801-727-3353

·                     Valle’s Trading and Campground, Mexican Hat, Utah, phone 801-683-2226