The View Hotel Monument Valley: sunset, moon and Valley Drive

Our winter Grand Circle road tripDays 4–5 · December 20–21All posts ↓← Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon Next: Canyonlands →Full itinerary

Part 4 of our December Grand Circle road trip, from lunch on Monday, December 20, to the morning of Tuesday, December 21, 2021

From Page on Routes 98 and 163 to a night inside the Navajo tribal park, then north past Forrest Gump Point

This postDays 4 and 5 of a counterclockwise winter Grand Circle road trip by rental car in December. After lunch in Page, we drove to Monument Valley and spent the night at The View Hotel, inside the park. From our balcony we watched the sunset, the moonrise and the next morning, then drove the dirt loop road through the valley ourselves.
Dates and weatherDecember 20: clear (sunset around 5:05 p.m.)December 21: cloudy, then clearing (sunrise 7:30 a.m., sunset 5:05 p.m.)
StopsAgathla Peak a volcanic rock peak seen from Route 163Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park one night at the hotel, then the Valley Drive the next morning, no tourForrest Gump Point and Mexican Hat short stops on the way north
AdmissionIt’s a Navajo tribal park with its own entrance fee. National park annual passes aren’t accepted.
Booked aheadThe View Hotel (inside the park)
Where we stayedDecember 20: The View Hotel, Monument ValleyDecember 21: Hampton Inn, Moab (next post)
WhoThe three of us (one kid)
The route
Monday, December 20, afternoon
1. ~12:35 p.m.
  Leave PageDriveContinued from the previous post
2. 🚗 Routes 98 and 160
3. ~3:30 p.m.
  Agathla PeakSightOn Route 163, past Kayenta
4. 🚗 Route 163
5. ~4:05 p.m.
  The View HotelStaySunset and moonrise from the balcony
Tuesday, December 21, morning
1. ~7:00 a.m.
  Morning on the balconySightFrom before sunrise
2. ~9:15 a.m.
  Valley DriveSight1 hr 25 minThe dirt loop road, in our own car
3. 🚗 Route 163 north
4. ~10:50 a.m.
  Forrest Gump PointSight15 minA quick roadside stop
5. ~11:25 a.m.
  Mexican HatSightGas, then on to Canyonlands (next post)

From Page to Monument Valley on Routes 98 and 163

After our Antelope Canyon tour and lunch in Page, we headed east around 12:35 p.m. Once we were out of town and on Route 98, rounded red rocks lined the road.

The View Hotel Monument Valley drive from Page: rounded red rocks beside Route 98 — Rounded red rocks along Route 98

Route 98 crosses Navajo Nation land, and towns are few and far between. Snow from a few days earlier still lay on the shaded slopes. We switched to Route 160, passed through Kayenta, then turned north on Route 163.

Past Kayenta, a single pointed peak rose on the right side of the road. This is Agathla Peak, the hard plug left over from a volcano about 25 million years ago, standing about 1,500 ft (460 m) above the surrounding plain. Alone on all that flat ground, it looked so out of place that I kept watching it as we drove.

Agathla Peak rising at the far end of Route 163 — Agathla Peak at the far end of Route 163

From here on, rocks began popping up on both sides of the road, one after another, and it felt like Monument Valley was getting close. North of Kayenta, Route 163 crosses the Arizona–Utah line.

Route 163, with Monument Valley starting to appear in the distance

Into the Navajo tribal park

Monument Valley isn’t a national park. It’s a tribal park run by the Navajo Nation, officially Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, set aside by the Navajo Tribal Council in 1958. The Navajo name is usually translated as “clearing among the rocks.”

A sign stands where the park road turns off Route 163, and we paid at the entrance booth. At the time, the sign listed $20 per vehicle for up to four people, plus $6 for each additional person. Current fees are in the “Fees and hours” box below.

Sign at the start of the Monument Valley park road — The sign at the start of the park road

Buttes on both sides of the road to the hotel

A mesa in afternoon sunlight — A mesa in afternoon sun

John Ford shot Stagecoach here in 1939, with John Wayne, and the valley went on to appear in so many westerns that it became both the symbol and the cliché of the genre. It looks familiar even on a first visit, and once you’ve seen it, you start noticing similar scenes in other movies.

The View Hotel: Monument Valley from your room

That night we stayed at The View Hotel, which sits on a rise inside the park. We arrived around 4:05 p.m., early enough to watch the sunset from our room. On the Grand Circle, checking sunrise and sunset times every day and planning around them turned out to matter a lot. We booked here because people we knew recommended it strongly. Now we’re the ones telling others: if you spend a night in Monument Valley, stay here.

The View Hotel sign on the lobby building — The sign on the lobby building

We could see the valley from the elevator, and it was even printed on the room key card. When we walked into the room, West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte filled the view beyond the balcony. Rooms facing this view come with a balcony.

Hotel hallway with Navajo-pattern carpet — A hallway with Navajo-pattern carpet

The balcony seen straight from the room door — The balcony, right there when you open the door

The Mitten Buttes and long shadows seen from the room — Our first look at the Mittens from the room, with long shadows

Our kid took one look at the Mittens and said the tops looked like a giant with its mouth wide open, going “ahh.” The buttes get their name because each one looks like a mitten with the thumb sticking up. In Navajo stories, they’re also said to be hands a deity left behind.

West Mitten Butte glowing red in afternoon sun — West Mitten Butte, pulled in with the zoom lens

The hotel stands on Navajo land and is run by a Navajo-owned company, and the room tax guests pay is collected by the Navajo Nation. That made it sink in that this is a self-governing territory, one where the tribe even sets its own taxes.

You can’t roam the park freely day and night, but from the hotel room and the grounds out front you get it all: daytime, sunset, a starry night and the morning.

Where we stayed

Staying inside Monument Valley

The View HotelThe balconies face the Mitten Buttes, so you watch the sunset and the stars from your room.Book on ExpediaCheck rooms

The View Hotel is popular and reportedly fills up early. Along with an Antelope Canyon tour, it’s one of the first things to book on a Grand Circle itinerary. If your dates don’t work, you can stay across the road from the park entrance or in Kayenta and drive in early in the morning.

Lodging	Location	From The View Hotel	Book
The View Hotel The View Hotel, Monument Valley, AZ Where we stayed	Inside the park, on the rise next to the visitor center, Arizona side	–	View on Expedia→
Goulding’s Lodge Goulding’s Lodge, Oljato-Monument Valley, UT	West, across Route 163, Utah side	About 15 minutes by car	View on Expedia→
Kayenta Monument Valley Inn Kayenta Monument Valley Inn, Kayenta, AZ	South, in Kayenta, Arizona	About 40 minutes by car	View on Expedia→
Hampton Inn Kayenta Hampton Inn Kayenta, Kayenta, AZ	South, in Kayenta, Arizona	About 40 minutes by car	View on Expedia→
Page Page, AZ Where we stayed the night before	West; the town for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend	About 125 miles (200 km); it took us about 3 hours 30 minutes	Previous post
Moab Moab, UT Where we stayed the next night	North in Utah, between Canyonlands and Arches	About 150 miles (240 km), about 2 hours 40 minutes	Next post

Distances and times are approximate. You can also find these places on the map at the end of the post.

Nearby

Other places to stay near Monument Valley

Goulding’s LodgeAcross from the park entrance. It began as a 1920s trading post, and a small museum about western film shoots sits next door.Book on ExpediaCheck rooms Kayenta Monument Valley InnIn Kayenta, at the Route 163 junction, so it’s easy to head off in any direction the next day.Book on ExpediaCheck rooms Hampton Inn KayentaA Hilton brand, so the rooms and breakfast feel familiar after a long drive.Book on ExpediaCheck rooms

Sunset to blue hour

Blue hour is the short stretch right after sunset when the sky turns a deep blue.

By the time we’d unpacked, the sun was getting low. As it dropped behind the parking lot on the west side of the hotel, the last light hit the Mittens to the east and they glowed red.

The sun sinking past rocks west of the hotel — The sun sinking past the rocks west of the hotel

The sun just before it drops behind the rocks — Just before the sun dropped behind the rocks

The Mitten Buttes at sunset from the room balcony — The Mittens at sunset from our balcony

I set a phone on a tripod in front of the balcony railing and shot a time-lapse from the same spot, from sunset until the stars came out. Just before sunset, only West Mitten Butte on the left still had light, and it turned orange. Once the sun was down, the sky flushed pink, then cooled to blue and finally to deep navy.

Time-lapse from the balcony, sunset until the stars came out

Light left only on West Mitten Butte just before sunset — Just before sunset, light only on West Mitten Butte

The last sunlight turning the rock orange — The last sunlight turns the rock orange

Pink spreading along the horizon after sunset — After sunset, pink spread along the horizon

The sky cooling to blue during blue hour — Blue hour, as the sky cools to blue

Rocks in silhouette under a deep navy sky

Stars starting to show in the darkened sky — Stars starting to show in the dark sky

We also went out to the viewing terrace in front of the hotel. After sunset, with the whole valley spread out under a pink sky, the view was wider than from the room.

The valley under a pink sky after sunset

The gift shop and a dream catcher

After sunset we stopped in at the hotel gift shop. Pottery and textiles painted with traditional Navajo patterns filled the shelves, along with stone tablets carved with animal designs.

Pottery painted with Navajo patterns in the hotel gift shop — Pottery painted with Navajo patterns

Stone tablets carved with animal designs

Rows of dream catchers hanging on a display — Rows of dream catchers on display

We bought a dream catcher here, the Native American hanging charm said to filter out bad dreams. Our kid was completely taken with that story, which is why the dream catcher still hangs on a door in our home. It has come with us through several moves, and it still brings back that day.

Moonrise and stars

A little over an hour after sunset, a round moon rose between the Mitten Buttes. It was two days past the full moon (the night of December 18), and the moon, about 97% full, came up around 6:20 p.m. For dinner, we picked up food from the hotel restaurant and ate it in our room.

The moon rising between the Mitten Buttes

I set up the tripod on the balcony and took long exposures with a Sony A7C. For the moonrise I had the Tamron 17-28mm at 23mm, f/2.8, 15 seconds, ISO 400. Around 9:50 p.m. I shot at 17mm, f/2.8, 30 seconds, ISO 400. Some of my favorite photos from the whole trip came out of that night. The moonlight made the outlines of the rocks sharp, and the stars were easy to see in the sky opposite the moon.

The Mitten Buttes in silhouette under moonlight — The Mittens in silhouette under the moon

Moonlight spreading through clouds over Monument Valley around 9:50 p.m. — Around 9:50 p.m., moonlight spreading through the clouds

For the night sky, a fast lens that gathers a lot of light and a wide-angle lens that takes in a lot of scene both helped. On this trip I carried the Sony A7C with two Tamron lenses, the 17-28mm F2.8 and the 28-200mm F2.8-5.6, plus a Peak Design carbon tripod. The wide-angle fit all three buttes in one frame; the zoom pulled in rocks farther away. The balcony was roomy, so leaving the tripod set up was easy.

Gear

The camera and tripod we used on the balcony

On a tripod with a long exposure, the outlines of the rocks and the stars both show up even on a dark night.

Sony A7C II bodyA newer version of the A7C we usedBuy on AmazonCheck price Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 for Sony E-mountFits the night sky and all three buttes in one frameBuy on AmazonCheck price Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for Sony E-mountFrom the wide valley to distant rocks with one lensBuy on AmazonCheck price Peak Design Travel Tripod (carbon)Folds small enough for a suitcase and holds a phone tooBuy on AmazonCheck price

Before bed I stepped outside. The lit entrance and lobby glowed warm in the middle of the dark valley.

High-ceilinged lobby hung with Navajo textiles — The high-ceilinged lobby, hung with Navajo textiles

If you’re coming for the stars, check when the moon rises, too. We were there two days after the full moon, and even with a bright moon the stars showed well. For more stars, aim for the new moon, when there’s no moon at all.

Morning on the balcony

The next morning I was out on the balcony before 7 a.m. Before sunrise the horizon turned orange, and the Mitten Buttes rose out of it as black silhouettes.

The Mitten Buttes in silhouette before sunrise — The Mittens in silhouette before sunrise

I set the tripod in front of the balcony railing, put the phone on it and shot a time-lapse of the sunrise. It was cloudy that day, so there was none of the red light from the evening before. Instead, low clouds drifted over the valley.

A tripod set up in front of the balcony railing — The tripod in front of the balcony railing

Sunrise time-lapse from the balcony

The Mitten Buttes in muted morning colors under clouds — The Mittens in muted colors under morning clouds

In the lobby, kachina dolls were attached to a round stone pillar, and more stood in a row along the windows. Kachinas are Hopi spirit dolls. We also looked around the lounge, with its leather sofas and Navajo-patterned tables.

Kachina dolls on a stone pillar in the lobby

A row of kachina dolls along a window — Kachina dolls lined up along a window

Lounge with leather sofas and Navajo-patterned tables — The lounge, with leather sofas and Navajo-patterned tables

After checking out, we drove down toward the valley. Looking back, the hotel where we’d spent the night sat low and long on the red hill. It blended in with the color of the earth around it and didn’t stand out much.

The View Hotel seen from the valley floor below — The View Hotel, seen from the valley below

Driving the Valley Drive ourselves

We headed into the valley around 9:15 a.m. The Valley Drive is an unpaved loop that drops from the hotel down to the valley floor and winds between the rocks. One lap is 17 miles (about 27 km), and you can drive it in your own car without a tour.

We had heard an SUV makes the dirt road easier. In our SUV it was no real trouble. Just keep your speed down and take it slow.

The Mitten Buttes on the way down to the valley floor

A long, low mesa beside the Valley Drive loop — A long mesa beside the loop road

Cars driving the unpaved Valley Drive loop — Other drivers doing the loop on their own, like us

We stopped less at named sights than wherever the view looked good: we pulled over, got out and took pictures. It was fun to look at the rocks and guess what they resembled. Where three thin spires stand side by side is the Three Sisters.

The Three Sisters, three thin rock spires in Monument Valley — The Three Sisters

Horses resting in a corral next to a viewpoint — Horses resting in a corral by a viewpoint

Rock spires standing at the end of a cliff — Spires at the end of a cliff

Horses were resting in a corral next to one viewpoint. Navajo guides also run horseback tours that weave between the rocks from here.

A line of rock spires in the distance — A row of spires in the distance

A tall rock wall beside the road — A rock wall right by the road

A pointed rock rising between trees — A pointed rock rising between the trees

From all over the valley we could see our hotel in the distance. The rocks have stood in these spots for a very long time, and it felt like they’d look just like this whenever you came.

The valley toward Merrick Butte seen from a viewpoint — Looking out toward Merrick Butte from a viewpoint

A butte rising beyond desert grass — A butte beyond the desert grass

A butte under a blue sky — The butte, sharper under a blue sky

We were back on pavement around 10:40 a.m., about an hour and 25 minutes after we started. We got out wherever we felt like it. By then the clouds had cleared and the color of the rocks was sharper.

The areas off the loop, where private vehicles aren’t allowed, can only be reached on a tour with a Navajo guide. That includes places like the rock openings you look up through to the sky.

Fees and hours

Admission$10 per person, $15 per vehicleNational park annual passes aren’t accepted.
Valley Drive17-mile (27 km) unpaved loopWinter hours (from October 17): 8 a.m.–5 p.m., last entry 2:30 p.m.No motorcycles.
ClosedThanksgiving, Christmas, January 1
Tour-only areasThe backcountry off the loop is open only on guided tours run by Navajo operators.
Our time on the loop9:15–10:40 a.m., 1 hour 25 minutes

Per the Navajo Parks and Recreation Monument Valley page, as of October 2026 (checked October 22, 2026).

Guided tours inside the park

To get into the backcountry off the loop, you have to go with a Navajo guide. All of these tours meet and leave from inside the park, and park admission is paid separately from the tour price.

Tour	When	What’s different	Book
Backcountry jeep tour	Daytime, about 2½ hours	Goes into backcountry closed to private vehicles, with traditional music from the guide.	View on GetYourGuide→
Sunset tour	Late afternoon, about 3 hours	Watch the rocks turn red from the backcountry, with a stop at a traditional Navajo home.	View on GetYourGuide→
Sunrise tour	Dawn, about 3 hours	Heads in among the rocks timed to the sunrise.	View on GetYourGuide→
Loop driving tour	Daytime, 1½ or 2½ hours	The same loop we drove, without driving, with stories about the rocks.	View on GetYourGuide→
Horseback tour	Daytime	Ride slowly between the rocks on horseback instead of in a vehicle.	View on GetYourGuide→
Overnight in a Navajo hogan	Evening to the next morning	Sleep in a traditional dwelling, with an evening jeep tour and the sunrise. No beds or showers.	View on Expedia→

Durations are from each tour’s listing and may vary by date.

Forrest Gump Point and Mexican Hat

We left Monument Valley behind and drove north on Route 163. The View Hotel is on the Arizona side, and a short way north you cross into Utah. Look back and the rocks of Monument Valley sit at the end of a long, straight road.

Monument Valley at the end of straight Route 163 — Monument Valley at the end of Route 163

This is the stretch of road where Forrest Gump filmed the scene of Forrest stopping after his long run, which is why the spot is called Forrest Gump Point. It’s near mile marker 13 on Route 163. There wasn’t much traffic, and a few people had pulled onto the edge of the shoulder for a quick photo, so we stopped too.

Looking back at Monument Valley from Forrest Gump Point — Looking back from Forrest Gump Point

Our family with the rocks at the end of Route 163 — Us, with the rocks at the end of Route 163

The spot is famous for photos taken in the middle of the road, but cars move fast here. Shoot from the shoulder and watch for traffic.

A bit farther north, a ridge with rock layers bent like waves came into view, and below it the rock the town is named for. A flat slab sits on top of a pillar like a wide-brimmed hat, so it’s called Mexican Hat. We filled up at the gas station in town and headed north toward Canyonlands.

Mexican Hat rock in front of a ridge with wavy rock layers — Mexican Hat, with the wavy ridge behind it

Past Blanding, snow-covered mountains started to show up in the distance. Our afternoon in Canyonlands and Moab continues in the next post.

Seeing Monument Valley on a tour

We drove ourselves, but you can also reach Monument Valley on a tour from Las Vegas. It’s a long way from Vegas, so most of these tours include at least one night on the road. Before you book, check the itinerary to see whether a jeep tour inside Monument Valley is included and whether the park entrance fee is extra.

Good to know

Terms

Term	Meaning
Butte	A flat-topped rock hill that is taller than it is wide. The Mitten Buttes are the classic example.
Mesa	A flat, table-shaped plateau, wider than a butte
Navajo tribal park	A park managed by the Navajo Nation. It has its own entrance fee, and national park annual passes aren’t accepted.
Blue hour	The short stretch right after sunset or right before sunrise when the sky turns deep blue
Kachina	A doll representing a spirit in Hopi culture. They’re also sold widely as souvenirs.

FAQ

Can you visit Monument Valley without a tour?

Yes. Once you pay the entrance fee, you can drive the Valley Drive loop in your own car. Only the backcountry areas off the loop require a guided tour with a Navajo operator.

Can you drive the Valley Drive in a sedan?

We drove it in an SUV without much trouble. Vans and pickup trucks were on the loop at the same time. It’s unpaved, though, so in a low-clearance sedan take it even slower, and after rain or snow ask about road conditions at the entrance first. The park says it isn’t responsible for vehicle damage on the loop. If the drive worries you, a guided loop tour covers the same route.

Is The View Hotel worth it, and what room types are there?

We recommend it without hesitation. The room was cozy, and the view alone made us happy. Just as a falls-view room is the one to book at Niagara, here you look out over an empty valley spread out below. From the balcony you get the sunset, the moonrise and the morning. Besides hotel rooms, there are separate cabins and a campground. We stayed in a hotel room with a balcony facing the Mitten Buttes. The StarView rooms are all on the top (third) floor, and for families with children the hotel suggests first-floor rooms, which have larger balconies. The park entrance fee isn’t included in the room rate, so you pay it separately. The hotel is popular and fills up early, so check dates on each booking site first.

What time are sunset and sunrise in Monument Valley?

On December 20, the day we visited, the sun set around 5:05 p.m. and rose the next morning around 7:30 a.m. Times shift a lot by season, so look up sunrise and sunset for your dates and plan to be at the hotel or a viewpoint about 30 minutes before sunset. Arizona doesn’t observe daylight saving time, but the Navajo Nation does, so in summer the park’s clocks can be an hour off from the rest of Arizona.

Is Monument Valley open on December 25?

No. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park closes on Christmas Day (December 25), January 1 and Thanksgiving. In winter the last entry to the Valley Drive is 2:30 p.m., so if you’re planning around Christmas, sort out your dates and timing first.

Can you combine Page, Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley in two days?

That’s exactly how we did it on our Grand Circle road trip. We saw Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon in the morning in Page, left after lunch and reached The View Hotel before sunset. The next morning we drove the Valley Drive and continued north to Canyonlands. Page to The View Hotel is about 125 miles (200 km). Without stops it takes around 2 hours 15 minutes; we took our time with the scenery, leaving Page around 12:35 p.m. and arriving around 4:05 p.m. A morning Antelope Canyon tour leaves you plenty of room.

If we went back

We’d stay at The View Hotel again. Watching the Mitten Buttes turn red at sunset and the rocks under moonlight, all from our room, is one of the memories from this trip that stands out most. It was also the place where I felt most strongly that we’d landed on another planet. It looked exactly like the old westerns and posters, and for me it has stayed as the image of a trip through the American West.

If we could pick only one of Sedona and Monument Valley, we’d pick Monument Valley. Still, skipping Sedona would be a real shame.

On an earlier trip I’d only had a quick look around the Grand Canyon area. Coming this far gave me a real sense of what the West is and what the land looks like. The morning we drove through the valley ourselves was good too.

Next time I’d like to give Forrest Gump Point more time. That day we still had a long way to Canyonlands, so we only stopped briefly.

At sunset the rocks were red, and at night the moon rose between them. In the morning we drove among the same rocks. They’ve stood there so long that they’ll probably look like this whenever you go.

Type	Post
Full itinerary	Winter Grand Circle road trip: 10 days by rental car Route, hotels and bookings for all 15 stops
Previous post	Horseshoe Bend and Upper Antelope Canyon A winter morning at the horseshoe-shaped bend and a slot canyon filled with light
Next post	Canyonlands: Island in the Sky in December Mesa Arch and sunset at Green River Overlook

Getting there

On the afternoon of December 20 we drove east from Page on Routes 98 and 160 to Kayenta, then north on Route 163 to Monument Valley, about 125 miles (200 km) in all. The next morning we drove the Valley Drive and followed Route 163 north past Forrest Gump Point and Mexican Hat toward Canyonlands.

Map of our Dec 20–21 route: Page to The View Hotel in Monument Valley, Forrest Gump Point and Mexican Hat, plus the Valley Drive loop — Lines are simplified and don’t follow the exact roads.

Agathla PeakUS-163, about 7 miles (11 km) north of Kayenta, seen from the roadGoogle Maps

⌂

The View Hotel and the Valley DriveIndian Route 42, Oljato-Monument Valley, next to the visitor center at the park entranceGoulding’s on Expedia Jeep tours on GetYourGuide Google Maps

Forrest Gump PointNear mile marker 13 on US-163; pull over briefly on the shoulderGoogle Maps

Mexican HatUS-163, Mexican Hat, UT, beside the road south of townGoogle Maps

✈

Without a carMulti-day tours from Las VegasTours on GetYourGuide

What we used on this trip

Bookings

The View HotelWe booked about two months before the trip.
Rental carWe drove it from Page to Monument Valley and on to Moab, including the dirt loop road.Rental cars at Las Vegas airport

What to bring

Warm jacket and glovesOnce the sun went down, the balcony got cold fast.
TripodWe used it on the balcony for the sunset time-lapse and the moonrise.See the travel tripod
Two lensesA fast wide-angle for the night sky and the wide valley, a zoom for rocks far away.See the Tamron 17-28mmSee the Tamron 28-200mm

We picked up the rental car at the Las Vegas airport and kept it for nine days.

Getting around

Rental cars at Las Vegas airport

If you plan to drive the dirt loop road in Monument Valley, a higher-clearance SUV takes the worry out of it.

Rental cars at Las Vegas airportCompare SUV rates from several rental companies in one place.Book on Trip.comCompare cars

On Routes 98 and 163 across Navajo Nation land, we needed the map the whole way.

For flights, search with Las Vegas as your arrival airport.

Getting there

Flights to Las Vegas

Fly into Las Vegas (LAS), then loop the Grand Circle by rental car.

Round-trip flights to Las VegasCompare dates and airlines before you pick.Book on Trip.comCompare flights

Sources

Navajo Parks and Recreation: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (checked October 22, 2026)
The View Hotel official site, Navajo Tax Commission
Wikipedia: Monument Valley, West and East Mitten Buttes, Agathla Peak, Stagecoach (1939)

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The View Hotel, Monument Valley: a December night facing the Mittens, then the Valley Drive

Contents

From Page to Monument Valley on Routes 98 and 163

Into the Navajo tribal park

The View Hotel: Monument Valley from your room

Sunset to blue hour

The gift shop and a dream catcher

Moonrise and stars

Morning on the balcony

Driving the Valley Drive ourselves

Fees and hours

Guided tours inside the park

Forrest Gump Point and Mexican Hat

Seeing Monument Valley on a tour

Good to know

Terms

FAQ

Can you visit Monument Valley without a tour?

Can you drive the Valley Drive in a sedan?

Is The View Hotel worth it, and what room types are there?

What time are sunset and sunrise in Monument Valley?

Is Monument Valley open on December 25?

Can you combine Page, Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley in two days?

If we went back

Related posts

Getting there

What we used on this trip

Bookings

What to bring

Sources

Discover more from Elsewhere, Mostly

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