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 routeMonday, December 20, afternoon
- Leave PageDriveContinued from the previous post
- 🚗 Routes 98 and 160
- Agathla PeakSightOn Route 163, past Kayenta
- 🚗 Route 163
- The View HotelStaySunset and moonrise from the balcony
- Morning on the balconySightFrom before sunrise
- Valley DriveSight1 hr 25 minThe dirt loop road, in our own car
- 🚗 Route 163 north
- Forrest Gump PointSight15 minA quick roadside stop
- Mexican HatSightGas, then on to Canyonlands (next post)
Contents
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Before bed I stepped outside. The lit entrance and lobby glowed warm in the middle of the dark valley.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Horses were resting in a corral next to one viewpoint. Navajo guides also run horseback tours that weave between the rocks from here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related posts
| 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.
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.
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.
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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