Monument Valley and Beyond Travel Guide- How to spend a few days in Monument Valley

Thanks to Hollywood movies, Monument Valley is one of the most recognized places in the West. It started with John Wayne Cowboy movies, often directed by John Ford. Later, Back to the Future 3 was shot here. And later still. This is where Forrest Gump stopped running across the country. And today, people from around the world come here to record their version of that famous scene. But of course, there's much more to see and do in these parts. But it's hundreds of miles away from any major airport. So when you've come all this way, you should see as much of the area as you can. And that's what this video will help you do. By the way, you might want to pick up a Rand McNally map. And no, they don't sponsor me. But it will help you follow along. You can get here from any direction. If you're coming from the East, consider checking out Mesa Verde, Chaco, Bistai, Shiprock, and of course, the Four Corners site. If coming from the North, don't miss the incredible National and State Parks near Moab. From the South, there's Route 66, the Petrified Forest, and Canyon de Chelly. And from the West, there's Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, and Page, Arizona. I've made guides to all of these places, and yes, they're on my channel. In this video, we'll drive the valley's 17-mile loop road. I'll try to convince you to experience a sunset, and maybe even a better sunrise. And I'll show you why you should consider hiring a Navajo guide. It's the only way to go to the backcountry to see sites like this. You can do all those things in a day or two. Once you have, it's time for some side trips. Starting with Mexican Hat, the Goosenecks, the Moki Dugway, Muley Point, and a place where Native Americans lived 800 years ago. And there's much more to see, so let's get started. Monument Valley is not a U.S. National Park. It's a Navajo Nation tribal park. It straddles the Arizona-Utah border in the Four Corners region. The park road turnoff is in Utah, but it angles south, and you pay the entrance fee in Arizona. You'll spend hours on the road just to get here. The nearest major airport is in Phoenix, over 300 miles away. So for most, this is part of a great American road trip. Perhaps because it is so remote, few Americans come here. Over two-thirds of visitors are from Europe or Asia. And weirdly, a surprising number of them get here on Harleys. It's a little detour from Route 66. When you're in a place like this, you're going to want to take some pictures. And I'm going to show you where you can take some great shots. And by the way, I'm not sponsored by the tribe or anyone else. So, please support my channel by clicking the like button and subscribing. And if this video helps you plan your trip, why not pay it forward by contributing with a super like? This classic view is right near the parking lot, but there's a better way to see this American icon. And if your vehicle is up to it, you can drive through the valley for no additional charge. And don't worry, it's passable for most cars, as long as it hasn't been raining. The 17-mile dirt and sand loop road winds its way through the valley. And because so many people get here by bus, the tribe offers several tours in open-air Jeeps. It's almost always hot and dusty, and the 17-mile tour takes about two and a half hours in one of these Jeepneys. So, if you own your own vehicle, it's likely to be more comfortable than one of the tour buses. Other tours include sites to the backcountry, and they can be up to eight hours long. Now, let's go on that 17-mile loop in my own SUV. And I'll also show you some of my favorite places in the backcountry. It's plenty wide and safe for most vehicles. Only large RVs and cars with very low ground clearance are not recommended. The view out the windscreen is always great, but the visitor's guide lists 11 viewpoints that are really special. The first is a view of the Mittens from a slightly lower vantage point. They look a bit like hands, and hence the name, but they signify spiritual beings. The road continues to drop to the valley floor. The speed limit is 15 miles an hour, so there's plenty of time to see the sights. The next viewpoint is Elephant Butte. It's the large feature just ahead. They say with the right lighting, there's a resemblance to an elephant facing west. Like most of the landmarks in the valley, it does not have a Navajo name. Most were named by early settlers. It's quite easy to identify the next view. Those three spires in the distance are the Three Sisters. They represent a Catholic nun facing her two pupils. The road gets a bit sandy as it heads to one of the best-known views in the valley. It was named after the man who made it famous, director John Ford. This view can be seen in many classic movies, including the 1956 classic, The Searchers, with John Wayne. In one scene, you can see this spot before the road was built. There's a large parking area here, and locals are allowed to sell their handiwork in small shacks and on tables. For a couple of dollars, a man on a horse will even pose for you, so you can get that perfect shot. Viewpoint number five, Camel Butte, is the mesa on the right. After John Ford's Point, the trail is a narrow one-way track that is pretty flat. View number six is Rain God Mesa. It's on the left. It marks the geological center of the park. It's named for the rain god, who stored water for the people on the south side of the mesa. Seven is Sandy Springs Aquifers. I didn't see a spring, but there is plenty of sand in front of view number eight. The Totem Pole. Just to the left of the Totem Pole is one of the few features with a Navajo name. I can't pronounce it. It's something like Yee Bee Chee. The Totem Pole is one of the most photographed locations in the tribal park. To get up close, you'll have to hire a guide with a 4x4. From here, the road starts its return leg. It's a bit narrow and sandy. The winding path goes through some quite interesting scenery, including this balanced rock. After a slight incline, there's a large parking area for Artist Point, which is viewpoint number nine. As the light changes throughout the day, the scene also changes here. And some hang out here all day. There are only two viewpoints left. The window can be seen from the road, but there's a better view of the mitten between the two buttes at the end of a short walking trail. The last viewpoint is called The Thumb. Shortly after The Thumb, the path joins the main two-way road back to the parking lot. Though you've been on this section before, you'll be amazed at how different it looks heading in the opposite direction. So, take your time. On average, it takes one and a half to two and a half hours to complete the 17-mile loop. The average visitor stays only for a few hours. But to take full advantage of the area, you really need to stay for a couple of days. I've been coming here since the 90s, when there was only a small diner on site. Back then, Goulding's was the only hotel within 20 miles. And jobs for locals? They were hard to come by. In 2008, the Navajo opened The View Hotel. It has an impressive lobby and a nice terrace, with a great view. The rooms are large and comfortable, and they have a balcony. And of course, there's also a restaurant, a small museum, and of course, a gift shop. And it, too, has a view. There's an RV campground on site, but it doesn't have hookups. There's also a primitive camp area with bathrooms and showers. And RVers have other options. Goulding's also has an RV site, and there's a KOA just down the road off Highway 163. If you want accommodations with the best view in the valley, check out these cabins that are just a short walk from the main parking lot. They're small and pricey, but you can't beat the view. The buttes are right outside your door, and it's the best place to watch the sunrise and the sunset. And by now, you might be wondering how much it costs to stay here. Well, I'll let the Discord tell you. The rates begin at $2.89, and that's on the ground level, with a double clean bed, with a premium view. All the rooms on the second floor, they begin at $2.69, all the way to $3.19. On the third floor, the rooms begin at $3.09, all the way to $3.99. The rooms at Goulding's are a little bit cheaper, and I suppose that's because it's about four miles down the road. All the accommodations fill up early, so if you're planning a summer trip, it's best to book your room in the winter or early spring. There are many traditional hotels 20-plus miles to the south in the Arizona town of Kayenta. There are more meal options here, too, including fancy-ish fare, and of course, fast food. Even if you're a vegan, believe it or not, you need to go to the Burger King to see a small display describing the role of the Navajo Code Talkers in World War II. Their language is so unique, the code was never broken. There are also some nice hotels about 23 miles north of the valley, in the small Utah village of Mexican Hat. This is where I like to stay. It's the best option for those of us on a budget. The Canyonlands Motel is owned and run by a nice little old lady, and the rooms do have air conditioning, but they are simple. But frankly, it has everything I need. And it's usually quite quiet. But on one visit, my neighbors were partying Germans. They had offered me a beer and a sauerkraut-covered freshly grilled sausage. We talked and laughed into the wee hours. And after a short aromatic kip, I woke up just in time to miss the sunrise reaching the horizon behind the mittens. But that didn't really matter, because while shooting this time-lapse, a man asked me to show him how to use his camera. And immediately after I did, he walked right into my shot. Proving that once again, no good deed goes unpunished. Now, here are a few hints on how to photograph this place. I've been here several times, dating back to 1996. And I've been lucky enough to take several good images over the years. But good light makes it much easier. And on one trip, I got nothing. It was in March. They say that's a good time to come. But for me, the sky was overcast for several days. I've had much better luck in May, June, and in the fall. Outside the park boundary, to the north, is where you'll find the classic shot of the road with Sentinel Mesa in the background. It can be taken on Highway 163, near mile marker 13. At one of the smaller turnouts on the northwest side of the road, there's even a small sign designating the spot where the fictional Forrest Gump quit his cross-country run. It's so popular that when the road was repaved, they even added a few parking turnouts to handle the crowds that come from all over the world. This group includes a minibus of Chinese, hipsters from the UK, and a minivan full of Aussies. And when I visit the next time, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if there's a ticket booth and a gift shop here, too. The sun lights this side of the mesa in the morning. Here's what it looks like from the other side in the evening. This shot was taken on the main park road, just east of 163. These shots were taken next to the parking lot. By the way, several apps can tell you from which direction and when the sun will rise any day of the year. I use the iPhone app called Helios. But to get the shot, you'll have to get here plenty early. And you'll have to talk people out of walking into your shot, which is especially hard when they don't speak your language. The Visitor Center patio is a great place to watch the shadows move across the valley. And up the buttes, as the sun sinks below the horizon. To get some greenery in your shots of the mittens, drive down to the first pullout. The three sisters are backlit in the evening, as is the thumb. I tend to shoot John Ford's Point in the afternoon and evening. And the man on the horse is much more likely to be there during the high summer season. He makes his living a few dollars at a time, posing. So, bring a few dollars with you. I also tend to shoot Artists Point in the afternoon and evening. But you can get great stuff here all day. There are plenty of nice shots just about anywhere. All you have to do is look... and find them. Some of the best photo spots, though, are just off the dirt road. You can get to them on one of the guided tours, or by paying one of the tribe-approved guides to take you to them. There's a list of the guides on the website. And yes, it can be expensive. But it's the only way to get to places like this... The dunes near the totem, which is a great place to put your tripod. My guide next took me to this little arch, or window. And then he took me to the place that I really wanted to see. It's another window, but a much bigger one. And the photogenic Sentinel Mesa, that's the one seen in Forrest Gump, is what you see when looking through it. For me, this shot made the guide's fee worth paying for. These rocks are right next to the parking lot, and they've been posing for photographers forever. But because of a few bad apples, the tribe has had to fence them off... and place a sign. So now, to take a good shot of them... well, it'll require a little bit more Photoshop work. If the heat and dust are just too much for you, Goulding's has some nice indoor attractions. When you stay there, you can use the pool. But even if you're not... if you're a movie fan, or just tired of the heat, you can walk in the actual cabin that John Wayne stayed in while shooting The Searchers in 1956. This building talks about the history of the area, and not just the movies. This is what the general store may have looked like 100 years ago. But most of the other rooms do have movie stuff in them. And I can't get too close to avoid any copyright issues. But you get the basic idea. And this room has great photography and paintings from local artists. And in case you didn't stop at that Burger King, make sure you learn about the Navajo Code Talkers... and see how they really helped out in World War II. Just outside the building, there's a nice little memorial... with a sitting area... and a great view. Well, I think I've done a pretty good job of showing off the American icon that is... Monument Valley. When you're way out here, there are several other places that you really ought to see... before heading back to civilization. And that's what I'm going to talk about now. Forty minutes north of Monument Valley, there's a dirt road that Google Maps calls 2161. It turns to the east, to some amazing scenery. Obviously, this landmark is why the town is called Mexican Hat. Though I've been here a few times, I still find it fascinating. I just don't see things like this every day. And that far-off, multi-colored ridge? It's a giant fold, or a crack in the earth. Geologists call it an anticline fault. The different colors are different layers of rubble that eroded from a long-gone mountain range... some say was as tall as the Himalaya. How's that for fascinating? The main trails are well graded and smooth, so passenger cars shouldn't be a problem... unless it's wet. The first curve in the road is a fork. The left track heads down to the San Juan River. It's a bit more remote and peters out at a cliff face just above the river... at a pretty darn good picnic spot. The fork to the right leads to the Buttes. The landscape and formations are big. Video just doesn't really convey just how big. That balanced rock is 60 feet by 12 feet... and weighs about 20 tons. And don't spend all your time in the car. If you look closely, you can see an unmarked hiking trail to the formation. Keep in mind that that big rock is balancing on a little tiny rock... and one day, it won't be. It is often very hot here, with very low humidity. If you do venture out on foot, you need to be prepared with plenty of water. If you're not used to high temperatures... you may be surprised at how quickly the heat can cause real health problems. On this mid-May day, the temp was in the 70s to 80s. That's 19 to 24 Celsius, by the way. There are several roads, or tracks... the one I happen to choose, wound around some nice formations. I stopped several times. It's incredibly peaceful. And when there's no wind... this is a rare place with the sound of silence. After about an hour of wandering around... and after a meal break down by the river... I headed back to the highway... and noticed someone trying a track that was... well, it wasn't really a trail. I recognized the car as I had spoke to the couple traveling in it back in Monument Valley. The wife was already a bit bored by all this dusty wilderness. I just wonder what she's saying to him now. The next activity I want to tell you about is another off-road adventure. It's just a few more miles to the north... on scenic Highway 163. It's marked by a small sign... reading Goosenecks State Park. This is one of the world's finest examples of an entrenched meander. It's rare for a river to make one horseshoe bend... but from this spot, three are visible. The San Juan River cuts through just over a thousand feet of rubble left by the original Rockies. The best way to see them is on a raft. An outfitter in the town of Mexican Hat will drop you off upstream... and you'll travel through these canyons. There's little whitewater, depending on the season... and you can camp on the riverbank. The potential for great photography is obvious... but you need great light for great images. When I got here at mid-afternoon, it was cloudy and the light was bad. But I decided to wait it out. A few drops of rain started to fall... but the sun was still lighting the top of the canyons. I knew what that meant. Something good was about to happen. I just didn't know where it would be. One of the cameras caught a piece of it as the rainbow appeared. It only lasted for a few minutes. And I had to scramble to get some nice video and stills. This is one of those moments when all the hardships... disappointments... bad weather... not to mention the expense of travel... make all the effort worthwhile. But it wasn't easy. I took a few shots with a still camera... and then stitched them together into a panorama. This was taken on the second to the last day on an eight-day shoot. We drove over 3,300 miles. And this was only the second settlable image I came home with. You can stay here. There's a paved parking area... and a flat dirt area where RVs and tenters can stay for no charge. There's no running water, but there are nice pit toilets. You're actually allowed to pitch a tent anywhere you like. If you're fit enough, you can even scramble your gear down a steep trail... to camp on a small plateau a hundred or so feet below the viewpoint. Many people talk about getting in touch with nature. The folks down there figured out a way to do it. Now I'm going to show you how to take the scenic route to our next destination. It's a drive-through what they call the Valley of the Gods. Unlike the Mexican Hat Road, this road does have a small sign pointing to it from the highway. And this is the Valley of the Gods. The buttes are scaled down compared to those in the tribal park. But you have the vast landscape mostly to yourself... at least for now. It's awfully nice. So there's little doubt that there will soon be ads promoting it as an unspoiled, must-see destination. Because that's what it is. And of course, soon after that, it won't be. 17 is an important number around here. Because, like the road in Monument Valley, this dirt road is also 17 miles long. But this one isn't a loop road. And that's a good thing, since it brings us closer to our next destination up Highway 261. Most of the buttes are located on the east, or Highway 163 side. And this time, that's where I entered. The Valley of the Gods. According to the map on the BluffUtah.org map, the buttes all have names. But I couldn't tell one from another. And by the way, if you're looking for a fancier place to stay, with more trees and river access, check out the many hotels and resorts in the historic town of Bluff. It's less than 30 minutes away. I've never stayed there, but I have driven through it. It's nice. Quite quaint. I've never accepted a free room for inclusion in one of my videos, but I'm willing to start Hotel Years of Bluff. Hint, hint, hint. Once again, the dirt and gravel road is in good shape. The road follows a frequently dry wash. It's a spectacular landscape. When Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin stepped on the moon, he described what he saw as magnificent desolation. That's a pretty good description of this place, too. If you're watching this and wondering, what is there to do here? Well, this is it. From time to time, just stop to take it all in. For some of us, it doesn't get a whole lot better. This area is not controlled by the Navajo. It's part of Bears Ears National Monument. But for some reason, it's still managed by the BLM, or Bureau of Land Management. And that's a good thing. And that's why you can still camp here. The road does cross a wash or two. And after a rain, the road might not be passable in a normal car. I also want to remind you that this is not a good place to rely on your phone for navigation. Because there's little to no cell phone coverage out here. And that's why I always keep a paper map in the car. Like my trusty old Rand McNally Road Atlas. The last few miles are pretty smooth and mostly flat. Our 17-mile journey ends at Highway 261, which is just 10 miles up the road from the Goosenecks. And we're less than a mile from the start of our next adventure. We're at the base of the oddly named Mokie Dugway. It's a road with a great view, as long as you're not afraid of heights. And it's so big that I couldn't figure out how to shoot at all. So I went with Google Earth. A dugway is what uranium miners called a road dug into a cliff. This one was built in the 1950s during the Cold War. It winds its way 1,200 feet up in just three miles. And most cars can do it. But big RVs and anything pulling a trailer might want to take the long way around. The pavement ends near the first switchback. But this is still Utah Route 261, so it's well maintained. And it's wide enough for cars to pass in both directions. But it's not a good idea to stop just anywhere to take pics. That's not really safe. If you're a geology fan, make sure you look up the cliff, as well as into the valley. The lower sections are soft sandstone, siltstone, and shale, from a formation that I can't pronounce. But it's millions of years old. The 11% grade is steady and helps show off the layers in the rock. And as we go up, we're kind of in a time machine. The rocks on the bottom are much older than the ones at the top. Small sea creatures are fossilized in some of the rock, from a time when this area was part of the Western Interior Seaway. Other layers have fossilized plants. Obviously, there was no seaway then. This little drive shows us that the planet, and its climate, have always been changing... depending on your time scale. This is one of the many switchbacks on the route. And this one is pretty wide. And it turns out there's a reason for that, and I wish I would have known it at the time. This is a great place to take a picture. See that little... the switchbacks on the left-hand side? And that mountain ridge behind? That's a great spot to take a picture. This is one of the few places where there was a little bit of washboard. And for you rockhounds out there, yes, now we're in the sandstone zone. They were all laid down when this area was full of sand dunes. It was like the Sahara Desert. And that road off to the left... that leads to the Valley of the Gods. And that's Mexican Hat near the horizon. Near the top, there's a couple of wider areas where it's safe to pull over and admire the view. This is something you really should do. And if you were ever wondering why they call Monument Valley a valley... well, this view explains it. From here, you can see Mexican Hat's Rapley Ridge on the other side of the San Juan River. It's just beyond the Valley of the Gods. And to right of that, you can see Sentinel Mesa in the buttes of Monument Valley. And you may also wonder, where did all the dirt go? It was all eroded... mostly by wind, but also water. Thousands of feet of earth are no longer here. Over millions of years, it literally just blew away... or was transported down the San Juan River. Pretty amazing, when you think about it. It takes only a few minutes to climb the old mining road... but I have a feeling it's a memory you'll have for quite some time. If you'd like to spend a little more time with the view down the valley... take the first left just a few hundred yards from the top. This flat dirt road might not be passable when it rains... but when it's dry, it's just a little dusty. We're on a big rock peninsula that's surrounded by canyons on three sides. And by the way, this is BLM land, so it's legal to fly the drone here. And apparently it's perfectly fine to graze cattle up here, too. The road ends when the dirt does. Now we can drive on the sandstone. As it's BLM land, you can also camp up here. But today, I'm just going to show you the view. Near the edge, it was remarkably windy the two times I've been up here. And on more than one occasion, I thought it was going to blow me over. It was actually hard to stand. I wanted to get to the edge, but the wind was, well, being a bit of a problem. So I apologize because I didn't get all that close to the edge... where I'm sure I could have got a better shot. Hopefully one day I'll figure out how to get on that road and... take you on a little road trip down there. And that canyon? That was carved by the San Juan River. The same one we saw when we went off-road near Mexican Hat. That's a little lizard. I did see a few of these out here, but this is the only one that I really got on camera. And these little depressions, little dark spots? They're called potholes. And believe it or not, when they fill up with rain, they team with life. There's little creatures in there that are all dried up when there's no water. But when the water returns, they come back to life. It's pretty amazing. Decided to take a little walk to the left. Those rocks are a little bit bigger than they look. And remember, I'm holding a camera. But I decided to go over there to see if I could get a better view of the canyon. I stopped, hoping the wind would calm down and... also trying to figure out how I could get up this little ridge. I thought I might be able to just walk up it, but decided against it. Didn't want to blow over. This is where I'd use my hands to climb up. I'm sure there's a better shot out there, but... it was just too windy. I decided not to get any closer. I did find another spot that I thought had a pretty good view, though... on my way back to my little SUV. I came across these boondock campers. They were friendly, but I decided to give them their space. After the five miles back to Highway 261, we have a choice. We can take a right and drive an hour back to Monument Valley. Yep, that's right, we're only an hour north of Monument Valley. Or we can take a left and head into Bears Ears National Monument. This is a huge place that has thousands of Native American sites... including a few that are just 45 minutes away. Like this 800-year-old village. Or to take a short hike to another Native American dwelling... with the greatest name ever... House on Fire. Or if you want to see more natural wonders... Natural Bridges National Monument is just 36 miles away. Of course, the best choice is to see all three. And that's what we're about to do. From the road, you can see the buttes that gave the area its name. These are the Bears Ears. And 261 dead ends right in front of them... on Scenic Highway 95. There's a lot of amazing sights on this road... and I'm thinking about doing a video just on it. Our first stop is somewhere to the right... down an unmarked dirt road. And yes, this is one of the places that the BLM and everyone else... doesn't want to be destroyed by having too many visitors. On my last visit, I was the only car here. But today, things have changed. Yes, I know I'm walking a fine line here... telling you about these places. But they're places I think deserving people should see. And if you're willing to do the work to find out where they are... then you deserve to see them. I hiked down the trail when rain was threatening. It's a sandy trail that gets rather close at times. But it's not very long. And when you get there, this is house on fire. As you can see, the rock that makes up the ceiling above the ruin... does look a bit like flames. Especially when the light is right. There's another ruin site that's not far away. It's been reconstructed and excavated... so there is little fear of the undeserving finding and stealing artifacts. I'm walking where they once grew corn, beans, and squash. They also gathered bulbs and other edibles... and hunted deer and bighorn sheep. They also raised turkeys. This little 12-room village was occupied in the 11th and 12th centuries. It was likely communal. And some of the rooms were used for crop storage. The rock was quarried nearby... and a wet mud was used for mortar. In those days, most communities had a kiva. Kind of like most small towns have a church. And I'm assuming most of you know what a kiva is. And maybe you've watched some of my guides to Native American sites. But if not, this is a kiva. It's a rather small one. Back in its day, it and all the other buildings on site had a roof. The kivas were used for important ceremonies and rituals. And this one even has a small tunnel leading to the other dwellings. And this is the first time that I've seen that feature. So if you're going to Monument Valley... I think it's really a good idea to see how they lived back in the day. So it's well worth the extra half a day or so it would take to drive up here and back... to see these places. Now we're heading back towards 261. Instead of turning right where it dead-ended, we could have turned left... to visit a small National Monument that's within the National Monument. It's a small park with just three natural sandstone bridges. They're all accessible... well, at least their viewpoints are... from its nine-mile, one-way loop road. There is no hotel, but there is a campground. Which is handy because Natural Bridges is the first international dark sky park. And the trails through the bridges are open all day and all night. Though when there's no moonlight, you can't see the bridges. But the Milky Way looks great. The bridges were all cut by the same stream that cut this canyon. The water meanders. And when it changes direction, it has the power to erode. Eventually, it can break through a skinny wall... forming a bridge. So it doesn't erode from the top. It erodes from the middle. And that's why the tops of the bridges are pretty flat. And these three here... they seem to have been created by the same stream. Once you get down to its bed, you can hike to each of the bridges. This is a view from the loop road pullout for Sapapo Bridge. And I'm sorry about the pronunciation. That's as close as I can get. And of course, the view here... well, it's not great. But there is a trail to it. And it's only about a half mile long. But it drops 500 feet. Which means you have to climb back up 500 feet. And on this June day, it was pretty hot. And I wasn't up for that. But those who are, get a much better view. And by the way, if any of you have a nice shot of this bridge, or any of the others... please let me know in the comments. Some hiked to the other two bridges. But I drove to Kachina Bridge. The trail to this one is three quarters of a mile long. And it's only 400 feet down. And the next bridge has even less elevation change. But its name is unpronounceable. And it's the biggest. And its trail is the shortest. And you only have to hike down 180 feet. So the slog back up is a lot easier. And those are the three bridges of Natural Bridges National Monument. And I probably should have mentioned this earlier. But there is another cool thing to see here. It has a lovely name. Horse Collar Ruin. There's a short trail to its overlook. It's only a third of a mile long. And there's very little elevation change. But sadly, I didn't know it was here. But now you do. And even if you don't hike down to the bridges, you ought to hike down to this overlook. Well, it's about time to wrap this one up. And I hope you agree that the American icon that is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is well worth visiting. Especially when you learn how much else there is to do in its neighborhood. If you're planning to come on out, please consider subscribing to my channel. It really helps with the YouTube algorithm. And you'll find many more travel guides on the Four Corners area. And of course, many other places in the West. Because it's really big. And I really want to help you explore it.