Washington, DC 20036, National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. I don't want to miss a single opportunity to be outdoors and exploring with my family. person who studies places and the relationships between people and their environments. You can’t drive Scenic Highway 163 towards Monument Valley without a stop at Forrest Gump Point. They were absolutely delicious, and the service was fast and friendly. Dust was flying everywhere which would have made that hike less enjoyable. It’s not pronounced like butts. The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have been filmed and photographed countless times over the years for movies, adverts and holiday brochures. Entrance to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park costs $20 and is payable with cash only. … Archeologists have identified more than 100 ancient Ancestral Puebloan (also known as Anasazi) sites and ruins dating prior to 1300 A.D. Monument Valley, Utah (and Arizona) is a place to realize just how small we are in this world. Search through these resources to discover more about unique landforms and landscapes around the world. Wildcat Trail is the best hike in Monument Valley to do without a guide. Entrance to Monument Valley is on US Highway 163, 28 miles from Kayenta, Arizona, where most hotels are located, and 26 miles from Mexican Hat, Utah. natural substance composed of solid mineral matter. 1145 17th Street NW A puddle left by a passing storm reflects the buttes in Monument Valley. This land is part of the Navajo Nation Reservation. broad, flat-topped landform with steep sides. We took the Monument Valley Drive which is a 17-mile dirt road that winds past many notable features. Monument Valley provides perhaps the most enduring and definitive images of the American West. Caused mostly by the burning of fossil fuels, acid rain is a form of precipitation with high levels of sulfuric acid, which can cause erosion in the materials in which it comes in contact. What do Do near Monument Valley A 14-mile graded dirt road will show you around most of the major monuments (The Mittens, Three Sisters, John Ford’s Point, Totem Pole, Yei Bi Chai, Ear of the Wind), and Navajo guides can lead you deeper, into Mystery Valley, Hunts Mesa and more. Three main layers of Organ Rock shale, de Chelly sandstone, and Moenkopi shale are visible in many of the buttes. Towering red pillars of sandstone give this valley its name and create the striking setting for this new KOA. We took the Monument Valley Drive which is a 17-mile dirt road that winds past many notable features. All monument valley artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. National Geographic Headquarters Erosion is the process where rocks are broken down by natural forces such as wind or water. An example of chemical weathering is acid rain. The valley was abandoned by the Ancestral Puebloans in the 1300’s, as were other areas in the Four Corners region.The date of the first Navajo settlement in Monument Valley is unknown. We hope our blog provides useful information you might be able to use on your next family adventure! Allow yourself approximately two hours to complete the drive. Monument Valley is one of the most recognized vistas for the iconic Old West. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. national park with very large rock formations (buttes), in the U.S. states of Arizona and Utah. Monument Valley is located on the boarder of Arizona and Utah. There are two main types of erosion: chemical and physical. Sustainability Policy |  Monument Valley is perhaps the most famous example of the classic American West landscape, located within the Navajo Nation on the border of Arizona and Utah. It is characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the valley floor. ( Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times ) More photos. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Take Scenic Highway 163 north from Kayenta, AZ (22 miles) or approach from Bluff, UT (45 miles) Located in Southeast Utah and the Northern border of Arizona - near the Four Corners region - lies the sandstone buttes of the Monument Valley. This route takes you past the western fringes of Monument Valley as well as The Valley of the Gods. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. The magnificent landscapes are filled with never ending mesas, plateaus, and enormous sandstone monuments (known as buttes). Monument Valley is a symbol of the American Wild West. It’s not hard to miss. We snacked on Navajo fry bread covered in cinnamon and sugar and enjoyed shopping for jewelry with the girls. It is an isolated landscape with vividly colorful cliffs and sandstone buttes throughout it. The more heat and pressure you add, the further the rock metamorphoses until it becomes gneiss. The majestic buttes were backdrops for dozens of Westerns dating back to the 1930’s. While I love to travel, my favorite trips involve long car rides (crazy, I know), hiking, canoeing and camping. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Buttes of Monument Valley. If it is heated further, the rock will melt completely and reform as an igneous rock. Grab your camera (I use a Panasonic Lumix) and let’s get started! A butte is a further eroded mesa. So I have to be honest, this is when hiking fatigue must have set in. A scenic drive in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on the border of Arizona and Utah places you in the middle of nature’s wonderland of spires, buttes and red rock creations. Monument Valley on the southern border of Utah and Arizona is definitive of the American Southwest. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Merrick Butte, on the other hand, was named after one of the two explorers who discovered Monument Valley. It is important to note that this road is very rough and bumpy. You’d probably want to leave your sedan at home and opt for something higher off the ground. Monument Valley’s red sandstone pillars are called buttes, they are isolated hills with steep, vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top rising hundreds of feet above the desert floor. the breaking down or dissolving of the Earth's surface rocks and minerals. On May 18, 2006 a huge slab on the East Mitten butte came loose and made a thunderous roar as it tumbled down the talus slope. Overall, it was Mother Nature’s doing that led to the incredible formation of Monument Valley. Each of these formations includes a thick tower of rock with a thin spire alongside it, making the two buttes look like a giant pair of mittens. Erosion is the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water. All rights reserved. Famous buttes in Monument Valley include the East and West Mittens and Merrick's Butte. Privacy Notice |  In physical erosion, the rock breaks down but its chemical composition remains the same, such as during a landslide or bioerosion, when plants take root and crack rocks. Part of the Colorado Plateau, Monument Valley spans 91,696 acres. For example, sedimentary rock shale becomes slate when heat and pressure are added. Chemical erosion occurs when a rock’s chemical composition changes, such as when iron rusts or when limestone dissolves due to carbonation. single hill or rock formation that rises sharply from a flat landscape, usually in a desert. We have reviews of the best places to see in Monument Valley… ELEPHANT BUTTE. The towering solitary buttes that characterize this area have been the backdrop of many movies (Stagecoach, Forrest Gump, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, Easy Rider, Thelma & Louise), TV shows (MacGyver, Airwolf), and commercials. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Map of Monument Valley Utah > Monument Valley > Map Map of the main formations in Monument Valley , most of which are within the Navajo Tribal Park, east of US 163 and hidden from it by the Mitchell and Wetherill Mesas. Looking back through pictures and retelling stories from our crazy adventures makes me the happiest. The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is one of the most photographed landscapes in the world. With sandstone buttes, colossal mesas, and panoramic vistas, Monument Valley is one of the USA’s iconic landscapes. Select from these resources to teach about the process of weathering in your classroom.a. It’s actually pronounced bee-ute. Total miles hiked since our Southwest vacation began: I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my husband and three daughters. There are no buttes nicknamed "the Socks," but these are the Mittens. The campgrounds are nestled within a hillside with direct views to the Monument Valley Buttes. In fact, you’re sure to feel like you’re in a John Wayne movie. I don’t always take pictures of my food, but when I do it’s because the food was freaking awesome! What type of landform is Monument Valley? Spires, towers, or pinnacles are the thinnest standing remainders of a plateau. Then we moved to Goulding’s Lodge, five … A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above surrounding area on at least one side, An escarpment is an area of the Earth where elevation changes suddenly. Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography. When viewed from the south, the buttes appear to be two giant mittens … Sure, it’s possible to drive right through Monument Valley, visiting the main sites in just two or three hours, but if you really want to explore it, … remains of something broken or destroyed; waste, or garbage. The other 50% are daredevils, trying to get the perfect shot for Instagram. While we originally planned on hiking the Wildcat Trail, we decided against it because of the high winds. A stop at the Amigo Cafe is a must! © 1996 - 2021 National Geographic Society. Shop for monument valley art from the world's greatest living artists. Obviously it takes longer depending on how many stops you make. I had the Navajo burger, and Kris had the Navajo taco. Welcome to Five Happy Campers. Buttes were once part of flat, elevated areas of land known as mesas or plateaus. When a mesa is no longer more wide than it is tall, it's considered a butte. Subscribe to be notified by email when a new blog entry has been posted. Explore the process of erosion with this collection of resources. These include the Mitten Buttes, Three Sisters, Yei-bi-chai, North Window, and Totem Pole. The drive between the two places includes Valley of the Gods, Muley Point, Goosenecks State Park, Forrest Gump Point, and Mexican Hat. Haha. strong, hard rock that remains on top of a mesa. 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