Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

To access this magical area, you’ll first need to head to the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center. You can pay your entrance fee and hit the 17-mile Valley Drive there. It’s bumpy and dusty, but you’ll be driving slowly, anyway. If you want to venture beyond the road, you have one option without booking a Navajo-led tour: hiking the 3.2-mile Wildcat Trail, which will take you to and around The Mittens.

A tour—there are several types and durations, including sunrise—is an excellent option if you have the time (roughly 3 hours) and want to truly get a feel for this sacred landscape. Those can be booked at the visitor center upon arrival or through Viator.

• The entry fee is $8 per person per day.

• Bring sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen if you plan to spend any time here out of the car.

• Horse trail rides and river tours are two more uncommon ways to explore this highly photographed landscape.

• If you’re looking for a place to wake up to phenomenal views—or have a sunrise tour—there is a hotel onsite.

• The Navajo name for Monument Valley is Tse’Bii’Ndzisgaii.

Monument Valley isn’t near much, which is how this place stayed under the radar for so long. Access it via US-163 just north of the Utah-Arizona border—it’s about 2 hours from Page and 3 hours from the Grand Canyon. You’ll want a car; the nearest airport, in Flagstaff, is almost 200 miles (320 kilometers) away.

Spring and fall make great times to explore Monument Valley—not only will you get to avoid the heat of high summer, but you’ll also get to avoid the summer vacation crowds too. Up your odds of a crowd-free experience by visiting early and on a weekday, and sunrise and sunset tours are worth adjusting your itinerary.

Wondering where you’ve seen these vistas? They were a typical setting for classic Western films by John Ford—and, of course, that iconic running scene in Forrest Gump. Many visitors will be on the lookout for John Ford’s Point, a highlight of the scenic drive you can see on your own. As for the Forrest Gump shot, that one’s right on the highway.