Monument Valley, a red-sand desert region on the Arizona-Utah border, is known for the towering sandstone buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
Known for its majestic, free-standing sandstone buttes, this sprawling, 92,000-acre valley attracts more than 250,000 sightseers per year.
Visitors come to this isolated area on the Arizona-Utah border to hike, drive, photograph or simply experience its natural and ever-changing beauty.
But contrary to popular belief, Monument Valley is not on public land. Unlike many nearby national parks in Arizona and Utah, Monument Valley is a tribal park owned and operated by the Navajo Nation.
John Ford “discovered” the area in the 1930s and began filming Western movies there, propelling the landscape into international fame.
Monument Valley is still a favorite location for filmmakers. Blockbusters like Back to the Future, Mission Impossible, The Lone Ranger and Transformers: Age of Extinction were shot there. The valley even appears in the 2014 film The Lego Movie.
The Navajo name for the park is Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, or Valley of the Rocks. Ten families make their homes inside the park, where they live without running water or electricity and rely on farming and grazing for income.
A 17-mile loop road takes visitors through the park. Locals ask that visitors respect their privacy and stay on marked trails and roads.
“Because people live in the valley, they do want their peace and quiet,” Parrish said. “We ask that visitors exit before the sun goes down.”