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Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah
Author: Moritz Zimmermann (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Monument Valley is a region of the Colorado Plateau that stretches from southern Utah to northern Arizona. Known in the Navajo language as Tsé Bii' Ndzisgaii, meaning "valley of the rocks", Monument Valley is characterized by an arid landscape of vast sandstone buttes.
Monument Valley was created by erosion caused by meandering rivers that carved out the valley. The valley floor today comprises largely Cutler Red siltstone and sand deposits carried by the early rivers. The sandstone buttes of the valley get their spectrum of colors from the iron oxide deposits on the siltstone. Areas where the hue is a dark blue-grey denote a presence of manganese oxide deposits.
East Mitten and Merrick Butte, Monument Valley
Author: Daniela Borchert (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
The buttes at Monument Valley comprise three main layers. The lowest comprise Organ Rock shale, the middle layer de Chelly sandstone, while the top layer Moenkopi shale. These buttes are rich in minerals, and between 1948 and 1967, some areas in the southern extent were mined for uranium, vanadium and copper.
The area known today as Monument Valley encompasses the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, a national park administered by the Navajo Nation. The park has a visitor center, souvenir store and restaurant. Overnight accommodation is also available at the Park at the View Hotel.
The Hand, Monument Valley
Author: Bernard Gagnon (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Visiting Monument Valley, Arizona
Monument Valley is reached on US Highway 163 which passes through it. There is an access fee (at time of writing $5.00) to enter the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park allowing you to drive through a 17-mile desert road to admire the landscape. Guided tours are also available for between $40 to $100 per person, which takes you to some of the areas accessible only through guided tours, among them Mystery Valley and Hunts Mesa.The Visitor Center at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is open 6:00 am to 8:00 pm from 1 May to 30 Sept and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from 1 Oct to 30 Apr. It is closed on Christmas Day and opened 8:00 am to noon on Thansgiving Day.
Camping is possible within the park at designated areas. Camping fee is $10 per night plus entry fees of $5 per person.
North Window, Monument Valley
Author: Ba'Gamnan (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
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