Monument Valley is a desert environment marked by red sandstone formations, narrow pinnacles, and enormous buttes that spans the Arizona-Utah state line about 508 kilometres north of Phoenix, Arizona.

Wind and water have carved this starkly magnificent country over millions of years. It is part of the Navajo Nation, the Navajo tribe’s almost 7-million-hectare home. With films like Stagecoach (1939), starring John Wayne, early Hollywood filmmakers brought Monument Valley to the world’s notice. Since then, the region has been a favoured destination for generations of visitors.

The panorama seen in many images and movies is your first view of Monument Valley from the park’s visitor centre. The valley’s three most conspicuous monoliths rise abruptly from the desert floor in the distance: the East and West Mitten Buttes (so named because they resemble hands with separated thumbs) and Merrick Butte.

Valley Drive, the park’s 27-kilometer dirt road, leads from the visitor centre to the valley’s heart. Although harsh and bumpy, most passenger automobiles should be fine if driven carefully in dry circumstances.

Several turnouts along the road provide excellent views of sandstone landmarks with names like Elephant Butte and the Totem Pole. While taking photos and stretching your legs, keep in mind that hiking into the desert is not permitted.

Browse the wooden kiosks where the Navajo sell jewellery, pottery, and other products at the most popular destination, John Ford’s Point. The spectacular vista is named after film director John Ford, who used the valley as a backdrop for several Western films, including Stagecoach.

Allow two hours to complete the journey at a leisurely pace.

Despite the fact that Valley Drive is brimming with picturesque delights, many visitors want to explore more of this magnificent scenery. The only way to do so is on Navajo-led trips that explore locations that are inaccessible to individual travellers.

On the popular 3.5-hour tours, travellers board a four-wheel-drive, flatbed truck with seating for 20. Along with Valley Drive, you may explore the wilderness and witness sandstone arches like the Sun’s Eye and the particularly striking, circular Ear of the Wind. To round out the experience, some guides will sing a traditional Navajo song.

Prefer a private, but more expensive, tour? Companies in Monument Valley and adjoining Mystery Valley provide four-wheel-drive excursions that can be tailored to specific interests such as photography and Native American rock art. There are also guided horseback rides and treks offered.

The largely level 5.1-kilometer Wildcat track, which circles around West Mitten Butte, is the only hiking track in the park that may be travelled without a Navajo guide. The sandy trail usually has minimal foot traffic, and you can see the massive butte from every aspect. The trailhead is located on the outside of the visitor centre parking lot. Allow 2.5 hours, bring lots of water, and avoid the midday heat in summer, when temperatures frequently exceed 32 degrees Celsius.

Fans of Western films will not want to miss Goulding’s Trading Post Museum at Goulding’s Lodge. The structure, which functioned as “John Wayne’s cabin” in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), now houses exhibits about the area’s film history.