If your idea of the Old West is the scenic beauty from Hollywood films, then a stop at Monument Valley should be included on your itinerary. John Ford made the tribal park a popular film location in the 1938 production of "Stagecoach." Since then, other films were made here - in whole or in part - including the 1988 sequel to the blockbuster, "Back to the Future III."

Located on the Arizona-Utah border, red buttes and spires defy gravity, rising hundreds of feet into the sky, separated by miles of untouched desert. Millions of years ago, layers of sandstone, silt and shale were deposited here, buried for a few more million years, then uplifted, folded and shaped by relentless winds into living sculptures. While each formation carries a unique Navajo name, most are referred to by their English counterparts such as the Mittens, Elephant Butte, Three Sisters and of course, John Ford's Point.

Visitors to the park enjoy the culture and tradition of the Navajo Native Americans, who offer a variety of guided tours. For generations, the Navajo have herded sheep and grown crops in the area. Monument Valley is considered one of the most scenic areas of the Navajo Nation and well worth the visit.

Don't miss this Navajo National Monument where you will find three intact cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people. A visit to Monument Valley could easily fill a day with a visitor's center, museum, three short self-guided trails, two small campgrounds and a picnic area.

See the southwest like you never imagined at Monument Valley! Contact us if you have any questions about this attraction or would like rates and availability at Lake Powell Budget Inn just 150 miles away. You can also visit here for further information about Monument Valley.