I have a friend who likes to go off-roading in his tricked-out Jeep. He seeks out boulders, ravines, and any kind of terrain that wouldn’t be out of place at a Hummer test-driving lot. The steeper the incline, the greater the thrill. His tires could outfit a small tractor, and every time I get into the Jeep, I have to grasp the “oh, crap!” bars and hoist myself in…and hope my pants don’t rip. The clearance he gets in his Jeep is insane, but that’s okay: it was made for off-roading. My little Civic, Victor…not so much. I get about a 12″ clearance above the ground, but do you think I let that stop me from off-roading through Monument Valley?
Nope.
There is a 17-mile Tribal Park Loop you can drive through Monument Valley, passing some of the most iconic buttes and vistas. Starting at the Visitor’s Center, you loop around on a bumpy, dusty, and sometimes unpredictable dirt road. No, you don’t need a 4×4 to complete the circuit, but it would be super helpful if you did. Even though the speed limit is 15MPH, there were times when even 10MPH was taking it too fast. I’d say if you were driving a little coup, just make sure you have fully inflated tires, don’t panic, and take it slow. If you want to venture off the 17-mile loop, you’ll have to be escorted by a member of the Navajo Nation via paid tour.
In all honesty, I was naive enough to think that the trail was actually going to be paved. Or maybe I was just exhausted. I’d done precious little research on my last-minute trip planning, so I arrived at the Monument Valley Visitor’s Center and just asked around. I was directed to the northwest corner of the parking lot, just past all of the guided tour trailers, and made a right turn at the stop sign. I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
Quickly throwing Victor into 3rd gear, I adjusted to the steep descent to the valley floor, often successfully avoiding the potholes and protruding boulders. Yikes! I wasn’t really able to get a shot of the treacherous conditions of the first part of the drive. Not only was it steep, but narrow and absolutely nowhere to pull off.
If you’ve ever driven with me before, you know that I have the tendency to talk to my car. Victor and I have an understanding: I take care of him by regular maintenance, wash and wax, and words of encouragement; he keeps me alive and safe. I’d need to take off my shoes and socks to count how many times I stroked the dash while saying “good boy, Victor” or “keep going, buddy, we’re almost there” during this loop drive.
Navigating the loop is fairly straightforward, as there are signs directing you down the road and also indicating which buttes you are looking at. Trust me, it’s super helpful to have those signs, especially if you’re driving solo. I had a crude handout from the gift shop, indicating which buttes were which, but I didn’t dare look down at a piece of paper during the drive. Not only would it be unsafe, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the beauty that was all around!
I fell in love with Monument Valley.
Even though the road tried to destroy my car, the sweeping views and towering buttes made up for it in a big way. I was fortunate enough to start my journey soon after the 8am opening, so the traffic was light and I had unobscured views from every corner of the loop.
No off-roading adventure would be complete without having to also cross through open ranges. I had noticed that some of the potholes and horrible parts of the road had been filled in with what looked like manure, but it wasn’t until I actually saw the cows grazing on the side of the road that I truly understood that’s what it was.
Wouldn’t it be awesome to have these kinds of views in your backyard?
And now when my friend regales me with all of his off-roading adventures, I can reciprocate with a tale of my own…
Have you been to Monument Valley before? Did you drive the 17-mile loop?
PIN ME
