Oljato-Monument Valley

When planning a trip to Oljato-Monument Valley, you can organize your experiences around three themes: the sandstone formations in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, trading history, and activities on foot or with a guide. These highlights offer different perspectives on the trip. When planning your hotel stay, it may help to decide in advance whether the landscape, history, or a specific activity will be the deciding factor. This lets you tailor your search for accommodation to your own travel plans without turning a single outing into a full itinerary.

Sandstone Rising Above the Desert Plain

In Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, sandstone formations rise 400 to 1,000 feet above the desert plain. This range illustrates the varying heights of the rock formations and places them in relation to the plain. If you want to make the natural landscape your focus, you can consider it a distinct highlight alongside cultural and historical sites and activities. The specific details about elevation and rock type offer an objective way to understand the landscape without reducing it to a single viewpoint or a particular outing.

Trading History and Museum

The Oljato Trading Post was built in 1921 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Its significance is closely tied to the trading history of Indigenous peoples in the Four Corners region of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The two dates have different roles: 1921 is the year it was built, while 1980 is the year it was added to the register. Together with its regional context, they establish a clear historical focus.

The Goulding’s Trading Post Museum covers the early trading days of Monument Valley and its history in Western films. The Trading Post Bull Pen displays original artifacts relating to goods traded in the region. The Ware Room contains historical photographs, handmade pottery, and other artifacts. The exhibits offer different points of emphasis: the Bull Pen connects to the goods that were traded, while the Ware Room features photographs and handmade pieces alongside other historical objects. The museum thus explores both the trading history and the film history of Monument Valley.

Hike and Guided Tour

If you’re planning an activity rather than a museum visit, you can choose between a guided tour and a self-guided hike. Goulding’s Monument Valley tours are led by local Navajo experts. Since current tour offerings should be confirmed before booking, it’s a good idea to confirm the schedule before adding this activity to your travel plans.

The Wildcat Trail is the only self-guided hiking trail in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park; this distinction may change based on decisions by park management. The trail is a 3.2-mile loop around West Mitten Butte. Its starting point is at the northwest corner of the visitor parking lot at the Monument Valley Visitor Center. The route, its connection to West Mitten Butte, and the location of the trailhead give you specific points of reference for finding your way. If it’s important to you that this is the park’s only self-guided hiking trail, check this designation with park management before your visit.

Explore more destinations: Mexican Hat, La Sal, Blanding, Monticello, Spanish Valley.

Return to the regional travel overview: San Juan County.