|
Monument Valley
We are taking a tour of the Southwest next May. Some of you have already commented on my Durango post. New Question, we are leaving Flagstaff and staying overnite at Gouldings lodge at Monument Valley. I know there are a number of tours you can do and I also read that there is a 17 mile loop road you can drive with a fee. Haven't looked for how much the fee is, but is there an advantage to taking the tour? I know it is Navajo property and I'm sure they have some good insight, but is it necessary. After Monument Valley we will be driving to Durango for the week.
Thanks, Tdiddy12 |
Navajo nation charges a per car fee to enter the area. Last time I was there a few years ago, it was $20 per car. The 17 mile drive is usually accessible by passenger cars but best if you have an SUV since it is a dirt road and passage can be dependent on how recently it has been graded and what the weather has been. End of May, odds are it will be in pretty good shape. If it happens to be raining, however, it will likely be impassable due to wet, slippery clay. You should have no problem scheduling a tour on short notice so you might want to wait until you are there to make your decision.
if your reservations at Goulding can be cancelled and if reservations are available at The View, I would recommend changing. Rooms at the View have balconeys with close up views of the Mittens. As you are leaving the area and driving towards Durango, if you look back, you will see the iconic shot in Forrest Gump. |
>>if you have an SUV since it is a dirt road . . .<<
One big (huge) problem - most agencies don't allow their rental cars driven on dirt/unpaved roads. If you are diving your own car - that's fine. But not if you are renting. |
I went a few years ago and started at Gouldings. I thought it was fine but didn't need to be that close to the mittens. The restuarant they gave I thought was decent. I took a tour booked with Gouldings and had a great time. I liked my guide Mike. He made the best hamburger I ever had and said it was the wood from the fire. I had a rental car but only drove to the other side to see the famous landscape of Monument Valley to see a few things like Mexican hat.
|
While many rental companies don't permit off road travel, I don't think most people consider a "huge" problem. 17 mile drive is always full of rental cars. I recall a fodorite who commented a few years back that one just needs to wash off the red dirt before returning the rental ;)
|
>>I don't think most people consider a "huge" problem.<<
It isn't a problem huge or otherwise . . . unless something goes wrong. Then it can be an enormous problem. |
Thanks for the info bailey123. The View is already booked at this time! I wanted to stay there. I may try again as we get closer and cancel Gouldings.
|
We went to Monument Valley last year and booked a tour with Majestic Monument Valley Tours. They did travel on the 17 mile road but also toured some areas that were not available without a guide. Additionally, the guides are Navajo and were excellent - providing first hand information as many have grown up in the area. We personally felt it was well worth it. I also like the occasional tour to give hubby a break from driving and a chance to see without worrying in this instance about a dirt road that has variable conditions.
|
Lindsyb, can I Ask how much it cost? I’ll be there in October....
|
They have different tours available but we did the 3 hr backcountry tour in the AM and we then had lunch at the View restaurant to get on the road to Moab. It was $108 plus taxes for the 2 of us and it was shared with 3 other couples.
|
Originally Posted by janisj
(Post 16780261)
>>I don't think most people consider a "huge" problem.<<
It isn't a problem huge or otherwise . . . unless something goes wrong. Then it can be an enormous problem. Now, if you get a flat tire, put on the spare and go about your day. Tell the rental company later. If there's some minor damage, go about your day. If a rock punches a hole in the oil pan, you're probably going to be liable for damages. All that means if your own insurance would have to cover it, so you'd pay the deductible on your own insurance and your rates would probably go up. Is that an enormous problem? For some people, yes. For others, the calculated risk is worth it. Make your own decisions as to whether you feel comfortable driving 17 miles on an unpaved road at slow speeds, or if that's too much risk for you to bear. |
It's not just that it is a dirt road. I live on a dirt road and drive on rural roads in VT all the time. The road in Monument Valley was in terrible shape when we visited (this was August, not May) and I would not have driven our own car on it either.
|
Hi Lindsyb,
How early in the morning did you start? We are driving to Durango after MV and aren't in a big hurry, but would need to do an AM trip |
Originally Posted by Tdiddy12
(Post 16781713)
Hi Lindsyb,
How early in the morning did you start? We are driving to Durango after MV and aren't in a big hurry, but would need to do an AM trip |
Vttraveler, August would be a bad time for 17 mile drive. We get heavy monsoons in August. It does not treat dirt roads kindly. By comparison, May is generally a very good time. The Res. has had an opportunity to grade the roads after winter snows and mud season and the summer rains have not started. Any concern for the road condition can be determined in the first 50 yards which is the roughest section. If one gets past that, it's clear road.
Tdiddy, Keep trying to get a room at The View, one of the top 2 floors at the far end from the restaurant and you will have a great view looking down at 17 mile drive and a beautiful sunset view of the mittens. tdiddy, if it helps with your planning your day, by the end of May we are in daylight by 5:30 a.m. It takes me about 3 hours to get to The View from my house in Durango. If you plan on going to Mesa Verde, you can avoid backtracking if you stop at MV on your way to Durango. If you leave MOnument Valley in the morning, IMHO, you could get enough experience of Mesa Verde by spending the balance of your day there, spend the night at Far View and spend some of the next day at Mesa Verde before heading towards Durango. Once you leave Mesa Verde park and you are back on 160, it's only about a 45 minute drive to Durango. |
Thanks everyone for your responses. So here is my situation in a little more detail. We have a week in Flagstaff at our timeshare and a week in Durango at our timeshare. It seems like we have two options, leave Flagstaff early to go to MV and take an afternoon tour leaving MV early the next morning to explore Canyon of the Ancients on the way to Durango. Getting to Durango early evening. Or hit some of the stuff out of Flagstaff on the way to MV, Dinosaur Tracks at Tuba City, Wupatki NM, Betakin Ruin and do the morning tour in MV the next morning. WhereWeAre, I think we would only do a 3 hour tour or less at MV. I think we can backtrack to Mesa Verde on one of our Durango days.
bailey123, where is Far View? I don't see it on my Google map. Finally last question, MV at sunrise or MV at sunset? Opinions! Thanks again. |
Far view lodge is within mesa verde, up at the top. Spectacular views, a little pricey, and often difficult to find availability. Nice option, but not a prerequisite.
|
Sunset...and if you get a room at far view lodge, hope for a nightime thunder and lightning show! (That way you could do sunrise, too, and have an okay breakfast at the restaurant there.)
|
Far View is the lodging within Mesa Verde. Since you are planning far enough in advance, if you want to stay there, you should have no problem booking a night. The drive in to the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde from the highway is far enough that some people prefer to spend the night in the park.
you must really enjoy pueblo history. You plan on seeing Canyon of the Ancients, Hvenweep, Mesa Verde and maybe Wupatki? Don't get me wrong, I have been to them all, along with several others in the southwest, but I don't think I would want to hit all on your list within a few days. There is such a great variety of things to do and places to see in this area of the country. That being said, I know several people that would consider that a wonderful plan. I think Tuba City dinosaur tracks would be a disappointment. Have you seen any part of Grand Canyon? If not, you might want to take a drive along part of the south rim and take in some great views on your way from Flag to Monument Valley. sunset is a great time in Monument Valley. If it were me, I would plan on getting to monument Valley midafternoon, take an afternoon tour or self drive of 17 mile drive and enjoy the sunset and sunrise from Far View and head out of Monument Valley early morning. If you keep checking, you have a very good chance of getting one of the rooms at The View with a private balcony view looking down at 17 mile drive and out to the Mittens |
|
"sunset is a great time in Monument Valley. If it were me, I would plan on getting to monument Valley midafternoon, take an afternoon tour or self drive of 17 mile drive and enjoy the sunset and sunrise from Far View and head out of Monument Valley early morning. If you keep checking, you have a very good chance of getting one of the rooms at The View with a private balcony view looking down at 17 mile drive and out to the Mittens"
bailey123 - Just so I'm clear, Far View is in Mesa Verde. Did you mean "the View" in MV for sunrise and sunset? We will visit the Grand Canyon while we are in Flagstaff so we will have checked that off. Staying in Mesa Verde on the way to Durango sounds like a great idea. |
Yes, they typed "Far View" instead of The View. But sunrise and sunset would be great in both!
|
Sorry for the confusion. The View is the lodging at Monument Valley and I did mean sunset and sunrise at The View. Far View is the lodging in Mesa Verde NP
|
Just a thought on your drive to Grand Canyon. If you go north on 89 out of Flag to the Grand Canyon and take 64 (desert View drive), all of your canyon view turnouts will be right hand turns. On your return to Flag, plan on taking 64 to 180 to Flag. It's more scenic than taking 64 to Williams and then east on I 40.
|
Thanks Silvia, I realized after reading everything that I was using MV for Monument Valley, but it would be easy to mistake that for Mesa Verde. So as it stands my plans are to go to Monument Valley and take an afternoon tour, catching the sunset and then maybe catch the sunrise on our own, and then head toward Mesa Verde, stay in the park and spend a day there before heading to Durango. Sound like a plan? Also we will get into Durango on a Sunday, maybe missing some Labor Day craziness.
|
Hey Bailey,
Thanks for the heads up, I was wondering how the roads and view was. As it is we are staying on the east side of Flagstaff right by 89 so we had planned on taking that up to 64 and then on the way back going down 180.! |
We're headed to Monument this fall, and had a fantastic visit to Mesa Verde last fall; no matter the route, the scenery will be rewarding. We love Canyons of the Ancients, so I'm a bit biased (but you can always visit the Ute Mountain Casino/ Hotel if you are needing a break from scenery/archeology or if the roads are iffy😀).
|
silvia - I Googled the way to Canyons of the Ancients, per your suggestion, where is the actual entrance, or where did you enter the Park? Do you go north out of Cortez? I see a road, State Rd G that goes through it but it looks like it's actually outside the park.
|
The monument boundaries are large; the main route is north-south, several parallel roads E-W ( to get to the N-S ) are at the north end and enter from the east (for Lowry Pueblo ruins), if you are taking a day trip from cortez or Durango.
if you are visiting Hovenweep, Google "Hovenweep to "Lowry Pueblo" for the direct route and county road designations (37 minute drive without the stops). |
The monument boundaries are large; the main route is north-south, several parallel roads E-W ( to get to the N-S ) are at the north end and enter from the east (for Lowry Pueblo ruins), if you are taking a day trip from cortez or Durango.
if you are visiting Hovenweep, Google "Hovenweep to "Lowry Pueblo" for the direct route and county road designations (37 minute drive without the stops). |
Hi Everyone - We are about a month away from our big Southwest trip! Leaving from Los Angeles. Here’s the line up: 5 days Sedona 7 days Flagstsff. visit Grand Canyon, other sites in and around area 1 day Monument Valley 1 day Mesa Verde 5 days Durango 2 days in Ouray, first taking the San Juan Skyway Tour, leaving Durango toward Dolores 3 days Pagosa Springs 2 days Taos 2 Pinetop Arizona 2 days Lake Havasu Home! Many of these days are in Timeshares. Except for the beginning and ending, most of the drives should be around three hours. Online Monument Valley tours seem to be about $75. Is that reasonable? Anyone have a favorite company? I know some of you have commented before, but am revisiting my options. Also thinking about going to Page one day from Flagstaff, suggestions? Thanks |
I prefer driving San Juan Skyway in the reverse direction, driving north out of Durango. views from the car are better, most turnouts are more convenient and Red Mt. Pass is in better condition northbound. Your loop would be Durango to Silverton to Ouray; leaving Ouray, go north to Ridgeway to Telluride to Delores to Mancos and completing the loop back in Durango. You may be interested in a video of Red Mt Pass after our winter storms this year. Avalanches buried it in 60 feet of snow; it was closed for weeks. You can see it on Durangoherald.com. Be prepared for construction on Red whichever way you drive. There are several things to do in Page. Antelope Canyon would be top of the list (Lower Antelope is best but either is great). Also, Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon dam, smooth water raft on the Colorado River, boat trip to Rainbow Bridge, kayak tour. |
Thanks for the heads up bailey123. We have two nights in Ouray. I've heard it's really nice, we would get there in 2 -3 hours from Durango based on Google maps. Any suggestions for spending time there? Our ride back to Pagosa Springs, our next stop, would be longer if we take this route, looks like maybe 4 hours, but we don't have to be there anytime specifically. Maybe lunch in Telluride. Also do you think it is necessary to pre-book a sunset Monument Valley tour? Driving Flagstaff to MV.
|
I never spend more than one day in Ouray because there are not tons of things to do in Ouray. That being said, there are things to do and see on the way to or from Ouray such as Animas Forks old mining town outside Silverton, many pullouts between Durango and Ouray including views of waterfalls, old mining structures, and generally gorgeous views as well as many wonderful hikes. If you would like more details on any of these, let me know. In Ouray itself, there are a couple small museums, hot springs but not on same level as Pagosa hot springs, and there is the Box Canyon falls which is an easy walk not a hike. There may also be jeep tours but I am not certain on this because I always take my own 4x4 on any of the many surrounding trails. The extra hour or so that you would take from Ouray to Pagosa via Telluride is well worth the time. Telluride would be an excellent stop for lunch. Personally, I like Telluride far more than Ouray; depending on your timing, you might catch Telluride on a day they are having one of their numerous festivals, some serious and some just quirky, all fun; google telluride festivals to find a schedule. Another factor to consider is construction on Red which is very likely. Sometimes traffic in one direction vs. the other is more affected. To monitor construction or road conditions closer to your travel over the Pass, go to cotrip.org. Monument Valley. I always self drive so I have no knowledge regarding the tours. |
In Monument Valley, we have just driven to the VC and taken the tour with one of the guides in the parking lot. I think it was $25-30 per person. If your 1 day there means one night at Gouldings or the View, you might be able to reserve a tour ahead with them.
|
Thanks emalloy - I think we will drive to the VC as you recommend and then look for a tour. We plan on taking our time from Flagstaff maybe a few stops on the way and try to find a sunset tour. Then in the morning we can do the drive our selves as 123bailey suggests, depending on rain.
|
Hey Bailey123 - The thinking of two nights in Ouray was because we were going to take the backways around the San Juan and I thought that we would be getting in there at night. We will take our time going up the side you recommend and maybe have a rest day, before heading out to Telluride. I'll look up the other areas you suggested. Thanks.
|
I’m not sure what you mean by “backways” unless you are referring to backcountry or byways such as the Alpine Loop, Imogene Pass, Barlow Pass, etc., these should not be attempted in a rental car. If you want to do this, your best options are to rent a jeep in Silverton where the rental co. expects you to go off road or join a jeep tour also out of Silverton. This is a great option on your way to Ouray but you may find that these areas will not be accessible yet after our winter snows. I suggest you contact outfitters or rental cos. in Silverton beforehand. |
By backways, I meant "backtracking" from Durango to Delores on 160 and then north. I guess there really isn't a forward ways or backways. So I thought we would have a longer day doing the westside, stopping in Telluride in the afternoon and only spend an evening and day in Ouray. I looked at Telluride, which we definitely want to hit, but the room prices were so much more expensive than Ouray. I realize there is more going on there than in Ouray. But I like your suggestion and we can take our time getting to Ouray.
You mentioned falls etc. on 550 going North. Are things pretty well marked? Any specific suggestions other than Animas Forks? Also, after we leave Telluride, and head down the westside, it looks like there is a road, 184 out of Delores, ending in Marcos. Have you taken that road? Is it a decent road? |
Since it's been many years since our visit to Monument Valley, I can't answer your question. However, I can strongly recommend that get up early and go out to you balcony at your Goulding's Lodge room and watch the sun come up over the monuments. It is a spectacular view and lifetime memory!
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:56 AM. |