(Podcast) The Wonder of Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, Bears Ears National Monument, + Durango, CO
Season 1, Episode 16.
As we move on from Moab, we head to Bears Ears, Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, and Natural Bridges National Monument, then on to Durango, Colorado.
If you’re going to visit this area, be prepared to be in a very remote place — pack accordingly and fuel up whenever possible. It’s a stunning part of America that’s only now really getting a lot of attention, with big vistas and natural wonders around every turn.
We boondocked at an abandoned airstrip we found using the Campendium app — what a great find: beautiful, uncrowded, with a view of Bears Ears and Natural Bridges. To be clear, it’s only a place to park your rig — no electricity, water, or septic — so come prepared to be self-sufficient.
Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park, not a US park, with fantastic tours, hikes, and history; their website is the best resource and lists current conditions and closures. John Ford and John Wayne helped put this area on the map with beautiful old Westerns, and it’s continued into modern films — it’s one of the most iconic places in the American West. Valley of the Gods (not to be confused with Garden of the Gods in Colorado) is a stunning, often-overlooked area that’s free and accessible via a 17-mile gravel road, with remote camping, hiking, and photos galore. Just be very aware of the weather: it’s prone to flash flooding, which can come from rain falling miles away, uphill in the mountains. As always in country like this, take more water than you think you’ll need — enough for a couple of days if necessary. It can make the difference between life and death.
The Moki Dugway is about as treacherous a road as you’ll find — the most dangerous in Utah: narrow, with very tight switchbacks, and all gravel. It descends 1,200 feet from the mesa rim to the valley floor and will absolutely get your attention. Beautiful? Yes. Dangerous? You bet. Do not attempt it with large vehicles like RVs or while pulling a trailer.
Natural Bridges National Monument is one of the oldest national monuments (Theodore Roosevelt, 1908) and was once very hard to reach, until better roads were built in 1977. People have lived here since around 7,500 BCE — a stable desert water source with overhangs where they could build dwellings and granaries made it a good place to survive and thrive. Challenging hikes and beautiful rock formations make it a great place to explore.
Bears Ears National Monument has gotten a lot of press over the last few years, and was unfortunately reduced in size by 47% — a real shame. And then Durango, Colorado stole the show.
