The Valley of the Gods

June 12, 2024

Goose Point overlook, San Juan River.

Saturday June 9 2024

Before I write about today’s road trip, I have a few more words about Monument Valley. It leads into today’s journey, I promise.

I’m sure the monument Valley Navajo Park is held in high esteem by the Navajo’s. Assuming their ancestor’s spirits and mystical gods live in the upheaved rock pinnacles, its commendable that they have preserved it.

Unfortunately, the Navajo’s are faced with the same conundrum as our National Parks, preserving the natural beauty of the park and accommodating the hordes of visitors. I know, I’m being hypocritical. As a visitor myself, I am part of the problem. I don’t have any answers, they’re doing the best they can I guess.

In the parks they give these giants names, out here they are all anonymous

Today we would explore a vast majestic desert landscape and it would be a totally serene experience. Located a mere 30 miles above Monument Valley, but it may as well be on the moon. The Valley of the Gods is a 17-mile dirt road thru an endless expanse of BLM Land. (“Bureau of Land Management” is our land, you and me, the taxpayers)

Just one of the magnificent pillars

Ironic that this road and the route thru Monument Valley are both 17 miles, but here there are no speeding tour vehicles packed with passengers hanging on for life and wearing masks because of the dust. In fact, we only saw about ten vehicles during our three-hour journey. We also saw about ten boondocking RV’s scattered about the landscape.

views as far as the horizon

The scenery was amazing, rugged crevasses that took eons of time to carve, majestic upheavals of the earths crust standing hundreds of feet tall. Some of the sheer cliffs still stand as a solid wall and some have weathered into spires and balanced boulders that seemingly defy gravity.

The road was sometimes gravel, sometimes bare rock and sometimes sand. It was mostly passable with any standard car, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The instances of abrupt dips or humps, and quickly changing up or down inclination call for a high clearance vehicle. I also recommend four-wheel drive for those sand traps. You also cross many aurora’s (dry stream bed), that would be a challenge or impassable after a rain.

these pictures have been just a sampling of all the awe-inspiring scenes in the valley.

We had two bonus experiences on this outing. Along the highway to the Valley of the Gods you cross over the spot in the movie Forest Gump where tom Hanks says he’s going to go home now. Folks actually drive out here to photograph themselves standing in the road, the long ribbon of highway trailing off to the mountains in the distance. I don’t think I would drive all the way out here to do that, but hey we had to pass by anyhow!

Forest Gump Point

The 2nd extra was a side trip of five miles to a scenic overlook called gooseneck Point. 1000 feet below the view point the San Juan River meanders its way south. It took 300 million years (who figured that?) for erosion to create what is called an entrenched river. It’s very moon like, not a lot of color or distinguishing features but worth a short visit.