If you get motion sickness easily you’re probably not going to enjoy it very much. Monument Valley is located on the boarder of Arizona and Utah. The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is one of the most photographed landscapes in the world. Weathering is the process of the weakening and breakdown of rocks, metals, and manmade objects. Welcome to Five Happy Campers. So I have to be honest, this is when hiking fatigue must have set in. It’s not hard to miss. There are two main types of weathering: chemical and physical. These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes. The towering solitary buttes that characterize this area have been the backdrop of many movies (Stagecoach, Forrest Gump, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, Easy Rider, Thelma & Louise), TV shows (MacGyver, Airwolf), and commercials. The buttes, spires, and towers are geological monuments resulting from centuries of erosion and uplift. Wildcat Trail is the best hike in Monument Valley to do without a guide. Code of Ethics. When viewed from the south, the buttes appear to be two giant mittens … Haha. Take Scenic Highway 163 north from Kayenta, AZ (22 miles) or approach from Bluff, UT (45 miles) Located in Southeast Utah and the Northern border of Arizona - near the Four Corners region - lies the sandstone buttes of the Monument Valley. Caused mostly by the burning of fossil fuels, acid rain is a form of precipitation with high levels of sulfuric acid, which can cause erosion in the materials in which it comes in contact. The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs and trees, and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley. There are no buttes nicknamed "the Socks," but these are the Mittens. A butte is a further eroded mesa. While part of this drive was on US 163 part of it was also on Utah 261. In physical erosion, the rock breaks down but its chemical composition remains the same, such as during a landslide or bioerosion, when plants take root and crack rocks. Mexican Hat is easily seen from the road. An example of physical weathering is wind blowing across the desert playas. Empower your students to learn about the rock cycle with this collection of resources. With sandstone buttes, colossal mesas, and panoramic vistas, Monument Valley is one of the USA’s iconic landscapes. A drive through Monument Valley is a fun way to explore another iconic stop in the Southwest U.S. Turns out, here we enjoyed one of our favorite meals of the trip! Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. The iconic sandstone buttes that dot the valley floor can mostly be … For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. Erosion is the process where rocks are broken down by natural forces such as wind or water. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Monument Valley, Utah on Tripadvisor: See 33,605 traveler reviews and photos of Monument Valley tourist attractions. You cannot download interactives. I put my big girl pants on and gave it a try. Grab your camera (I use a Panasonic Lumix) and let’s get started! We snacked on Navajo fry bread covered in cinnamon and sugar and enjoyed shopping for jewelry with the girls. It is known to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Monument Valley is perhaps the most famous example of the classic American West landscape, located within the Navajo Nation on the border of Arizona and Utah. Goulding’s Campground comes with a fire pit and picnic table that are nestled under the beautiful red mountains of Monument Valley. This Monument Valley hike is particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset. Famous buttes in Monument Valley include the East and West Mittens and Merrick's Butte. Plus, they played 90s alternative rock! While I love to travel, my favorite trips involve long car rides (crazy, I know), hiking, canoeing and camping. It is a 3-mile circular hike in Monument Valley which starts by the visitor centre, takes you around the West Mitten Butte and back. An example of chemical weathering is acid rain. If I were doing this trip again I wouldn’t stay overnight in Monument Valley. Buttes were once part of flat, elevated areas of land known as mesas or plateaus. Archeologists have identified more than 100 ancient Ancestral Puebloan (also known as Anasazi) sites and ruins dating prior to 1300 A.D. Yeah, I was having a moment. Shop for monument valley art from the world's greatest living artists. Following the path, we find the Elephant Butte, a rock formation in the shape of an elephant sitting on the desert sand, only recognizable when the shadows at the end of the day cast over the rock. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Monumental Mittens"The Mittens" are a pair of buttes in Monument Valley, Utah. The valley was abandoned by the Ancestral Puebloans in the 1300’s, as were other areas in the Four Corners region.The date of the first Navajo settlement in Monument Valley is unknown. Washington, DC 20036, National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. I don’t always take pictures of my food, but when I do it’s because the food was freaking awesome! All monument valley artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Either way it’s good people watching. National Geographic Science: Plateau Photo Gallery, Navajo Parks and Recreation Department: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in January. While we originally planned on hiking the Wildcat Trail, we decided against it because of the high winds. If it is heated further, the rock will melt completely and reform as an igneous rock. Monument Valley in northern Arizona is one of the most enduring and familiar landscapes in the American West. It’s actually pronounced bee-ute. act in which earth is worn away, often by water, wind, or ice. Buttes slowly become slender. The magnificent landscapes are filled with never ending mesas, plateaus, and enormous sandstone monuments (known as buttes). It is important to note that this road is very rough and bumpy. It’s not pronounced like butts. Sustainability Policy |  Buttes are tall, steep-sided towers of rock. The other 50% are daredevils, trying to get the perfect shot for Instagram. Allow yourself approximately two hours to complete the drive. Buttes of Monument Valley. Three main layers of Organ Rock shale, de Chelly sandstone, and Moenkopi shale are visible in many of the buttes. strong, hard rock that remains on top of a mesa. Map of Monument Valley Utah > Monument Valley > Map Map of the main formations in Monument Valley , most of which are within the Navajo Tribal Park, east of US 163 and hidden from it by the Mitchell and Wetherill Mesas. I had the Navajo burger, and Kris had the Navajo taco. Obviously it takes longer depending on how many stops you make. Search through these resources to discover more about unique landforms and landscapes around the world. All rights reserved. We hope our blog provides useful information you might be able to use on your next family adventure! It is an isolated landscape with vividly colorful cliffs and sandstone buttes throughout it. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. A scenic drive in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on the border of Arizona and Utah places you in the middle of nature’s wonderland of spires, buttes and red rock creations. Total miles hiked since our Southwest vacation began: I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my husband and three daughters. broad, flat-topped landform with steep sides. Erosion is the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water. I think it’s totally manageable as a little side trip rather than allotting an entire day. These include the Mitten Buttes, Three Sisters, Yei-bi-chai, North Window, and Totem Pole. Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography. Terms of Service |  When a mesa is no longer more wide than it is tall, it's considered a butte. Weathering and erosion, most often by wind and rainwater, slowly erode the softer rock surrounding the caprock. Entrance to Monument Valley is on US Highway 163, 28 miles from Kayenta, Arizona, where most hotels are located, and 26 miles from Mexican Hat, Utah. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. It is safe to say that the entire hour and a half ride between Monument Valley and Natural Bridges is pretty amazing. 2. Monument Valley, Utah (and Arizona) is a place to realize just how small we are in this world. Entrance to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park costs $20 and is payable with cash only. The more heat and pressure you add, the further the rock metamorphoses until it becomes gneiss. You will see cars parked on both sides of the road with people running back and forth across the highway. You can’t drive Scenic Highway 163 towards Monument Valley without a stop at Forrest Gump Point. remains of something broken or destroyed; waste, or garbage. Monument Valley - is one of the truly iconic places to visit and photograph in the American Southwest. Our family is on a mission to see as many cool places as we can while enjoying the great outdoors. Caprock protects the more vulnerable rock beneath it. For example, sedimentary rock shale becomes slate when heat and pressure are added. Monument Valley is one of the most recognized vistas for the iconic Old West. At first glance all I noticed was a Sonic, and that made my day. I don't want to miss a single opportunity to be outdoors and exploring with my family. A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above surrounding area on at least one side, An escarpment is an area of the Earth where elevation changes suddenly. Monument Valley is an area that contains a group of tall cliff like individual formations, known as ‘buttes’ and ‘towers’, made of sandstone, found in the Colorado Plateau, in the south western area of the United States of America, on the border of Arizona and Utah. ELEPHANT BUTTE. Monument Valley’s red sandstone pillars are called buttes, they are isolated hills with steep, vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top rising hundreds of feet above the desert floor. Chemical erosion occurs when a rock’s chemical composition changes, such as when iron rusts or when limestone dissolves due to carbonation. I’d say 50% of the people we saw here safely ran out to the center highway line, snapped some pictures, and went back to their cars. We stayed at The View Hotel and had a room with a “premium starview.” This would have been great had it not been so cloudy the day we were there. A puddle left by a passing storm reflects the buttes in Monument Valley. Many of Earth’s key processes function in cycles and rock cycle is no exception. On May 18, 2006 a huge slab on the East Mitten butte came loose and made a thunderous roar as it tumbled down the talus slope. … Looking back through pictures and retelling stories from our crazy adventures makes me the happiest. ( Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times ) More photos. The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have been filmed and photographed countless times over the years for movies, adverts and holiday brochures. Overall, it was Mother Nature’s doing that led to the incredible formation of Monument Valley. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. natural substance composed of solid mineral matter. Each of these formations includes a thick tower of rock with a thin spire alongside it, making the two buttes look like a giant pair of mittens. Choose your favorite monument valley designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more! Monument Valley on the southern border of Utah and Arizona is definitive of the American Southwest. person who studies places and the relationships between people and their environments. It offers some of the most magnificent views thanks to the sheer grandeur of its landscapes. large region that is higher than the surrounding area and relatively flat. Landforms are natural and distinctive features. The valley itself includes some of the United States’s most impressive land structures such as the Eye of the Sun. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. The majestic buttes were backdrops for dozens of Westerns dating back to the 1930’s. 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