ARIZONA – From Monument Valley to Grand Canyon

by | 8 Dec 2016 | On the Panamerican road, United States | 0 comments

Date de dernière mise à jour : le 6 November 2019

We left Moab with the idea of finding a campground where we could spend 1 or 2 nights. After some time on the road, we arrive in a small village, a few kilometers before Monument Valley.

Bluff, Utah

It was poker strike but we feel immediately well in Bluff (maybe also because It is dark and we are exhausted).

We find a campground on the only and unique road of the village and take 2 nights.

And that is probably the most productive day that we had… in a long time! We just do nothing. But nothing at all. And it is great! Just not be on the road, not move. Just take a shower, take a nap, read a book, write an article (yes, that happens sometimes!) and eat at the restaurant at night.

Bluff Pause

After some hesitations, we decide to leave the day after.

On our way out of the village we visit the small village in the village, the Laura Ingalls’ town.

Bluff Village with real horses

Bluff Village in Laura Ingalls’s house

Bluff Village at school

Bluff Village without shoes

Old school Bluff Village

Then we drive to Monument Valley.

Monument Valley Tribal Park

We were told that on the road there are 2 things to absolutly see: GooseNecks and Valley of Gods. We are glad to have followed the advice, it was amazing !

Goosenecks State Park

Goosenecks without goose

Valley of the Gods

Alone on the 4×4 trail of the valley, the landscapes give us a first view of what we can expect from Monument Valley.

Valley of Gods

Monument Valley Tribal Park

We finally arrive in Monumument Valley around 4:30PM. We buy the ticket entrance et realise that the park closes at 5PM and that the visits can not be started after 4PM. Well we go to the campground of the park and we have bad suprise. Beside the relative amability of the receptionnist, the prices are way to high for us: 40 dollars for an overnight place on the parking. The view is great but it is a bit too expensive for us… We take some pictures and go out of the park.

On the road to Monument Valley

We finally find a campground on the other side of the road, in Utah, for 20 dollars and with a very sedusing view!

Monument Valley with sunset light

Tikal in Monument Valley

Camping with view

The day after, we drive back to Monument Valley and we hope to be allowed inside to drive through the park as far as the access is supposed to be prohibited to campers… But we are not in a camper, are-we? (well, when we prefer, we say we are).

No difficulty to enter the park. It is made as a loop in a one-way drive that you visit in a lot of dust!

Landscapes are great and cow-boys are here!

The entire visit takes 2 hours.

Entry to Monument Valley

The start of Monument Valley’s road

Old photo with cow-boys

Tikal in good shape

Monument Valley in perspectives

Monument Valley in panoramic

Monument Valley in reflection

Monument Valley far away

Stéphane far away

Stéphane far far away

Monument Valley in panoramic 2

Then we leave for the Grand Canyon. That is “THE” step that you should not miss in the visit of the west side of united states.

Grand Canyon National Park

The park of the Grand Canyon is huge and can be accessed through the north or the south. We go south, more easy access. We arrive around 3PM and enjoy the light of the sunset.

Nevertheless, we do not have the feeling we expected. We thought that we would be breathless in front of such immensity. But in fact, we cannot really realise the deepness of the canyon.

And restrospectively, we have been much more impressed by Canyonlands. Maybe because it was our first meeting with a canyon?

Meeting with Grand Canyon

Window for dizziness people

Grand Canyon 1

Grand Canyon 2

Grand Canyon 3

Tikal rival

Grand Canyon in big

Grand Canyon at sunrise

Grand Canyon at the same sunrise

It is getting late, and we find a small free spot for the nigth. To get there we have to drive a small road from inside the park and we arrive in a National Forest just at the boarder of the Grand Canyon National Park. In the National Forests, it is free to park for the night and sleep, great news for us!

The visit of the Grand Canyon may be done half with its personal vehicle but the other half has to be visited with buses. The day after we take the bus to the last station before the west terminus of the park and we come back walking.  Around 12 km. There is almost nobody and the road passes sometimes very close to the canyon!

Grand squirrel in Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon in panoramic

Meeting in Grand Canyon – back side

Smurf bird in Grand Canyon – profil side

Smurf bird in Grand Canyon – back side

Meeting in Grand Canyon – profil side

Grand squirrel in Grand Canyon – profil side

Grand squirrel in Grand Canyon – other view

Last view of Grand Canyon

After this small walk, we think that we have seen the big part of the park and we decide do start driving to new adventures.

Direction Page and tomorrow Antelope Canyon!

Direction Page

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