Valley of the Gods
Between the majestic rock formations jutting out of the desert floor and the brilliant sunsets it’s easy to see that this stunning area is aptly named! The four days we spent boondocking here were incredible. Each day we marveled at how the sun played against the rocks at different times creating new shapes and faces, moving us to rename them every day!
Valley of the Gods is located about 15 miles south of Bluff, UT on San Juan County Road 242 off US 163 . There are many places to dry camp/boondock in the Valley, with the larger ones being near the eastern entrance. The road in was a bit precarious with steep hills and one lane double S curves with 30′ drops. We decided to stop at the first open spot we thought we could turn around in, about a mile and half in. After a 6 point-ish turn, John got the Beast positioned and level! He’s my Rockstar! 🥴 As nerve-wracking as it was getting here, the views and solitude were worth it! PS…I might have gotten a few ‘what were you thinking when you planned this’ looks!! 😁
Valley of the Gods Scenic Loop
Besides being a remote and beautiful place to call home for a few days, the Valley offers a 17 mile loop that winds through the sandstone monoliths, pinnacles and buttes that have been eroded by wind and water over eons of time. The road has several sharp turns and can be quite bumpy, but is easily navigable. (Not so much if you are pulling a 42′ Beast! Just sayin’!) The butte and pinnacle monuments out here get their names like the constellations, after what someone thinks they see. Sometimes it’s obvious, but, most left us saying huh? Then there’s the ones that weren’t named on our map. John and I had fun naming them. What do you see? 🤔 Travel tip: Download the online map ahead of time! Internet and cell service is sketchy out here!
Monument Valley
About an hours drive south is Monument Valley. Located on the Navajo Indian Reservation along the Utah/Arizona border this is a place that is sacred to the native peoples and a place that became the iconic visage of the Old West, thanks to Hollywood and John Ford. Beginning with 1939’s Stagecoach, starring John Wayne, many westerns were filmed here.
Our route due south on Highway 163 to Monument Valley took us right to what is now known as “Forrest Gump Point.” There were several lines of people on both sides of the road waiting for a pause in the traffic to jump out and take their selfies. It was entertaining to watch!
There’s a large gift shop that offers Navajo arts and crafts and western memorabilia for the John Wayne enthusiasts. We were hoping for some Navajo tacos, but, alas the restaurant was not open. Nor were the shops prior to getting in the park.
It’s a bumpy 2 hour drive with several stops to marvel at the majesty. I felt like I was in the middle of a Wild West movie! 🤠 What a minute, we were! 😁
More Curveballs
The plan was to spend the next week boondocking amongst the pines of the Ajoba Mountains in the Manti Lasal National Forest near Monticello, Utah; Gateway to the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park. After the heat of the desert we were looking forward to the cool shade of the pines and aspens. Climb 5,000 feet and everything changes!
But, life threw us another curve ball. Actually 2 curveballs!! 1st, the slide is acting up again and we don’t want to use it more than we have to or take the Beast down more rugged roads. So, we checked in at Mountain View RV Park in Monticello to have stable internet and find the parts we need to fix the slide. Then, the next day the Dually flashed a check engine light while we were headed out to explore. ARGH! It’s always something! 🙄
Monticello, Utah
We discovered that Monticello is a great home base. It’s roughly an hour to several National Monuments and the drives are gorgeous! There’s lots to pull over and explore. The town has everything we need, a local grocery store, auto shop, hardware store, and a great pizza place! We highly recommend the Wagon Wheel Pizza Parlor! There’s a great Visitor’s Center that’s also home to the Frontier Museum. I spent a few hours wandering around and getting area information from the locals.
There’s several RV parks to choose from in Monticello and the Best choice by far is Mountain View RV Park. The price is lower than the competitors and the park is in much better shape. The owners, Kasey and Joe, were more than accommodating as we kept having to change our departure date due to unforeseen circumstances. We will definitely stay here again!
Needles District of Canyonlands National Park
The Needles District is about an hour drive northwest from Monticello. We drove the scenic route and went up through the Abajo mountains for a cool view looking down at the canyon. Then took the winding Indian Creek Scenic Drive into the Canyonlands Needles District. Interestingly, Indian Creek is part of the Bears Ears National Monument. More on that later!
After several roadside stops, we finally arrived at the Canyonlands. 1st stop was the Visitor’s Center for information, souvenirs, and my National Parks Passport stamp. Then, we hopped back in the truck (which is behaving nicely at this point! No warning lights!) and set out to explore.
There are several short hikes (our kind!) to some really interesting sites. This area was home to ancestral Pueblo Indians over 700 years ago and there are many artifacts scattered throughout the canyons and surrounding areas. I find it fascinating to learn about these indigenous people and see the structures they built into the canyon walls.
One of the coolest hikes we did was to Pothole Point. This sandstone ledge is dimpled with pockets called potholes. Whether wet or dry, each one holds it’s own unique and fragile ecosystem. Home to drought tolerant eggs and critters that burrow and seal themselves in layers of mud during the dry season. They team with life when it rains. Signs ask visitors to avoid stepping into them or touching them. AND the views were amazing!
Fun Formations
Bears Ears National Monument
Bears Ears is divided into two units separated by the Abajo Mountains in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Indian Creek Unit is to the North and Shash Jaa Unit to the South, is home to the Bears Ears buttes.
To get to the Needles District of the Canyonlands you drive through the Indian Creek Unit. The drive is full of interesting rock formations and a really cool newspaper!
We drove through the Shash Jaa Unit to get to the Natural Bridges National Monument. There are several stops you could make and hike to cliff dwellings and kivas. But, being short on time and the increasing temperatures, we chose to keep on trucking! 🙂
Natural Bridges National Monument
Another great day of exploring! Natural Bridges Monument is about an hour south and west of Monticello. Our stop at the Visitor’s Center taught us that floodwaters from streams created these natural bridges. And, they are temporary! Owachomo is the only 9′ thick and the elements continue to erode the span. Kachina is the youngest of the 3 bridges with a thickness of 93′.
The Bridge View Drive is a one way, 9 mile loop with several places to pull over and take the short hikes to view the bridges. There are also plenty of longer hikes that will take you right under the bridges. But, we aren’t that adventurous!! We had some interesting traveling companions, a group of roadster enthusiasts. We met up at each of the overlooks. It was fun sharing our stories with one another. Fun fact: Natural Bridges National Monument was named the first International Dark Sky Park.
Roadside Wonders
Southeastern Utah is rich with it’s National Parks and Monuments. But even more, is the beauty that exists along the sides of the road!
Time to get the truck fixed. We cut our trip short by 10 days and weren’t able to get to the The Arches National Park and the Island in the Sky entrance of the Canyonlands. Silver lining…I have the plans ready! Until Next Time!
