Valley of Monuments park is placed in a southeast part of Utah, directly on border with the State of Arizona. The official name in documents is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. This natural object is not official national park of the USA, it is not controlled from the Government of the United States of America. It occupies that part of the area where lived earlier, before appearance of the first Europeans, one of Indian tribes of the Navajo, and today here still there are his representatives.
This complex of nature sanctuaries is formed by work of the drying-up winds transferring large volumes of friable deposits of breeds from slopes of eminences. As a result there are only the most resistant to strong winds and to the hot sun dense crystal breeds which massifs are not covered with the soil. Later many millions of years of adjournment of sandstone and other dense breeds are bared completely and appears at the traveler in the form of rocks-ostantsov. Because of it the first impression is made that the area has an unusual appearance.
Nearby are Three nuns over whom Mother superior height more predominates than two hundred meters — the figure reminding the woman who kneeled down in a prayer. The nature without human hands turned other blocks into certain similarity of huge cactuses, mushrooms and fossilized trees. Because of a peculiar flat relief it is very convenient to examine the most part of these stone sculptures from car windows.
The first and historical owners of this valley — Indians of the tribe of the Navajo — asserted for themselves the right to monopoly for holding excursions and tours to this valley for tourists who in thousands daily visit this sight of the state. Besides, one of parts of each tour — survey of settlements of aboriginals of the valley who live in these parts constantly, without using the civilization benefits at all.
Indians call the valley The place between rocks that very precisely transfers a location of this some kind of sandy vase in which huge rocky dunes and boulders very conveniently were located. Height of some of them exceeds three hundred meters. The vast majority of rocks was formed in the XIX century when for the first time white people visited the valley, having soon used these landscapes for shooting Stagecoach in 30-hkh years of the last century.
The valley of monuments — an original symbol of the Wild West and the Hollywood western
Today the Valley of monuments has a reputation for one of the best-known known landscapes of America. But so was not always. In 20-hkh years of the last century the businessman Harry Gaulding located in this area and opened small trading company here. The enterprise long time did not bring considerable income, but its founder believed that local masterpieces of the nature will ever make an impression on tourists, and then for the valley the Golden Age will come. However in ten years of business of the businessman did not improve. In 1937, having learned that the director John Ford looks for the platform for shooting of the new movie, Harry went to Hollywood, having taken with himself several pictures of the Valley of monuments. Ford at first sight fell in love with these places, and Harry soon grew rich. So there was a western Stagecoach.
Today on the place of trade office where once passable people came to buy the simplest set of drinks and products where there took place shooting of that movie Stagecoach, the Gouldings Lodge hotel which belongs to lineal heirs of Harry is located. From balconies of hotel before lodgers the colourful view of neighboring rocks opens. After the held premieres of movies My Dear Clementina, Forest Gump, Careless Goer, Once in the Wild West and some other, this valley became known almost for the whole world. Among the bright red desert with flat mountains of bizzare shapes the admirers of a western feel at home. To the tourists who are not fond of movies, these landscapes are well familiar too, thanks to popular advertizing of the Marlboro cigarettes.
It is possible to reach to the Valley of Monuments on the only highway therefore to get lost here it is almost unreal. For example, the way from Flagstaff by car will take about four hours.
On entrance to the park the card with an admissible route of the movement for independent acquaintance is issued to each visitor.
Business hours of the tourist center: 6:00-20:00 (from May to September), and 7:00-19:00 (from March to April).
The resolved hours of driving of the car on beautifull places: 6:00-20:30 (May-September), 8:00-16:30 (October-April).
The cost of the ticket for the territory of the Valley — five dollars for adults. For an extra charge you have an opportunity to explore the remote places of the Valley and to order a trip astride a horse or on the SUV.
On completion of an excursion surely it is necessary to buy souvenirs from locals, namely traditional Indian hand-made articles from silver, ornament, hunters of dreams and skillfully weaved carpets with totemic drawings.
On the way to the Valley will not be superfluous to taste burgers of the so-called Mexican McDonald's there are Tako Bell networks.
It is possible to carry to the most known sights: East Mitten and the Western Mitten — two large blocks with the graceful columns a little remote from the basic the massif of breed, as though thumbs at mittens; Mother superior, Three sisters, Totemic column, well-known arch Wind ear and some other.
Besides survey of picturesque rocks of the Valley which can be made directly of the car definitely it is necessary to visit beautiful and ideally symmetric arch of so-called Radugi Bridge. This arch is located a little to the west of the Valley of Monuments, at confluence of San Juan with Colorado, over the small small river Bridge-Krik. The sandstone casting pink, red and blue shades very colourfully looks against the background of the blue horizon of the Valley. Opening of this bridge for tourists also caused foundation of National park of Stone Arches in three hundred kilometers north of Radugi Bridge as the area covered with unusual rocky heaps and Stone Bridges initially disposed to it. Poetic talents of local Indians the Dark Angel, Farewell, Landscape, The heavenly arch and An attire of the old maid was reflected in names of local attractions, such as Ship pine.