HENMONUMENTVALLEYRISESINTO
sightfromthe desertfloor,you realise
you’vealwaysknownit. Its brick-red
spindles,sheer-walledmesasand grand
buttes– the starsof countlessfilms,TV commercials
and magazineads – are part of the modern
consciousness.And MonumentValley’sepic beauty
is only heightenedby the barrenlandscape
surroundingit: one minuteyou’rein the middleof
sand,rocksand infinitesky, thensuddenlyyou’re
transportedto a fantasylandof crimsonsandstone
towers,thrustingup to 360 metresskyward.
Mostof the formationswerenamedfor whatthey
(sort of) look like: the Mittens,EagleRock,Bear and
Rabbit,and ElephantButte.Scatteredalongthe
borderbetweenArizonaand Utah,they are tinged
red withiron oxideand wereformedthrough
a complexcombinationof volcanicactivity,
sedimentarydepositionin prehistoricoceans,
geologicuplift,thenerosionover the past 50
millionyearsby bothwindand water.
The mostfamousof the formationsare
convenientlyvisiblefromthe rough15-miledirt road
loopingthroughMonumentValleyNavajoTribal
Park.It’s usuallypossibleto drivethe loop in your
own vehicle,evenin standardpassengercars,but
expecta dusty,bumpyride. Thereare multiple
dramaticoverlookswhereyou can get out and snap
away,or browsefor trinketsand jewelleryofferedby
Navajovendors.Allowat least1½ hoursfor the drive,
whichstartsfromthe visitorcentre’scar park at the
end of a four-milepavedroad off Highway163.
To learnmoreaboutMonumentValley’sspiritual
significanceand heritage,take a Navajo-ledtour
(navajospirittours.com).PHOTOGRAPH:
MARK
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Wander landscapes where the Earth’s energy has gathered and exploded with beautiful ferocity
See the epic power of nature