# Monument Valley, Lake Powell



## Karen G (Apr 20, 2011)

We're spending a week in Sedona starting Saturday. We're considering driving up to Monument Valley and Lake Powell at some point. Any advice? We've never been to either place.


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## Red Rox (Apr 20, 2011)

Neither place is a day trip from Sedona. Both are deserving of an overnight stay, or longer in the case of Page/Lake Powell. 
For Monument Valley, it's about a 4 hour drive and you'll want to spend the night at the View Hotel there. It's the only place to stay in MV and it can book fully many months in advance.
Page is the place to stay for a Lake Powell visit and there are plenty of reasons to stay there for 2-3 days at a time. It's a good 3 hours from Sedona with many places of interest along the way. You could easily spend all day just getting there.
If you can find the time, I would add these two destinations onto the front or tail end of your TS stay in Sedona.


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## ricoba (Apr 20, 2011)

Karen, we actually did do a day trip from Flagstaff, AZ to Four Corners and Monument Valley, back to Flagstff.

Now, it was a really long day and drive, but well worth it if you can't spend the night.


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## Karen G (Apr 20, 2011)

We have obviously waited too long to get a room at The View, so I'm wondering if we planned to leave Sedona a couple of days early and went to Page, AZ, are there places to stay there? If so, is it feasible to stay in Page and see Lake Powell as well as do a day trip over to Monument Valley? Also, on the map I see Vermillion Cliffs National Monument & Marble Canyon. What is that about?


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## eal (Apr 21, 2011)

Check out Blue Lake Ranch Red & Breakfast near monument valley

http://www.bluelakeranch.com/lodging.htm


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## derb (Apr 21, 2011)

We just went into the visitor center at marble canyon but thankfully
it was too cold and windy to take the trail down into the canyon and 
across.  I say thankfully cause the walk back up the stairs is quite a trek.
We plan to do it in May of this year.  It is worth the effort to go there 
even if all you want to do is look down into the canyon,

As far as monument valley goes, I suggest you drive the 2 hours to the
grand canyon, then drive 2 hours to monument Valley and stay there.
There is a Hampton inn or similar about 10 miles from the valley, I believe
the town is Kenyetta.  See the valley and then drive the 4 hours back
to Sedona stopping in Flagstaff for dinner.


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## Rose Pink (Apr 21, 2011)

derb said:


> There is a Hampton inn or similar about 10 miles from the valley, I believe
> the town is Kenyetta.


It's Kayenta, AZ, I believe.


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## Karen G (Apr 21, 2011)

Thanks for all the info so far.   We're thinking of leaving Sedona early Thursday morning and driving to Kayenta, AZ, and to Gouldings, UT, and then to Page, AZ.   Mapquest shows that to be about 327 miles or 6 hrs. We're just interested in seeing the sights of Monument Valley as we drive along--not doing any hikes or tours. Does that sound feasible?

We have two nights reserved in Page, AZ, to see the sights around Lake Powell and the vicinity. We've been to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, & Zion National Park, so although we'll be close to all of them, we want to see some stuff that we haven't seen yet.

We'd appreciate any suggestions of things not to miss in the area. Thanks.


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## sue1947 (Apr 21, 2011)

I also vote for a night in Kayenta.  Stop at Navajo National Monument (about an hour SW of Monument Valley) on the way.  Add a drive over to Goosenecks State Park and then maybe a drive through Valley of the Gods (just north or Monument Valley).  Natural Bridges NM and Hovenweep might be too much driving???  Do your drive through Monument Valley either late; near sunset or early.  The lighting is much more dramatic and what you see will match those pictures you've seen with John Wayne riding into the sunset.  
I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Kayenta and would try the Best Western instead if I return.  The View motel wasn't there at the time and is much more expensive, but you have the view.  
Lake Powell is more of a drive through (in my opinion) unless you get on a boat to explore.  Antelope Canyon is the famous slot canyon that you see pictures of (any picture you've seen of red/orange canyon walls was probably taken there).  It's privately owned and you pay for a van ride and tour into the canyon.  I haven't done it, but my photographer friends enjoyed it.  

Sue


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## Red Rox (Apr 21, 2011)

If you're going to take all the time it takes to get to Monument Valley, you might as well invest in enough time there to make it worth while. Kayenta is over a half hour away and offers nothing other than some cheap rooms, gas stations and a Burger King. If you can stay a night at Gouldings Lodge, that would be the next best option after the View Hotel. If you go there as a day trip from Page, choose to do a 'back country tour' at the very least. It will take about 3 hours of your time. That's still less time that you're going to spend on the road going to and from MV.
Page for a couple of nights is ideal. Top attractions there include Lake Powell, which would need most of a day if you want to do anything on the water. Glen Canyon Dam, equally as impressive as Hoover Dam 350 miles down stream. Glen canyon rafting, half day smooth water trip. www.raftthecanyon.com. Horseshoe Bend Overlook hike. Antelope Slot Canyon tours.


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## Karen G (Apr 21, 2011)

Red Rox said:


> If you're going to take all the time it takes to get to Monument Valley, you might as well invest in enough time there to make it worth while. Kayenta is over a half hour away and offers nothing other than some cheap rooms, gas stations and a Burger King.


So do we not need to go as far as Kayenta to see the sights? How far would we need to drive from Sedona to have a good day's worth of sightseeing before going to Page?


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## Red Rox (Apr 21, 2011)

You need to go beyond Kayenta, by about 20 miles. Page to Kayenta is across the Reservation and a rather boring drive at that. Taking the shortcut via Tuba City to bypass Page will save about 30-60 minutes. You'll begin to see bits of the monoliths and formations that make MV what it is after turning onto 163 at Kayenta. That's about 3-4 hours from Sedona depending on which way you go. But to really see anything, you need to enter the Tribal Park. ($5 per person) At the visitor center you can book a tour. A basic tour takes you on the eleven mile loop road (allow about 2 hours). A back country tour will take you beyond that to places only accessible with a native guide. That tour is the best IMO (allow 3+ hours). The other option is to attempt to drive the loop on your own. Not permitted (by contract) if you are driving a rental car, and not recommended except with a high clearance SUV or 4WD. The road is rough to say the least.
This is why I say that MV is not a day trip from Sedona. Yes, you can drive to MV, spend some time and then drive to Page. It will be a long day, but less than trying to return to Sedona. The down side is that you miss MV for sunset and sunrise. Those are magical times of day there and not to be missed IMO, if you can afford the time and get a place to stay at Gouldings or the View.


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## Karen G (Apr 21, 2011)

What does the back country tour usually cost?


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## Red Rox (Apr 21, 2011)

Karen G said:


> What does the back country tour usually cost?



http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm#tours
I'm thinking that it's about $50 pp. A loop tour will be about half that. A back country tour will take you to Eye of the Sun and Ear of the Wind. You'll meet the famous weaver, Suzie Yazi, and so much more. these are all places that cannot be accessed any other way. You'll also learn more about the history and culture of the Navajo people.


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## Gramma5 (Apr 22, 2011)

*Don't Miss!*

We did a 30 day tour of many of the national parks last Sept. and stayed at Lake Powell for 4 days in our RV. We used it as a base camp for exploring the area. When in Page, I would suggest you don't miss the tour of antelope slot canyon (one of our  all time favorite visits and we got amazing photos. Be sure to go to the Reservation side where you drive up to a small entrance building)  Also, we took the 4 hour tour on Lake Powell and altho spendy..well worth it. You go to the  natural bridge that is a sacred Indian place. Enjoy your trip. We were amazed at the beauty and majesty of this country!!!


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## M&JJ (Apr 22, 2011)

When visiting Page a few years ago it was recommended that we go to Horseshoe Bend.  It is about 10 miles south of Page with a small marked parking lot and then about a 20 min hike to the bend.  The view was spectacular if not unsettling for those afraid of heights (like myself).  We also did a tour on the lake which was very scenic.


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## Karen G (May 1, 2011)

*follow-up*

We returned yesterday from our Arizona trip and we had such a wonderful time. We did see Monument Valley, the Wupatki Indian ruins, Horseshoe Bend Overlook, one of the shorter Lake Powell cruises, played golf, and the most amazing thing of all:  Upper Antelope Canyon. Everyone should put that on your bucket list! The sights we saw and the images we captured on our little camera are incredible. Here is one:






Thanks, Red Rox and others,for all your advice.


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## TomR (May 1, 2011)

WOW!  Karen, that is one beautiful picture.  Glad you had a great vacation and arrived home safely.   Hope to read more about your trip, especially the Upper Antelope Canyon portion. 
Tom


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## Red Rox (May 1, 2011)

Glad you enjoyed it all! Nice photo


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## DaveNV (May 1, 2011)

Great shot, Karen!  But where's the TUG Banner?  LOL!!!  :hysterical: 

Dave


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## Karen G (May 2, 2011)

Yes, the TUG banner would have been a nice touch.  The Antelope Canyon was indeed the highlight of our whole trip. I had no idea how special it is. We learned that it is located on Navajo Nation land and is owned by Navajo Indians who are the tour guides. There is an Upper Antelope Canyon and a Lower Antelope Canyon. We thought at first we'd go to both, but after doing the Upper one we decided that was enough. They told us that you walk right into the Upper one after about a three-mile vehicle trip to the opening, and it's all level ground when you walk through it.

The Lower Antelope Canyon requires a hike to get to it and you descend on a ladder and then have to climb back up and out. 

Calling it a canyon invokes a different expectation because it's more like a cave than a canyon, but there are openings all along the top that provide light.  There were many groups of people going through at the same time, but you just point your camera upward and don't usually get any people in the picture. You shoot with no flash and the results are stunning. I've never seen anything like it.

You can arrange the tour in town in Page, AZ, or you can go right to the site at a couple of spots along highway 98 south of Page near the three prominent smoke stacks of the Navajo Generating Plant. That's where we did it. You have to pay $6/person to enter the land and then the tour is $25/person. They take you on shuttles that seat about 12 people and an Indian guide takes you through the canyon. It was about 1.5 hrs.  You can pay more to go with a photography guide and we saw several groups of photographers with their tripods and bigger cameras. But, I had my trusty little Lumix point & shoot and it did a great job.

It was well worth giving up a little time in Sedona to go to Page.  On the day we did Antelope, we played nine holes of golf at the Lake Powell National Course (beautiful!), did the tour about 11 a.m. (around noon is when you get the great shafts of sunlight like in one of my pictures), had a great barbecue lunch at Big John's Texas Barbecue (in a big truck parked at a car rental place on the main street), did the afternoon cruise on Lake Powell, and then had a great dinner at the Dam Bar & Grill. So, you can pack a lot of great stuff into one day!


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## Karen G (May 2, 2011)

*trip report--continued*

The day before the stuff described above, we did this:  We left Sedona about 7:30 a.m. & drove north up hwy. 89. Following Red Rox's instructions, we did the loop tour of Sunset Volcano National Monument & the fascinating Wupatki National Monument (Indian ruins). It was worth the time!

We continued on up 89 to 160 to 163 to Monument Valley. After seeing that we went back 163 to 160 to 98 into Page.  We went to the Horseshoe Bend Overlook (amazing!), talked to people about the Antelope Canyon tour, and had a nice dinner at the restaurant at the Antelope Marina.

We spent our first night at the Best Western Arizona, but it is kind of old. It was clean, but just old. We checked out the next morning and got a room at Days Inn for second night, which was much better--it is much newer and had a better breakfast.

The drive back to Las Vegas on Saturday was another amazing day with beautiful scenery.   We took 89 south from Page and then went north on 89A. This route afforded stunning views of the Vermillion Cliffs and a trip across the Colorado River on the Navajo Bridge. We also came upon groups of people heading off on a 14-day raft trip on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon to just below Lake Mead.

At Jacob Lake we thought we'd take hwy. 67 down to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, but it was still closed for the winter. I think it opens later this month. We continued on 89 to Fredonia and took 389/59 to Hurricane, Utah. There we got on I-15 just above St. George and came through the beautiful Virgin River Gorge on into LV.

Another alternate trip out of Page would be to take 89 north and go to Bryce Canyon and/or Zion National Park. We have been to both those places before, and they are wonderful.

As great as Sedona is, I do recommend trying to fit Page, AZ, into your trip somehow.  Especially Upper Antelope Canyon!!


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## shagnut (May 3, 2011)

While in Page try to take a tour of Antelope Canyon. I took a photography tour there. It was awesome.!!!!   shagy


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