Monument Valley, Utah
Tsé Bii' Ndzisgaii, Valley of the Rocks in Navajo, straddles the Utah-Arizona border and it is heralded by both. The reason? Monument Valley is the icon of the American West. Here, cowboys and Indians come alive. And formations such as The Mittens, east and west, and Totem Pole are no less impressive in person than on the big screen. Yet Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, as the area open to the public is known, often disappoints. Hiking is restricted to Wildcat Trail, an easy 3.2-mile loop around West Mitten Butte. Vehicles are only permitted on Valley Drive, a poorly maintained 17-mile dirt road that more often than not requires a 4-wheel drive. The visitor center and nearby picturesque points have a claustrophobic feel when the tour bus crowd arrives. Guided tours – jeep, horse and balloon - are exorbitantly priced. In short, a tourist trap. But if you dig deep into your wallet and select a tour that will engage the kids and get you off the beaten path you are likely to be rewarded 10 times over. It’s the only way to get backstage at this movie set.
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How Mesas, Buttes, Fins and Spires are Formed
Mesas, buttes, fins and spires are formed by erosion just like plateaus. As water and wind erode the landscape, by moving rock and soil from one place to another, it changes shape and gets a new name. Mesas are plateaus that have been eroded into large islands by water and wind. As water and wind erode the mesa it shrinks in size and becomes a butte. An eroded butte is called a fin and an eroded fin a spire. But when a spire erodes there is nothing left. Wind and water erosion move rock and soil until the landforms disappear. |
