Monument Valley, Utah
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Monument Valley, Utah

 

Photo by Alfredo De Simone

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. What's more, the awe-inspiring towers, spires and buttes are as impressive in person as on the big screen. So why are some travelers disappointed? Digging deep into your wallet is the only way to get backstage. Hiking in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is restricted to Wildcat Trail, an easy 3.2-mile loop around West Mitten Butte. Vehicles are permitted on Valley Drive only, a poorly maintained 17-mile dirt road that more often than not requires a 4-wheel drive. The visitor center and picturesque points near the park entrance are regularly overrun by the tour bus crowd. Guided tours - jeep, horse and balloon - are exorbitantly priced.
How Mesas, Buttes, Fins and Spires are Formed
Monument Valley, Utah

Monument Valley, Utah

Flavia Righetti

 
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.
 
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Travel Trivia
At Four Corners you can stand in which four U.S. States?