Monument Valley Part 2 - Orlando / Florida Guide
Florida Guide > Travelling
The entrance fee to the park is $20. 00 per car with up to four passengers, additional passengers are $6 per person and children under 6 go free.
For the price of your admission you have the option of taking the seventeen mile self guided scenic drive using your own vehicle. This tour will take in eleven view points across lower monument valley, this is enough to cover most of the major rock formations within the park. There is room to park up at each view point and at some you will find boards giving information about the rocks in front of you. At some of the viewpoints you will find stalls selling Native American jewelry and other souvenirs at considerably more competitive prices than those in the gift shop.
The first of the viewpoints is the east and west mittens, already mentioned in part 1. You can also see Merrick Bute and Mitchell Mesa, named after two prospectors who were said to have discovered silver in the valley, unfortunately the story goes that they were killed by members of the Ute Indian tribe who then stole their silver.
Viewpoint 2 is Elephant Butte whose appearance speaks for itself and viewpoint 3 is The Three Sisters. This rock formation is said to resemble a Catholic nun who is facing her two pupils.
The fourth stop off is one of the larger areas with plenty of parking, this is John Ford' s Point named after the Hollywood director already mentioned in part 1. Here you can take in some of the scenery that inspired him and which featured in many of his western movies.
Next come Camel Butte, another self explanatory name, The Hub, as in the hub of a wagon wheel, and Rain God Mesa. The latter is where Navajo medicine men offer thanks to The Rain God for storing water for the Navajo people within the Mesa.
Bird Spring and Sand Springs overlook an area of vast sand dunes and together form viewpoint seven.
The Totem Pole can be seen at viewpoint eight and it is easy to see how this particular rock got its name.
The next stop off is Artists Point, a perfect place for budding artists to capture the magnificent scenery of Monument Valley on canvas or in other mediums, and the penultimate stop at Viewpoint ten is The North Window.
The North Window encompasses a view across the northern part of the lower valley and also takes in an alternative view of Elephant Butte.
The final stop is to view The Thumb, a spire monument which sits alongside Camel Butte, and although it is aptly named many claim it also resembles a cowboy boot.
Although there is no additional charge for the self guided tour and huge numbers of tourists opt for this choice it may not always be the best option.
Read on in part 3 to find out why.
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