2025-2: UTAH: Goblin Valley, Glen Canyon, Moki Dugway, Goosenecks SP, Mexican Hat. ARIZONA: Monument Valley. NEW MEXICO: Ship Rock.

April 20-22, 2025

    Continuation of our 2025 journey which Doug has dubbed "2U's & an 8."

    After 2 nights at the KOA in Green River, Utah, laundry done and all cleaned up, we headed a bit southwest to Goblin Valley State Park near Hanksville, Utah. Friends had recommended it, and it was well worth the $20 day pass fee.

Utah's expansive landscape & skies.

 

Common sights.

Goblin Valley State Park, UT.

    The goblins—or hoodoos—of Goblin Valley began to form roughly 170 million years ago through geologic processes. You  take the steps down into the 3-square-mile valley and wander about. The valley has no trails, but there trails out of the valley for further exploration. We had fun naming formations.

Mushroom rock.

Sturgeon & jelly fish.

Legionnaires on the Hill.

Square dance.

Pig leaving conference in a huff.

Do you have a name?

Which way did he go?

Fish out of water. Note Doug's height compared to formation.

Curly-cue.

City council.

Gungan.

Three Sisters (official name) on left.

    From Goblin Valley, we worked our way southwest through Utah, briefly into Arizona, and into New Mexico.

    Driving through this area of the country is awe-inspiring. We are so rich geographically. Each layer has a story and the colors just talk to you. The Earth is alive. 

Along Hwy 95.

Looking down at the Colorado River, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Colorado River.

Driving along Dirty Devil River.

Dirty Devil flows into the Colorado.

Crossing the Colorado as it flows into Lake Powell.

Jacob's Chair.

The ears of Bears Ears National Monument.

    On down the road 20 or so miles, we came to the top of the Moki Dugway, one of our favorite drives. There's plenty of warning as to what lies ahead for vehicles that should not attempt the road and those who may be squeamish about such routes.

   

3 miles of sharp curves, 10% grade, narrow dirt road.

    In case you didn't get the message, it becomes apparent as you head over the crest of the hill and into the first curve—    and there's no turning back!

The Moki Dugway, top & bottom.

    The Moki Dugway was constructed in the 1950s to transport uranium ore to Mexican Hat. It winds 1,200 feet down along the sides of cliffs. We have done it in all our vans, first in our VW Westy. 

Looking down. 1,200 feet of descent are accomplished via multiple switchbacks on a decent dirt road. 

Moki Dugway aerial view.

Doug, the Naval Aviator, is scared of heights but loves the adrenaline boost the road gives him. He is quick to say he would rather go up, but this time it was down 🥴

    We opted not to take the immediate left at the base of the Moki Dugway to Valley of the Gods due to recent rains that could make parts of the dirt roads impassable. Instead we drove on the short distance to Goosenecks State Park. a very basic but grand campground way above the San Juan River. 

A "gooseneck" of the San Juan River, 1,000 feet below.

The San Juan River winds through 6 miles of compact curves called "goosenecks" while traveling only 1.5 miles toward Lake Powell.

Camped on the rim of the San Juan River Canyon. Doug would have parked closer to the edge but Marilyn protested.

    Along with the San Juan, Lake Powell also collects the waters of the Colorado, Green, and Gunnison Rivers. The Story of Lake Powell is an excellent article on the reservoir, 1 of 10 on the Colorado River, formed with the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. We are definitely opponents of the dam. 

Looking toward Monument Valley from our campsite.

Mexican Hat.

Town of Mexican Hat on the San Juan River.

Wild burros that we saw on the side of the road are common throughout the Southwest.

Forest Gump Hill. 

    As we drove down Forest Gump Hill toward Monument Valley, "tourons" crossed the road and stood in the middle of it to take pictures paying no heed to vehicles. 

Scene from Forest Gump (movieworldmap.com photo).

Monument Valley tour bus on our left. We were in line to enter Monument Valley behind a rental camper which we enjoyed as it had a Monument Valley photo on the back.

    At Monument Valley, a Navajo Nation Tribal Park, we went to the Navajo Code Talkers exhibit.

Monument Valley. We drove the loop on our last visit in Ms Agnes, our Ford poptop camper. Doug has also done it in his VW Westy. 

Marilyn: "Enjoying the weather & the views." Doug:“Enjoying the views while Marilyn enjoys the Visitors Center Shop."

Monument Valley is on the Arizona/Utah border.

Horses are frequent in the Navajo Nation.

    Ship Rock, New Mexico was our new destination.

Near Tonalea AZ.

 

Near Chinle.

The beauty.

Near Many Farms.

Another mind-boggling formation rises in front of us.

Near Lukachukai.

Driving up into the Chuska Mountains, in Navajo Níłtsą́ Dził, "Rainy Mountain," between Arizona & New Mexico.

View of Ship Rock, 1,400 feet tall, as we come out of the mountains.

Red Rock, AZ/NM.

Dikes radiate from Ship Rock.

Ship Rock, in Navajo Tsé Bit’ a’í”, "Rock with Wings."

 

Doug & Ship Rock. He will gladly tell you how spiritual he finds the mountain. 

Doug called this portion of the trip the first U. Due to the weather, we dropped south and then turned north, the joys of an elastic itinerary.        

Southwest 2025: 6-1/2 weeks. 6,273.5 miles. (1) Visalia CA-Green River UT.  (2) Green River-Ship Rock NM. (3) Ship Rock-Aldo Leopold Wilderness. (4) Leopold-Carrizozo. (5) Carrizozo-Taos. (6) Taos-Salida CO. (7) Salida-Green River UT. (8) Green River-Kanab. (9) Kanab-Kanab. (10) Kanab-Bridgeport CA. (11) Bridgeport-Visalia.

    

    Where to next? It turned out to be Chaco Canyon, Bisti Badlands, Grants, Thoreau (pronounced "throw"), El Malpais, Pie Town, Silverton, and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness in Gila National Forest. Stayed tuned—we can never keep up with blog posts while we're on the road.