May 2026-3. Four Corners Favorites: Olijato-Monument Valley, Mexican Hat, Goosenecks State Park, Moki Dugway, Valley of the Gods, Ship Rock, Aztec Ruins National Monument
May 11-13, 2026
We can never get enough of the Southwest, the Four Corners area, with its colors, geologic formations, skies, history, culture. We go there almost every year and sometimes twice in a year.
The day after our long trek to the Grand Canyon, we made a short hop of under 200 miles to the Four Corners area. First stop was the Navajo Code Talkers Museum and Hogan Exhibit at the Burger King in Kayenta—the original owner was the son of a Code Talker. There is also a large Code Talkers exhibit at Monument Valley.
Olijato-Monument Valley
We continued on from Kayenta to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on the Arizona-Utah stateline.
Utah is on the north side, Arizona on the south side of the entry to Monument Valley. Four Corners, where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado intersect, is about 30 miles to the east.
After visiting the Code Talker exhibit at the Monument Valley Visitor's Center, we found the shaded back patio, where a light breeze blew, and enjoyed overlooking the 17-mile drive through the park for the next couple of hours.
Pictures and videos do not give the area justice, it is just special.
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As we had on earlier trips, we camped at nearby Goosenecks State Park. We parked as close to the cliff edge as possible, 1,000 feet above the "goosenecks" of the 383-mile-long San Juan River.
There is ample warning to those who may want to think twice about driving the Moki Dugway. Carved up the side of a cliff, the 3-mile-long, not quite 2-lane, dirt road ascends 1,200 feet with an 11% grade and multiple 180° switchbacks.
Once on top, we smile and resume a nice narrow asphalt road complete with cows.
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When the afternoon heat began to wane, we left Comb Wash and continued our counterclockwise circle from the Moki Dugway, turning off the main road onto another dirt road into the spectacular Valley of the Gods,
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Talk about a nice find!
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Ship Rock
Our next destination was another favorite, Ship Rock, New Mexico—the volcanic neck, not the town.
Seeking cooler weather, we drove up into the Chuska Mountains. Located on the Colorado Plateau in the Navajo Nation, the mountains rise to 9,000 feet.
Buffalo Pass was a trail then a dirt track before it was paved in 1999. A black and white herding dog greeted us. It was tempting to take him home with us, though we really do not want a dog. A metal dish seemed to indicate he was at least not abandoned.
In the morning we had a delicious breakfast at Nena's House in Kirtland NM: chile relleno for Doug (it is breakfast isn't it?) and huevos rancheros for Marilyn.
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Situated a little northeast of Ship Rock is Aztec Ruins National Monument next to the town of Aztec, New Mexico. It was our first time visiting the ancestral Puebloan site.
Aztec is a misnomer the Spanish applied to many ancient sites. The Aztec civilization was actually in what is now central Mexico. The peoples of Aztec Ruins were ancestral Puebloans.
In its later years, the architecture style of Aztec shifted from a Chaco to a Mesa Verde influence.
Unique to Aztec is the excavated and reconstructed Great Kiva of Aztec West.
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Metate & mano.
Next up: Colorado: Durango-Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad, Silverton, Ouray.
We can never get enough of the Southwest, the Four Corners area, with its colors, geologic formations, skies, history, culture. We go there almost every year and sometimes twice in a year.
Olijato-Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona stateline: "Sentinel Mesa."
The day after our long trek to the Grand Canyon, we made a short hop of under 200 miles to the Four Corners area. First stop was the Navajo Code Talkers Museum and Hogan Exhibit at the Burger King in Kayenta—the original owner was the son of a Code Talker. There is also a large Code Talkers exhibit at Monument Valley.
Olijato-Monument Valley
We continued on from Kayenta to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on the Arizona-Utah stateline.
Colors of the Southwest.
Formations of the Southwest.
Agathla Peak, volcanic plug remnant of an ancient volcano, south of Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation.
Skies of the Southwest.
There were few roadside Indian vendors as it was still shoulder season.
After visiting the Code Talker exhibit at the Monument Valley Visitor's Center, we found the shaded back patio, where a light breeze blew, and enjoyed overlooking the 17-mile drive through the park for the next couple of hours.
Monument Valley: "West Mitten Butte," "East Mitten Butte," "Merrick Butte."
"West Mitten Butten" zoomed in.
"Big Indian."
Pictures and videos do not give the area justice, it is just special.
With Monument Valley closing for the day, we jumped in the van and headed north for Mexican Hat, Utah.
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Just north of Monument Valley.
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Who has not seen Forrest Gump & the famous scene filmed in Monument Valley? (Well, actually, Marilyn hadn't until Doug introduced her to the hill last year...).
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Folks at the Forest Gump Hill viewing area don't pay much attention to traffic....
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Tom Hanks, leading the way as Forrest Gump, paid out of pocket some of the costs of filming the scene—& in the long run profited handsomely, as did the studio (Photo: Movieworldmap.com).
Mexican Hat & Goosenecks State Park
300-foot-tall Mexican Hat is a favorite landmark where Doug has boondocked in the past.
As we had on earlier trips, we camped at nearby Goosenecks State Park. We parked as close to the cliff edge as possible, 1,000 feet above the "goosenecks" of the 383-mile-long San Juan River.
Goosenecks SP, 2021 (this year's pic didn't do it justice).
The name goosenecks drives from the sharp turns the river makes as it carves deep canyons.
"Goosenecks' of the San Juan River.
The San Juan flows from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado southwest into New Mexico, west across the southwest corner of Colorado, across Utah, and into the Colorado River.
Moki Dugway
In the morning, we were off to one of Doug's favorite drives: the Moki Dugway.
En route on UT-261 from Goosenecks State Park to the Moki Dugway.
Don't know the source of this aerial view of the Moki Dugway, but we thank them.
There is ample warning to those who may want to think twice about driving the Moki Dugway. Carved up the side of a cliff, the 3-mile-long, not quite 2-lane, dirt road ascends 1,200 feet with an 11% grade and multiple 180° switchbacks.
Sharp curves? More like sharp switchbacks uphill (or down, depending on your direction).
Are you absolutely certain you don't want to turn around & forego the experience??? Besides the slope, switchbacks, & width, "gravel" is rather a loose term—the road is often more dirt than gravel.
Doug has done the Moki Dugway many times. Marilyn has done it with him at least three times, both directions. Doug is quick to tell you he prefers to go UP rather than DOWN—something about a Naval Aviator being scared of heights—hey, it is real.
Beginning of this year's ascent of the Moki Dugway.
1st switchback, end of pavement, looking back.
Once on top, we smile and resume a nice narrow asphalt road complete with cows.
The plateau extending from the top of the Moki Dugway is open range, as is much of the West.
The Bears Ears that give Bears Ears National Monument its name.
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We did say Open Range, right?
Lunch time. Stick with Mom!
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What, me, move?
(That's our woodchuck, by the way, on the dash, 1 of several animals that seem to have jumped in the van.)
It was another hot day, so we borrowed shade from a tree in Comb Wash Campground along Highway 95 east of the Moki Dugway, got out the chairs, & enjoyed.
When we asked a ranger how to get to Bears Ears, he explained its vastness (1.4 million acres/2,113 square miles)—the entire area within the orange boundary on the map. We were in it. It's a more recent national monument, established in 2016. The 2 buttes that give the monument its name are 9,000 feet each in elevation.
1) Monument Valley. 2) Mexican Hat. 3) Goosenecks SP. 4) Moki Dugway. 5) Natural Bridges National Monument. 6) the Bears Ears. 7) Comb Wash Campground. 8) Blanding. 9) Bluff. 10) Valley of the Gods.
Valley of the Gods
A little washboard but nothing that going 35 mph won't dampen.
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The van did well on the dirt road as it skimmed over the washboard sections of the Valley of the Gods road.
Driving on a '"two track" towards our campsite.
We found a spectacular site on a knoll overlooking the Valley of the Gods.
There were even rocks left by a prior camper that were perfect to level the van.
Son Stephen & bonus daughter Jessie had checked out the same site in their Tacoma a couple of years earlier...
...but opted for another splendid site further down the road.
Doug enjoying some shade as the day cooled into evening.
Valley of the Gods road winding below past our site.
Looking up to our perch.
Sunset, Valley of the Gods.
A gentlemen joined us who was up all night using telescopes to take photos of the Milky Way
Milky Way photo appears to be taken from near our campsite.
Sunrise, Valley of the Gods.
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Leaving campsite the next day gives a better idea of the road to our perch.
Leaving our perch.
Valley of the Gods.
Ship Rock
Our next destination was another favorite, Ship Rock, New Mexico—the volcanic neck, not the town.
The road took us south past more amazing rock formations, this one near Mexican Water, Utah.
Rock formation near Round Rock, Arizona. They never get old.
Hogans are ubiquitous in the Navajo Nation.
Seeking cooler weather, we drove up into the Chuska Mountains. Located on the Colorado Plateau in the Navajo Nation, the mountains rise to 9,000 feet.
The Chuska Mountains are steep, with 14% grades that definitely had the van panting.
We took our afternoon heat break at Buffalo Pass, a small roadside park at 8,482 feet.
Buffalo Pass was a trail then a dirt track before it was paved in 1999. A black and white herding dog greeted us. It was tempting to take him home with us, though we really do not want a dog. A metal dish seemed to indicate he was at least not abandoned.
Ship Rock from Buffalo Pass.
We were also greeted by no see'ums, though we were not aware of this until a while later when we began to get welts. Thank goodness we had After Bite and Benadryl, though the itching could still be very aggravating. Later in the trip, we were subjected to a likewise invisible gnat that left a different kind of mark. That forced us to buy Benadryl pills. Hopefully that will be our only experience with these invisible insects!
Hogan at a home near Red Rock, New Mexico.
We listened to a couple of Tony Hillerman books duirng our trip, which take place in this area of the Southwest.
Approaching Ship Rock from the west.
With rain threatening, we changed our location along the dirt road to Ship Rock several times, finally spending the night in the parking lot.
Ship Rock at sunset.
Ship Rock volcanic plug & dikes.
In the morning we had a delicious breakfast at Nena's House in Kirtland NM: chile relleno for Doug (it is breakfast isn't it?) and huevos rancheros for Marilyn.
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Aztec Ruins aerial view (NPS.gov).
Situated a little northeast of Ship Rock is Aztec Ruins National Monument next to the town of Aztec, New Mexico. It was our first time visiting the ancestral Puebloan site.
Aztec is a misnomer the Spanish applied to many ancient sites. The Aztec civilization was actually in what is now central Mexico. The peoples of Aztec Ruins were ancestral Puebloans.
Trapazoidal doorways lined up through many rooms.
Excavations at Aztec Ruins include Great Houses, 3 stories tall, with over 400 rooms, many kivas, and a central plaza.
The architecture style of the ancient Puebloans at Aztec was initially influenced by that of ancient Puebloans at Chaco Canyon, 50 miles south. Chaco was a major political, cultural, and trade center that arose in 850 and waned by 1130. Aztec began in 1100 and thrived into the late 1200s.
We were able to walk through a series of rooms. Doorways required ducking, expeciallly when there was a raised step.
Storage rooms behind the rooms we walked through were protected by plexiglass. Many, many metates & manos were excavated.
The architecture style of the ancient Puebloans at Aztec was initially influenced by that of ancient Puebloans at Chaco Canyon, 50 miles south. Chaco was a major political, cultural, and trade center that arose in 850 and waned by 1130. Aztec began in 1100 and thrived into the late 1200s.
Like doors, windows were lined up.
In its later years, the architecture style of Aztec shifted from a Chaco to a Mesa Verde influence.
Aztec is distinguished by its green stones.
Walls exhibit 3 building styles from larger irregular rocks to smaller flatter rocks.
Tri-walled kiva. Kivas are thought to have been for ceremonies & public meetings. Originally excavated in 1953, part of this site was later backfilled to protect the structure.
Kivas were typically entered through a hatch in the roof. Smoke from a hearth rose through the hatch. A ventilator shaft brought in fresh air.
Unique to Aztec is the excavated and reconstructed Great Kiva of Aztec West.
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Excavated, reconstructed Great Kiva (NPS.gov).
The domed roof weighs an astonishing 95 tons.
4 massive pillars constructed of alternating layers of masonry & horizontal poles held up the domde roof.
Pillar cross-section.
Each pillar rested on 4 limestone disks, each weighing over 350 pounds & carried from at least 30 miles away.
Great Kiva.
Excavated metate.
Metate & mano.
Metate & mano. Next up: Colorado: Durango-Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad, Silverton, Ouray.
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