Monument Valley

One day was more than enough for us.
I loved Gooseneck, my husband hated it.

7ofus: The above view is now an official campground with marked sites. They also upped their price!

We also stayed at that spot - wonderful views of The Mittens.

This is the view from the campground on the reservation. One of our most favorite spots ever to park it for a couple of nights.

We found Monument Valley spectacular to tour, take photos, and buy some jewelry from a stand way out into the Valley ... but we didn't camp there.

However, for excellent comfort in the heat, out of the dust, and with a bathroom/refrigerator/etc. with us while touring the valley floor loop - we drove our small Class C on the valley floor's "not recommended for RVs" road. This made a tour of MV a wonderful event for us.

I wish that they allowed drycamping off the valley floor road for those who were willing to take their rig down there!

For me, Monument Valley is a drive-through, stop for the day, interesting mostly because John Ford shot so many movies there. Ford fans can take a "locations" tour with some of the guide services.

For red rock/desert highlands country, I find the Moab - Green River - Grand Junction area a lot more interesting. But I'm a geologist, so what appeals to me may not appeal to you.

CVD wrote:
BTW – there is a Navajo visitor center near the middle of the scenic area; I thought it be interesting for a short visit. I found the $20- entry charge excessive, didn’t stop.

That's interesting. I may know where you are talking about. Was it on the left before you got to the Totem Pole? When my wife and I were there in '83, it was just a hogan with a family living in it but they sent a little girl, selling jewelry, out to stand in the middle of the road so we couldn't pass. It was a very uncomfortable few minutes.

Overall, I was very un-impressed with MV. But that's just me, only the Grand Canyon has exceeded my expectations. YMMV. ;)

LS

I drove through Monument Valley last month. It was a neat “extra credit” detour on my trip from Silverton to S. Calif. Well worth a couple extra hours of drive time, but I wouldn’t consider it a destination.

BTW – there is a Navajo visitor center near the middle of the scenic area; I thought it be interesting for a short visit. I found the $20- entry charge excessive, didn’t stop.

There is a campground on the San Juan River a couple of miles west of Bluff where the boaters put in. Not as scenic as Goosenecks SP

This was our campsite at Gooseneck. Oct 2014.

And another of us in the "Parking Lot".

If you're taking a tour - allow one day there. We drove ourselves and did it early morning and again toward evening for different lighting for pictures.

The drive isn't long and there's really nothing else to do there.