Magical Sunsets over Monument Valley by Gregory McNamee

Monument Valley, Arizona, is a place of marvel and mystery; the Earth’s history laid bare by the forces of erosion, water, and wind. John Ford, the famed director of Western films, thought it was amongst the best places on the planet and he particularly prized it for its sunsets. Generations of followers have come after Ford, seeking beauty and solace and, while there’s truly no bad place in Monument Valley to see a sunset, there are plenty of bad places to get stuck after dark. If you’re game for the adventure, bring food, water and a flashlight just to be on the safe side.

Lookout Point

About four miles southeast of Goulding’s Lodge: a well-known landmark within Monument Valley, stop at Lookout Point to take in Mitchell Butte and the Gray Whiskers, so prominent in the film The Searchers, to the southwest. To the near northeast stands West Mitten Butte which figures in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.

Rain God Mesa

Farther along the 17-mile loop drive that leads to and around Rain God Mesa, take the spur road about a mile beyond Lookout Point to catch a view of East Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte; you’ll be on the same spot that the storied vehicle bearing John Wayne and company travelled in the movie Stagecoach. Behind Rain God Mesa stands the Totem Pole, below which, incongruously but memorably, dog soldiers laboured in the film Cheyenne Autumn. And John Ford Point itself offers a great view of the Three Sisters formation, one of the director’s favorite locations.

Agathla Peak

Another good sunset-watching spot is along Route 163 about five miles north of Kayenta, where the 7,096-foot rise called Agathla Peak, the root of an ancient volcano, looms to the east. It has a nicely haunted quality that’s especially well served by a full moon.

Goosenecks of the San Juan

Four miles off Utah Highway 261, north of Mexican Hat, stands an overlook commanding the Goosenecks of the San Juan; a spectacular 1,000-foot deep oxbow canyon that makes a cameo in Fort Apache. The view is payoff enough for the dusty detour but if you walk along the little dirt road to the left of the parking area you’ll have superb views of the canyon itself, Monument Valley to the south, and Cedar Mesa to the north, all glowing with sunset fire.

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