We visited Monument Valley with kids for a very quick trip and loved every second!
We stopped at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on our way to Zion National Park in mid-November 2025.
Here is everything you need to know about visiting Monument Valley with kids!
How to get to Monument Valley with kids
Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park, meaning it’s owned, managed, and protected by the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Nation is the largest in the United States more than 25,000 acres across the Four Corners area (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado).
Monument Valley and its iconic Western scenery are located at the Arizona-Utah border. In fact, if you’re driving from Phoenix or New Mexico, the road you’ll likely take into Monument Valley travels through Arizona to Utah to Arizona again.
The Navajo Nation is its own nation with its own laws and rules. Respect Navajo laws and beliefs and respect this sacred land. (That includes never spreading cremated remains on Navajo land.)
Monument Valley isn’t the easiest spot to reach, but it’s a great stop on a trip to other sites in the Southwest. It’s about 2.5 hours from Moab, 3 hours from Flagstaff, 3 hours from Mesa Verde National Park, and 3 hours from Gallup, New Mexico.
Monument Valley requires an entry fee ($10 per person). Your Parks pass does *not* cover this fee as it’s not a National Park.
Watch the sunrise from the View Hotel
We stayed at the View Hotel, which was founded and owned by a member of the Diné people, or Navajo Nation.
The View Hotel is the only hotel located *inside* Monument Valley.
I grew up in Arizona, so I’ve seen Monument Valley from afar several times while driving across the Southwest. But I’ve never been so close.
Because we’re a family of five, we stayed in a cabin. But the View also has lodge rooms.
Rooms with a view typically start around $220 per night. (Rooms without a view of the valley are closer to $150 per night, but I highly suggest a view!)
Lodge rooms and cabins both include a breakfast buffet with views of the valley.
The View Hotel also has campsites available for a cheaper option.
We checked into the cabin late at night. Then, I woke us early the next morning to watch the sunrise. My gosh was it lovely.
We stood on our cabin porch in awe, watching the brilliant colors change on the iconic formations.
Our Executive Valley Rim cabin had a bunk bed and queen bed, as well as space for a pack-n-play for our toddler. It had a full-size, bathroom, and coffee supplies too.
Hike the Wildcat Trail (5.6 miles, moderate)
Wildcat Trail is the only hike you can do in Monument Valley without a guide. I highly recommend it when visiting Monument Valley with kids.
That said, be prepared!
The full trail is about 5 miles long and wraps around the West Mitten Butte. (The two iconic Monument Valley formations look like mittens with spires for the thumbs.)
You’ll begin your hike with a very steep, sandy descent. You will return by going up this same deep sand, so keep that in mind when deciding how far to hike.
This should be obvious, but Monument Valley is in the desert. It is usually dry, sunny, and hot.
We visited in November, when the weather started out frigid in the morning then grew very hot within a few hours.
Please remember to pack more water than you think you will need anytime you are hiking in the desert.
We only ended up hiking about a mile down before deciding to turn around. We knew our limits with littles! Though they did enjoy crawling up some sandier bits — ha!
Drive the scenic drive in Monument Valley with kids
Monument Valley has a 17-mile unpaved scenic drive that comes highly recommended. It looks absolutely stunning!
Unfortunately, we have two littles who get very carsick and we already had a long drive ahead of us that day, so we opted to forego the scenic drive. Next time!
I hope you have a great tip to Monument Valley with kids!
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