Valley of the Gods – Utah

The History of Valley of the Gods

Valley of the Gods sits in southeastern Utah, northeast of Mexican Hat and across the San Juan River from Monument Valley. It is a wide desert basin full of red rock buttes, spires, and towers rising straight off the valley floor. The rock is Cedar Mesa sandstone, and it dates back around 250 million years.

The Land and the Names

The formations here are the same kind you see at Monument Valley, tall and reddish and freestanding, just on a smaller and quieter scale. Locals have given several of them names over the years, like Rooster Butte, Setting Hen Butte, and Lady in a Tub. The valley is sacred to the Navajo, who understand the monoliths as ancient warriors turned to stone.

How It Is Managed

Valley of the Gods is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. In 2008 the BLM designated it an Area of Critical Environmental Concern for its scenic value. In 2016 it was included in the newly created Bears Ears National Monument, and in 2017 the monument boundaries were reduced and the valley was left outside them. It remains protected public land under BLM management, as it was before. There is no entrance station, no fee, and no services.

Know Before You Go

• Region: Southwest United States
• Location: San Juan County, southeastern Utah, northeast of Mexican Hat and about 15 miles southwest of Bluff
• Coordinates: 37.2569, -109.8593
• Costs: Free. No fee and no permit required.
• Schedule: Open year-round, no gate.
• Attraction Type: Natural Area (BLM)
• Activities: Scenic driving, photography, hiking, dispersed camping, stargazing
• Notes:
  • The valley is a 17-mile unpaved loop road, San Juan County Road 242, running between US 163 on the east and UT 261 on the west. Direction does not matter.
  • The road is dirt, bumpy in places, and usually passable in a regular car in dry weather. It can become impassable when wet.
  • There are no marked trails. You park where you like and walk out among the formations.
  • No services of any kind. Bring water and fuel.
  • Dispersed camping is allowed at previously used sites. Campfires are not permitted.
  • The Moki Dugway, a set of steep unpaved switchbacks up the cliff at the west end, connects to the valley and is worth the drive if you are continuing north.
• Additional Resources: BLM Official Site

My Visit

We came through Valley of the Gods in 2006, on a day that was mostly aimed at Monument Valley down the road. We poked around, stopped for a few photos, and did not stay long. Knowing we were going to pay to get into Monument Valley, we saved our time for there.

That was a mistake in some ways. Valley of the Gods is quiet in a way Monument Valley is not, no gate, no crowds, no one collecting a fee, just you and the buttes and the road. It is the kind of place you could have to yourself for an hour at a time. If I did that day again I would give it longer.