By David Gjestson
Remote in southeast Utah, this beautiful collection of sandstone
monoliths, mesas, pinnacles, and spires cover 152 square miles.
This gem was 250 million years in the making and is managed
as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the Bureau of
Land Management. A 17-mile dirt/gravel looped road provides
free vehicle access and offers permit-free camping anywhere
along the route.
Located 15 miles west of Bluff, Utah and seven miles east of
Mexican Hat, Utah, there is no easy way to get here for
recreation. Utah access by air is to Salt Lake City and then
enduring a six-hour cross-country drive through Moab and
south. Arizona access by plane is to Phoenix and then by auto
north two hours to Flagstaff and then northeast another fours to
the Valley of the Gods trailhead.
Since I was located in southern Arizona at Rio Rico, my best
route was north through Phoenix to Flagstaff in five hours and
staying overnight there before continuing on to my destination.
Because I would pass through the huge Navaho Nation
Reservation and the Monument Valley Park, I took advantage of
the two-for opportunity and will include the park in a separate
narrative.
Road view
The Navaho Reservation covers one-third of the
130,000 square miles of the Colorado Plateau
Arriving at the Valley of the Gods east access, I was a bit
nervous driving my Honda CRV on the 17-mile rugged dirt/
gravel road because of the trailhead warning sign encouraging
four-wheel drive use and a clear caution not to drive at all in wet
conditions. However, while gutting out driving over standing
water in a stream bed at the start, I found the road graded and
well maintained for the duration of my visit.
The 17-mile access road was graded and well maintained.
All of the bluffs, mesas and spires along the way were
massive and stunningly beautiful!
Can you tell what this pinnacle is called?
Now you should clearly see that this is called the “Lady in the bathtub.”
Even at its 4,300-foot elevation, hiking is easy in this relatively
flat terrain and I had no worries about rattlesnakes on my trip
because it was 46 degrees at the time (rattlesnakes are denned up
when temperatures dip below 60 degrees). While I saw plenty of
deer and lizard tracks, I didn’t see any wildlife in the three hours
I spent in the area. No doubt because animals in this stark
environment are very aware of human disturbances and avoid
the road area or hide well before people show up.
While I enjoyed a few short exploring hikes, trekkers have an unlimited
opportunity to poke around miles of trackless terrain.
If camping isn’t your thing, I was rather surprised to discover an
old ranch, bed and breakfast establishment about one half mile
before I exited the west entrance. If you looking for a quiet stay
away from people, traffic, lawnmowers, and the Internet in favor
of a beautiful mountain environment, bird songs and solitude,
then Google up, “Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast” or the
funky motel in nearby Mexican Hat.
