Monument Valley and Goosenecks, where to sleep and how to get there, where to eat in the surrounding area and where are the best spots to admire this beautiful panorama, read here.
Staying in Arizona and moving from Page about two hundred kilometers (121 miles) west we can visit the Monument Valley, famous setting for many westerns and nature documentaries.
The road is excellent and once you get there you can start by going down into the valley with your own car (better if an off-road vehicle as all the roads are unpaved) for a visit that can last up to two to three hours. Inside it is possible to observe from various angles the famous reliefs that characterize this area and it is also possible to carry out horseback riding.
Remember to have an adequate reserve of fuel as the road ahead is not short even if you do not risk getting lost here as in others excursions in the USA it is a good practice to fill the tank when the indicator drops below half. The refreshment points are located at the entrance where you can also buy the ticket for the visit and make a good decision regarding the time to dedicate to it because, unless you have found accommodation in Kayenta which is located about 35 km (21 miles) to the south, the other places to sleep are hundreds of km away being the closest Page at 200 km, as mentioned.
Once you have finished visiting Monument Valley, head north along the U.S. 193 until you reach Mexican Hat which is about 35 km (21 miles) away; after the small inhabited center, take the 6 on your left after about 3,7 km (261 miles) and immediately afterwards take another detour to the left onto the 316 which will take you to a fantastic place: Goosenecks.
From here you can see the S. Juan river making a double loop and from here you can understand well why the Spaniards called "Colorado”The river where the S. Juan goes to pour.
The water, at this point, still carries all the sediments that we do not find after the Glen Dam before entering the Grand Canyon and in fact here the color of the river is gray. It is a wonderful sight to see the double loop approach and move away twice from the observation point raised about 300 meters above the river bed.
Going back, just near Mexican Hat, there is an excellent steak house where you can eat a tasty steak roasted on carob wood with a side of baked potato and excellent beer in a perfect western setting.
