Tribal park run by the Navajo Nation, not the NPS — national park passes don’t apply here.
Plan
- Arrive from Cameron via Kayenta (US‑160, then US‑163).
- Afternoon: Valley Drive, 17 miles of unpaved but driveable road. Fine in a regular rental car if driven slowly; check the rental contract about unpaved roads.
- Sunset from the hotel / visitor center viewpoint.
- Next morning: sunrise behind the Mittens and Merrick Butte.
- Heading north to Moab on US‑163, stop at Forrest Gump Point for the classic road photo — look back at the valley (watch for traffic, people stand in the road).
Guided tour?
A Navajo-guided jeep tour gets into areas closed to self-drive (arches, petroglyphs, hogans) and the guides tell the history. Worth it — book a 2.5–3 h tour for the afternoon instead of self-driving.
Notes
- Time zone trap: the Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time, the rest of Arizona doesn’t. While DST is on (March to early November) the valley is one hour ahead of the Grand Canyon.
- The Navajo Nation is dry — no alcohol sold or allowed.
- Ask before photographing people or homes.