Monument Valley Sunset Phenomenon
Welcome to The Four Corners of the Southwest. My love for travel and the outdoors has inspired me to learn, research, and share interesting information about the American Southwest.
In a couple of days, I’m leaving on a short road trip north from Tucson to Monument Valley Tribal Park which is located on the border of Arizona and Utah. I’m hoping for good weather so I can experience the “Mitten Shadow”. What’s a “Mitten?” It one of the famous sandstone pillars so often photographed. The two mittens look like a symmetrical pair of hands as you can see in the picture above.
The Monument Valley Mitten Shadow is a phenomenon that happens twice a year, in late March peaking around the 30th, then again in September peaking around the 13th. On these days, and for a day or two before and after, West Mitten Butte casts a shadow that is superimposed on East Mitten Butte. This is a very short window of time, however, if it’s cloudy or overcast, you’re out of luck. I’m hoping for good weather. I did adjust my trip to be after September 13 due to rain in the forecast.
You can see in the picture above, that the shadow from the West Mitten is creeping over to the East. On the peak days, that shadow superimposes perfectly on the East Mitten Butte.
I’m giving myself two evenings to see and photograph this phenomenon. In my next post, I will include the pictures, good or bad, and give you a full report.
There’s a Reason Why this Landscape is Synonymous with the Southwest
Back in 1928, Harry Goulding built and ran a small trading post just outside of Monument Valley. In the 1930s, Monument Valley was affected greatly by drought, the great depression, and the forced reduction of livestock by the government that was the major source of income for the Navajo and Paiute people. When Goulding heard on the radio that Hollywood was looking for a location to shoot a western, he and his wife packed themselves up with pictures of Monument Valley and headed to Hollywood. Before long, Goulding was showing the pictures to director John Ford. Goulding left California with a check for $5,000 and orders to accommodate a filming crew.
Navajos were hired as extras to play Apaches. And for $15 a week, Ford hired a local medicine man named Hastiin Tso or “Big Man” to control the weather. It is said that Ford ordered “pretty, fluffy clouds. The movie was Stagecoach and was released in 1939.
Ford even filmed in Monument Valley even though the films were not set in Arizona or Utah. An example is The Searchers (1956) which was set in Texas. He would go on to shoot six more westerns in Monument Valley:
My Darling Clementine (1946)
Fort Apache (1948)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
The Searchers (1956)
Seargent Rutledge (1960)
Cheyenne Autumn (1964)
A popular lookout point along the 17-mile dirt road is named John Ford Point. It was used by Ford in a scene from The Searchers where an American Indian village is attacked.
When I visited that lookout point, the sign in the parking lot indicated that a horse and rider are available for photos, but he wasn’t around on the day I visited. Instead, I got my own picture taken on the point.
Monument Valley Tribal Park
Monument Valley Tribal Park established in 1959 was the first tribal park of its kind. Visitors are allowed to take the 17-mile loop dirt road in their own vehicles. At the time of this writing, the park fee is $20 per car to enter. In addition, guided tours are offered for an additional fee and visit areas not accessible to the general public.
The iconic Mitten Buttes are at the visitors’ center, so you don’t need to drive anywhere to see that. However, every view in the park is stunning.
Be aware that the Navajo Nation observes daylight savings time. Utah does too but Arizona does not. If you are traveling from Arizona in the summer, you will experience a time change. For example: Navajo Nation 8am would be 7am in the rest of Arizona. This information may come in handy if you schedule a guided tour.
Next Time
I’ll be sharing my photos and experiences from my road trip next time. I’m hoping I’ll have some awesome photos but either way, I’ll give you a report. In addition, I’ll talk about Forrest Gump Point which is in Monument Valley just outside of the Tribal Park.
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Amazing scenery – as a European, this type of landscape is truly exotic to me, and its beauty is breathtaking. Thanks for the story and the photos!
Great pictures! What a history that place has