Monument Valley

[nyker]

Thinking of going to Monument Valley at some point - I've heard varying opinions of the dirt/unpaved "scenic drive" road...

The "official" and unofficial sites claim its easy for a 2wd sedan to do it, then others say you need a high clearance 4wd even when dry.

For those who have done it, how would you rank it in terms of 14er trailhead roads, i.e. with a 2wd rental sedan?

[angry]

I did it in my Honda HRV 2wd. Such a beautiful place to visit!

[Scott P]

Castle Valley north of Moab has basically the same scenery, but the hiking is a lot better and it's free.

[Iguru]

I have driven this dirt road twice. First time in a Subaru (1990), with Front WD, the road at that time was terrible, but doable.
Second time, (2003), the road had just been graded and was very tame for dirt. It would have been doable in any 2WD vehicle.
Don't know what it is like lately, but they do "maintain" the road periodically.

[wineguy]

Castle Valley north of Moab has basically the same scenery, but the hiking is a lot better and it's free.

I recall hiking in the Monument Valley area years ago and didn't pay anyone. Do I owe someone some money?

[CaptainSuburbia]

I drove it last March with 4wd, but saw plenty of 2wd cars doing just fine. Make sure you stop at the horse corral and pay $5 for your picture on a horse

[Wish I lived in CO]

Castle Valley north of Moab has basically the same scenery, but the hiking is a lot better and it's free.

Depends what you want to do. I drive thru both Castle Valley and Monument Valley a few times a year. Both are very scenic. Monument valley is grander, larger and has an open feel. Castle valley is as the name implies down in a valley and has the Colorado river right there, smaller in scale, but nice. Much of route 128 outside of Moab has the feel of a 1/5 scale grand canyon, except at CV where it is wider.

If you wanted to camp in CV during the prime spring and fall it can be nearly impossible to find an open camp spot (though I know of some "secret" spots if you wanted to PM). Always room in Moab at a hotel though.

The road thru MV I wouldn't say is easy 2WD, but pretty doable, depending on conditions. It struck me as a bit sandy in spots, though with careful driving avoidable. We had a std. 4wd truck but never needed the 4wd.

[Scott P]

Castle Valley north of Moab has basically the same scenery, but the hiking is a lot better and it's free.

Depends what you want to do. I drive thru both Castle Valley and Monument Valley a few times a year. Both are very scenic. Monument valley is grander, larger and has an open feel.

I guess "grander" is a matter of opinion. To me, Castle Valley is grander. Monument Valley is more open and covers a larger area, but Castle Valley has the mountains as a backdrop. The Fisher Towers and grotesque rock formations of Onion Creek are just to the north. Castle Valley has slot canyons and waterfalls.

Monument Valley has slot canyon too, but now they are closed to the public. It is a lot more touristy and is fairly expensive. There isn't much hiking and climbing is banned.

[REM12082010]

I was just there in September of this year. I took my FWD Avalon on the 17 mile "Valley/Scenic Drive." The decent and climb out at the beginning of the road was rougher than I would choose for my passenger car, but doable. The rest of the road with the exception of some relatively deep sand in spots was a non-issue. Vehicles of all descriptions were traversing the road while we were there.
Bottom line, if you have never been there I would highly recommend visiting at least once.
If you go, be sure you go to the very end of the turnout for the "North Window" which was the highlight for me on the loop.
Enjoy.

[kingshimmers]

100% doable in a normal sedan unless it's been raining, then the sandy spots get iffy.

My two cents... I spend a significant amount of outdoor time in southern Utah and northern Arizona (much more time than I spend on the 14ers, as you can see from my checklists). Sure, there are other other places very similar to Monument Valley. Some nearly identical. But IMO, Monument Valley is 100% worth visiting at least once. Sunrise and sunset are especially beautiful whether you're already in the middle of the formations or even driving south over the Utah border.

[Broken Knee]

I guess "grander" is a matter of opinion. To me, Castle Valley is grander. Monument Valley is more open and covers a larger area, but Castle Valley has the mountains as a backdrop. The Fisher Towers and grotesque rock formations of Onion Creek are just to the north. Castle Valley has slot canyons and waterfalls.

Monument Valley has slot canyon too, but now they are closed to the public. It is a lot more touristy and is fairly expensive. There isn't much hiking and climbing is banned.

That's harsh and not very real.

MV, IC, Zion, Castle, they were all awesome wildernesses so beautiful that man had to screw them up. Just islands of beauty separated by time, culture and greed.

[nyker]

Thanks everyone. This is all very helpful and some good insight. I'll have to pay attention to the weather/rainfall before we go. Renting a 4wd seems very $$$ there.

In the research I've done it looks like a lot of the land is off limits for hiking without a guide. Is there any decent hikes available that you can just freely do ( paying the entrance fee) or do you really need to go with a guide for more meaningful walks?