5 Top Things To Do (Near Monument Valley) in Utah

Southeast Utah is a fantastic road trip destination in the American Southwest. Here, you’ll find breath-taking formations, iconic panoramas, spectacular gorges, fantastic drives and more in just this small section of the state.

Most people who visit southeast Utah primarily come to see the gorgeous seeping views of Monument Valley, which sits on the Utah/ Arizona boarder. But here, I want to let you in on other spectacular sites that lie just down the road. These hidden gems are far away from the crowds and will really let you experience the silence and beauty of this area.

These 5 Fantastic Things to Do in Southeast Utah would be perfect to add to any road trip in this area and I can’t wait to share them with you!

1. Gooseneck State Park

Gooseneck State Park is a quick stop with absolutely spectacular scenery! Here, the San Juan River carved a 1,000 foot deep gorge, in a series of incredible “Goosenecks.” And in just 1.5 miles (as the crow flies) the San Juan River flows more than 6 miles through these incredible loops!

Gooseneck State Park is a fantastic stop and I’m so glad our family didn’t miss this! To get here, it is a 3.5 mile (5 min) drive off of UT-261. At the end of this road, you will see a Ranger Station where it is $5 per car to enter. After the ranger station, it immediately opens into a parking lot that overlooks this extremely impressive gorge. Here, at the overlook, you can find restrooms and picnic tables. Even though there is not a lot to do once you enter this state park, the $5 was completely worth it for this mesmerizing view!

For more information: Gooseneck State Park

2. Valley of the Gods

Valley of the Gods is an absolutely fantastic site in southeast Utah that is like a mini Monument Valley and it doesn’t have the crowds! Here you drive down a 17 mile dirt road (not a loop) and find yourself completely surrounded by stunning geologic formations like “Seven Sailors,” “Battleship Rock” and “Rooster Butte.”

Our family absolutely loved driving through Valley of the Gods, but please be aware that this drive will definitely give your car’s suspension a good workout. For our children though, this made our adventure even more exciting. Just make sure your vehicle has some clearance and that it hasn’t rained recently. We drove our Honda Pilot here and was fine. (My husband drove slow and kept it in low gear to help with the bumps.) The views along this drive are completely gorgeous and it is definitely a highlight in the area!

Moki Dugway

Moki Dugway is a spectacular set of switchbacks located on UT-261 in southeast Utah near the west entrance to Valley of the Gods. These switchbacks take you 1,200 feet up to the top of the mesa plateau, on an 11% grade gravel road, that is 3 miles long. This drive is a ton of fun and the view of Valley of the Gods from the top is fantastic!

Many people end up driving the Moki Dugway just because they need to drive north on UT-261 to reach their destination. But for our family, we had just exited Valley of the Gods (on its west side) and from here it was only 10 minutes down the road. (It was in the opposite direction from the way we were going next, but just looking at it, we knew that we had to drive it.) So we drove up it, took in the amazing view and then drove right back down. And it was an incredible! Moki Dugway is perfect for anyone traveling in this area that loves driving unique and fun roads.

Forrest Gump Point

Forrest Gump Point is an iconic spot from the movie Forrest Gump where Forrest ends his epic run. And the view of Monument Valley here is amazing too!

Forrest Gump Point can be easily found when using Google Maps. There is a pull off here so that you can park and take in this great view. One thing to be aware of is that you are not allowed to stand in the middle of the road to get the iconic Forrest Gump shot. (There’s a sign to remind you just in case you forget that this is not a safe thing to do.) I found that it was really easy to get great pictures even at an angle from the pull out area, but I actually got this head on shot (shown above) from our car while my husband was driving. This is a fun, quick stop that is located only 15 minutes (12.5 miles) from Monument Valley on US-163.

Watch Before You Go

Sand Island Petroglyph Panel

Sand Island Petroglyph Panel is an impressive 100+ yard rock wall that is covered with ancient Anasazi scrawlings. This rock art ranges from 300 to 3,000 years old and consists of images of various animals, to figures in a headdress, to even several kokopellis symbols.

The Sand Island Petroglyph panel is free to visit and is a quick stop near Bluff, UT. (This is about 50 minutes northeast on US-163 from Monument Valley, yet less than 15 minutes from the east entrance of Valley of the Gods, or it’s on the way if you are coming from Four Corners Monument.) To see this Rock Panel, park by the campground parking lot and it’s right there. (no hike needed) There are also restrooms and picnic tables located at the parking lot before the campground.

For More Information: Sand Island Petroglyphs

For Your Visit:

Where We Stayed

When our family visited Southeast Utah, we stayed at Goulding’s Lodge. This hotel is family-friendly, the restaurant onsite makes amazing Navajo Tacos (see below) and the view of Monument Valley from our hotel balcony was spectacular! If you are looking for a place to stay in this area, definitely check Goulding’s Lodge out. (But make sure you book early, because this hotel sells out fast.)

I hope you enjoyed this list of 5 Fantastic Things to See in Southeast Utah, near Monument Valley. Please let me know in the comments sections if you have come across any other fun sites in southeast Utah. I’d love to hear about them!

Have a Great Trip in Utah with Your Traveling Feet!

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