Valley of the Gods is a spectacular site in southeast Utah that could easily be considered Monument Valley’s baby brother. Everywhere you look, it is simply bursting with beautiful sandstone formations that completely dominate the landscape for as far as your eye can see. Thus making the 17 mile drive that traverses across this valley beyond gorgeous.
Located about 30 minutes down the road from the well-known Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods is not only Free to visit, but it also does not have the strict tribal restrictions that Monument Valley has. (Valley of the Gods is part of the Bureau of Land Management.) This means that here you can freely drive, hike and camp in this incredible landscape as you wish. This also means that Valley of the Gods will be open even if there are Covid restrictions in place from the Navajo Nations. In 2020 & 2021 the Navajo Nations closed all access to their lands for periods of time (including Monument Valley) due to Covid. So even if this happens again, know that Valley of the Gods should still be open.
Visiting Valley of the Gods
For our family, visiting Valley of the Gods was simply amazing. Here we were able to completely immerse ourselves into this incredible landscape and feel completely away from it all. (There was almost no one here and we practically had this gorgeous place to ourselves!) Fascinating formation after formation such as “Seven Sailors,” Battleship Rock” and “Lady in a Bathtub” completely blew us away as we made our way through this spectacular red rock valley.
Yet, please know that this is not the easiest of drives and not everyone (or every car) will be able to go. Below I want to share with you tips for visiting this fantastic site and let you in on what you need to know before you go so that you too can have an incredible adventure traveling through Valley of the Gods!
Where is Valley of the Gods Located?
Valley of the Gods is located in southeast Utah near Mexican Hat. For reference, this is about 30 minutes (28 miles) northeast of Monument Valley. Here, you will drive on a 17 mile dirt road that runs through it. This road can be reached from either US-163 or UT-261. (This is not a loop drive.)
Personally, I would recommend entering off of US-163 because the majority of the formations are within the first 6-7 miles from this east entrance. This way, if the road becomes to rough for your car, you can turn around at any point and still have seen some amazing formations.
Entering Valley of the Gods
First, before you head out, make sure that your GPS is taking you to the Valley of the Gods entrance that you would like to enter at. (Our GPS’s default was to the west entrance off of UT-261, but this is not the entrance we wanted so we had to adjust that. If you are having a hard time finding it, see if your GPS will take you to the first formation which is Seven Sailors.)
If you are traveling west on US-163, as we were, (we were coming from Four Corners and Sand Island Petroglyphs near Bluff, UT) then you will first see a huge pull-out to your right as you get near the Valley of the Gods entrance. This is a wonderful spot to capture your first glimpses of the gorgeous red rocks of Valley of the Gods. (see picture above)
And here you can also get some amazing family photos with these beautiful red rocks as a fantastic back drop. (See picture below)
This pull out would also be perfect for anyone that does not want to (or can’t) drive down the bumpy 17 mile dirt road that crosses through Valley of the Gods. From this spot you can even see the first named formation on the drive, Seven Sailors. (See the formation in the center of the picture below.)
After you leave this pullout, heading west on US-163, you will soon see a small brown sign on your right that says Valley of the Gods. Shortly after this sign, you will come to a bend in the road. And as you are rounding this bend (go slow and keep your eyes peeled) there will be a small dirt road heading off to the right. I did not see any sign at this dirt road, but this is where you need to turn. This can be easy to miss if you don’t know what to look for.
Driving Through Valley of the Gods
The only road through Valley of the Gods is this 17 mile dirt road, and this road can get pretty bumpy in places. Plan on most of your drive being at around 15 miles per hour while driving through this park. At this speed we had no problems (we were driving a regular Honda Pilot) but we also didn’t feel the need to go any faster than this on these roads. For reference, my husband drove slow and kept it in low gear to help manage the bumpy parts of this road.
If you are driving a regular car without a lot of clearance then I would recommend possibly driving just to the first formation, which is Seven Sailors, and then turning around here. If you are feeling comfortable with the bumpiness of the road then you could try driving a little further to soak in as much of this fantastic scenery as possible before turning around. Either way, you’ll get to see some amazing formations along the way.
Yet, if it has rained recently, then I would suggest skipping this site because this would not be a fun place to get stuck.
But if you are in fact able to drive this fantastic road, I think that you’ll find the views along it are completely worth it and that Valley of the Gods is definitely a highlight in the area!
How Long to Drive Through Valley of the Gods?
For our family it took approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to drive from one side to the other at Valley of the Gods. We took our time and stopped at each major formation, but we didn’t go on any extra hikes or stay in any one area too long.
Valley of the Gods Map
Seven Sailors – (at ~0.5 mile)
The first formation you will arrive at when entering from the east entrance off of US-163 is Seven Sailors. At Seven Sailors you will find a large scenic pull off on your left, along with an enormous formation where it looks like there are Seven Sailors appearing with their flat sailor caps. For scale, can you see my son in the picture above, as he is standing there admiring it? This really puts it in perspective how big these fantastic rock formations are.
Setting Hen Butte & Rooster Butte (at ~3 miles)
The next two formations you’ll come across are Setting Hen Butte and Rooster Butte. These two towering formations can be found straight in front of you as you drive and as you get closer, you will see that they really do look like a hen and a rooster!
Franklin Butte (At ~ 5 miles)
This unique and beautiful formation will be on your left as you drive.
Battleship Rock (at ~5.5 miles)
At approximately 5.5 miles off of US-163 you’ll find Battleship Rock. This will be on your left (southwest.) At the first view of this formation, I didn’t think much of it, but as we got closer and went around a curve to a different perspective, this fantastic red rock battleship popped out at me and it instantly became one of my favorites here.
Castle Butte (at ~7.5 Miles)
Less than 2 miles past Battleship Rock, you’ll find the enormous Castle Butte. This is a huge rock formation, that sits like a castle in the middle of the dessert.
After Castle Butte, the road curves around the formations and begins making it’s way west towards UT-261. From here you will drive several miles before the next named formation. This is why many people turn around here at Castle Butte and head back to US-163. And if your vehicle has been struggling with the bumps, then I completely agree. But for us, in our regular Honda Pilot, we decided to drive the entire 17 miles from end to end. And I’m so glad we did because we had the chance to see the formation “Lady in the Bathtub.”
Lady in the Bathtub
(~12 miles or so from the start of the US-163 entrance)
Originally, I didn’t think I was going to like this formation, but honestly I loved it! It really does look like a Lady in a Bathtub!
After Lady in the Bathtub, you will journey several more miles before you reach your exit on UT-261. From here you will be back on a paved road to continue your journey (and maybe visit the nearby “Top Rated Drive” called the Moki Dugway.)
But do know that when you finally get out of your car at your next stop,
Be Prepared to Laugh Hysterically At What Your Car Looks Like After This Drive!
I had no clue that our car had gotten that dirty! It was crazy!
But then, it was all of the bumps in the road and the insane dirtiness of our car, along with experiencing the complete silence of the valley (with no crowds) in this spectacular landscape, that made our family’s adventure through the Valley of Gods absolutely fantastic, and one, we are sure to never forget.
Where We Stayed
When our family visited Valley of the Gods, we stayed at Goulding’s Lodge, which is just over a 30 minute drive from this hotel. 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.)
Attractions Near Valley of the Gods:
Moki Dugway: (A Great Unique Drive)
This is just a 10 minute drive north, on UT-261, from the West Entrance/ Exit of the Valley of Gods.
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!
Sand Island Petroglyph Panel:
This is a 15 minute drive (14 miles) east of the Valley of the Gods’ East Entrance, near Bluff, UT.
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.
Gooseneck State Park:
This is an 11 minute drive (9 miles) from the West side of Valley of the Gods, off of UT-261.
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!
Forrest Gump Point:
This is an 18 minute drive (16 miles) from the east entrance to Valley of the Gods, off of US-163.
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!
Monument Valley:
This is about a 30 minute drive (29 miles) from Valley of the Gods east entrance.
Monument Valley is a famous valley that you can drive through, that is bursting with towering sandstone formations that sit on Navajo lands.
POPULAR TOURS NEAR VALLEY OF THE GODS
Now you are all set with what you need to know before visiting the incredible Valley of the Gods in Utah. We hope you love it as much as we did!
Have a Great Trip with Your Traveling Feet!
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