This is another area we return to whenever we can. On an earlier road trip through Utah, we learned about an isolated area north of Mexican Hat that was as scenic and dramatic as Monument Valley, but was less known and open to camping along the 17-mile dirt road. Valley of the Gods is identified on most road maps, but if a road is shown, it’s clearly dirt, which may easily deter the ordinary traveler from exploring this area. The truth is, unless there has been a recent rain creating flooded conditions, the road is passable by any car and short (under 30 feet?) motorhomes and trailers. (There are a couple of dips in the road that might be too steep to travel across without severely scraping the back of an RV or trailer. One is at the east entrance off US 163; we suggest you scout that spot a hundred yards off the highway to decide if you can make it. If you can, the others will probably be safe also.)
The drive from Page through Kaibito, Black Mesa, Kayenta, and Monument Valley, passes through a quiet, occasionally desolate, sometimes dramatic landscape that leads eventually down steeply to the San Juan River at Mexican Hat. (There really is a large, obvious rock formation on the edge of town that looks like a sombrero.). A few short miles north on US 163 there is a sign to the left for Valley of the Gods (officially route 242). Because of the sharp dips in the gravel road, we drove the RV and car separately about five miles until we came to a wide, flat campsite that with stunning views of the monoliths and mesas that make Valley of the Gods so scenic. We parked and leveled the RV and stepped out in the afternoon heat. After exploring our immediate vicinity, we drove the car (with the dogs) the rest of the road west to where it intersects with State Highway 261. We were disappointed to notice that the Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast located at that corner had a “closed” sign on it, either out of business or just temporarily “gone fishing”; its web site is still active, so we’re not sure. We hope the latter: it has been highly rated by everyone who has stayed there.
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