The View Campground

Sure, 50 bucks for a dry camping RV seems too high, but can't remember any park with such a stunning view just a stone throw again from the magic formation of rocks, you all know. This gave us goosebumps while sunset, sunrise .... just go out of your RV and enjoy. Restrooms are very clean, so as we came from Europe, we didn't wanna miss to stay as close as possible. the view means THE VIEW.

We drove into the Tribal park with our RV towing a trailer with motorcycle and bicycles. Entrance fee was $16 for 2 people and we were told that the only vehicles allowed on the 17 mile road through the monument were passenger vehicles! No motorcycles, no bicycles and definitely no RVs. So, we parked at the campground which cost $63 for one night - no hookups but nice showers. Then we paid a guide to take us in an open-air truck through the valley - that was about $200 for 2.5 hours. The tour was really fun and we saw beautiful rock formations. Returning to the campground, we saw a pretty sunset despite it being a mostly cloudy day. This was a bucket list item for us, so glad we did it! Just be prepared to drop a few bucks!

have booked one night due to the good reviews. never again.

positive: calm at 21 o'clock

negative: the view of 80% of the 29 parking spaces was installed with premium cabins, so that the view is very limited. no dump station anymore !!!!

BBQ prohibited. Wireslan only limited and very slow.
There are virtually no information boards to bring the story closer.

The Monument Valley is very impressive, but you can save the $20 entry and take in everything from the street.

We have stayed here before. There are showers and a water spigot that you can use to fill up before you park but no dump station. The park closes before sunset and opens after sunrise so this is the only way you can get those shots. If you get a site (lowest numbers) close to the office you can use their wifi from inside your camper. It is dry camping only. We rang an hour beforehand and they only had 3 sites left mid week, so we booked. Check in is at 12pm but we arrived at 11am and they let us in even though she had told us that we had to wait until midday. Codes are needed for the wifi and shower block.

My first reaction when I was researching this leg of our trip was, "Why should I pay to see Monument Valley?" The admission to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is $20, which gives your carload of up to four people access to the park, hotel, the roads through the valley and, with the proper reservations, the campgrounds. After seeing photographs from inside the park, I decided to bite the bullet and pay up.

It was a good decision on a number of levels. We arranged to park our fifth-wheel in the campground - no hookups - and after we were checked in and situated ourselves, we walked up to the restaurant at the View Hotel and had a wonderful meal, and from the observation deck, watched the sun go down, casting rich and vibrant shadows on the Mittens.

RV sites are quite close together, and although we, and others, had to run our generators for a while to get our batteries topped off, the noise levels at the camp weren't all that bad. I have never seen so many rental RVs in one place. Ours was the biggest rig in the row.

We headed out on the Valley Road through the park, winding past the rock formations and into some of the most beautiful landscapes in America. This is not a smooth, paved road. There are ruts and washouts, exposed rocks and high spots. Having said that, I saw everything on that road from our big truck to a Honda Fit, and as log as you don't get in a hurry and pay attention to the road, you'll be fine. If you want to stop and look around, please pull off the road and avoid tying up traffic. If you have doubts about your vehicle, take a guided jeep tour. The scenery is the same.

If you're an artist or photographer, plan on going back through the park several times. One day was bright and sunny and we spent all day on the valley road taking pictures. The next day was rainy and overcast, and everything took on a deep and saturated palette that really can't be described. Low clouds obscured the tops of the Mittens.

As we stood at Artist's Point waiting for the light, we helped countless tourists take group photos of their families against the valley backdrop. A tour of Japanese tourists came through, and though we may have struggled with the language gap, we were able to help them capture their memories as well. Smiles all around.

The Tribal Park is an important source of income for the Navajo Nation, and I would go back just to help support the people who live in the valley. The Valley is sacred to the Navajo, and we are their guests. Twenty bucks is a bargain for the privilege.

I knew what this was when I made the reservation, but I wanted the chance to shoot (photography) the Valley before the park opened and this is the only way to do it. It is a gravel parking lot with sites right on top of each other. The bathroom is small, but in good condition and well equipped, but you have a lot of people accessing the showers from the RV campground and the tent sites.

Important note: there is nothing on the website that indicates that pets are not allowed BUT when you register, it is marked that they are not allowed on your registration sheet. I may or may not have followed that particular rule. Pets are allowed at the viewpoints in the park so I am not sure why they are not allowed at the campground.

In the summer, it is beastly hot and it cools some at night, but it is still warm. There are no hook-ups available. You are better off at Gouldings where you can plug in and use your a/c, or if the weather is cooler, dry camp for free up at Valley of the Gods, outside of Bluff.

There are a lot of people, and because it is hot, they tend to stay outside of their RVs until late, and because the sites are on top of each other, there is a little more noise.

Obstructing your view of the Mittens, are newly erected cabins. Yup. Smack dab in front of them.

Cell Service is OK here, but not stellar. You do have access to the View Hotel wifi access.

What I liked:
- Location
- Clean restrooms

What could have been better:
- Too commercialized
- Obstructed views
- Pet policy/website information

Side note: I felt like MV was significantly more commercialized in 2016 than when I first came in 2012, shortly after The View opened. I doubt I will return.