On our second trip to Monument Valley, we decided to stay at The View Campground, located adjacent to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Visitor's Center. We pulled into the Visitor's Center parking lot and quickly toured the gift shop and exhibits. It was noon, and we were eager to settle into our campsite and enjoy the views of the valley. We drove over to the campground, which is along an uneven gravel road and really just an extension of the Visitor's Center parking lot. The hustle and bustle of the parking lot and its tour buses, and the dusty travel in and out of the valley floor were inescapable. We walked into the small office, already
unimpressed by the uneven gravel "RV sites" that had no hookups. The only thing that distinguished the campsites from a gravel parking lot was the row of picnic tables and the couple of abandoned looking rigs. Cars parked in front of the campsites as a sort of overflow parking lot to view the valley monuments obstructed any views we might find inside our rig or from our campsite. Inside the office, we announced our arrival, and then we were told that check in was not until 4 pm! I clarified this information, and we departed, feeling slighted. Thinking back to the busy parking lot, tour buses, and barterers trying to sell overpriced tours of the valley floor in a dusty pick up bed, we realized we were part of a tourist trap. So, we headed to our choice of stay on a previous trip, Goulding's Lodge & Campground, where we enjoyed a peaceful view of Monument Valley. My only regret: I didn't get a picture before we left.
Best Sites: None
Poor Sites: All
Hookups: None
Potable Water: None
Dump Within Facility: None
unimpressed by the uneven gravel "RV sites" that had no hookups. The only thing that distinguished the campsites from a gravel parking lot was the row of picnic tables and the couple of abandoned looking rigs. Cars parked in front of the campsites as a sort of overflow parking lot to view the valley monuments obstructed any views we might find inside our rig or from our campsite. Inside the office, we announced our arrival, and then we were told that check in was not until 4 pm! I clarified this information, and we departed, feeling slighted. Thinking back to the busy parking lot, tour buses, and barterers trying to sell overpriced tours of the valley floor in a dusty pick up bed, we realized we were part of a tourist trap. So, we headed to our choice of stay on a previous trip, Goulding's Lodge & Campground, where we enjoyed a peaceful view of Monument Valley. My only regret: I didn't get a picture before we left.
Best Sites: None
Poor Sites: All
Hookups: None
Potable Water: None
Dump Within Facility: None
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