"Monument Valley Tribal Park"

Monument Valley Tribal Park is part of the Colorado Plateau on the Navajo Nation. The park is famous for its buttes which some reach to 1000 feet above the canyon floor. The most famous buttes are the East and West Mittens

Many western cowboy movies have been made in the park, so many so that early movie goers believed that the park is what the entire American west looked like.

While the Mittens are my favorite place in the park, other areas can be explored on unguided auto tours or a guided tour back to areas most people will never see.

Its a great place.

"The Mittens"
Monument Valley

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"Taylor Rock"

Monument Valley

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"Mile 13"
Utah

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"Shadow on the Mitten"

The Monument Valley Tribal Park is most famous for its “East” and “West” “Mittens” buttes.

Twice a year in March and September during the sunset, the west Mittens shadow can be observed growing longer and longer across the valley floor. Maybe 20 minutes before sunset, the shadow has reached the base of the East Mitten and begins to climb up the side of the mitten.

The ridge that I was photographing from cast its own shadow toward the mittens.

The west shadow climbs up the mitten until perfectly centered on the butte. By then the upper limb of the setting sun has touched the western horizon and the entire scene fades into dusk.