Valley of the Gods, Mexican Hat UT
Valley of the Gods
Rudolph and Santa Claus Butte, Valley of the Gods
Valley of the Gods
Rudolph and Santa Claus
Valley of the Gods
Mexican Hat UT
May 17, 2018
Valley of the Gods
You might ask yourself, “What is Valley of the Gods”? Valley of the Gods is a scenic, sandstone valley with absolutely stunning geologic formations. It is located approximately 15 miles southwest of Bluff and about 35 miles from Monument Valley (see directions below). Valley of the Gods is now part of Bears Ears National Monument.
Visitors will find many scenic locations to stop and explore this special landscape. With nearby Monument Valley taking first prize for fame, visitors will encounter fewer tourists while meandering through Valley of the Gods and can enjoy a more personal experience. Permits are not required and there are no fees to drive Valley of the Gods unlike Monument Valley.
Locals have given the rock formations in Valley of the Gods names such as Rooster Butte, Setting Hen Butte, and Balanced Rock/Lady in a Tub. As you drive through Valley of the Gods, think about names you would give to these formations.
Geology
This geological masterpiece, though a quarter of the size of its celebrated neighbor, Monument Valley, boasts a royalty of rich colors and fantastic formations, and is quite stunning. The formations are sculpted from Cedar Mesa sandstone dating to the Permian period, around 250 million years ago.
Valley of the Gods sits at the base of Cedar Mesa. Rocks were deposited by the shallow sea that covered this area about 250 million years ago. After the water receded, the iron in the rocks mixed with oxygen to form rust. This resulted in the rich red and purple colors. Eroded by water, wind, and ice over millions of years, the rock was carved into the unique buttes, monoliths (single massive stone or rock), pinnacles and other geological features as seen today.
The Valley of the Gods is truly a geological masterpiece, rightfully earning its reputation as “a photographer’s paradise.”
The valley is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are no entrance fees and no services of any kind in the valley. Dispersed camping is permitted at previously disturbed sites, though campfires are not allowed.
Bluff Utah
Rudolph and Santa Claus Butte, Valley of the Gods
Mexican Hat UT
April 15, 2022
The butte to the left is called Rudolph and Santa Claus and looks very much like them from the other side. From here I see a native couple with neat hats. Pareidolia is such fun.
Valley of the Gods
Mexican Hat UT
May 16, 2018
Valley of the Gods
The Valley of the Gods is a scenic sandstone valley near Mexican Hat in San Juan County, Southeastern Utah, United States. Formerly part of Bears Ears National Monument, it is located north of Monument Valley across the San Juan River and has similar rock formations to Monument Valley with tall, reddish brown mesas, buttes, towers and mushroom rocks —remnants of an ancient landscape—standing above the level valley floor. On December 4, 2017, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation that reduced the area of Bears Ears National Monument (proclaimed by President Barack Obama in December 2016), with new monument boundaries that exclude the Valley of the Gods. The area remains protected public land administered as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern and managed by the Bureau of Land Management, as it was before the monument designation.
The Valley of the Gods area may be toured via a 17-mile (27 km) gravel road (FR 242) that winds around the formations. The road is rather steep and bumpy in parts but is passable by non-four-wheel drive vehicles in dry weather. The western end joins UT 261 shortly before its 1,200-foot (370 m) ascent up Cedar Mesa at Moki Dugway, while the eastern end starts 9 miles (14 km) from the town of Mexican Hat along US 163 and heads north, initially crossing flat, open land and following the course of Lime Creek, a seasonal wash, before turning west towards the buttes and pinnacles. In addition to the gravel road, the area is also crisscrossed by off-road dirt trails.
The valley is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are no entrance fees and no services of any kind in the valley. Dispersed camping is permitted at previously disturbed sites, though campfires are not allowed.
Wikipedia
Rudolph and Santa Claus
Valley of the Gods, Mexican Hat UT
May 17, 2018
Right. This double tower is called Rudolph and Santa Claus and looks very much like them from the other side. From here I see a native couple rocking cool hats. Pareidolia anyone?