Valley of the Gods, Utah: all the red buttes, none of the crowds, zero dollars to enter

It’s Monument Valley’s Quiet Twin

A sandstone valley sits in southeastern Utah near the tiny town of Mexican Hat, and almost nobody knows about it.

Valley of the Gods looks like Monument Valley’s smaller sibling, with towering buttes, pinnacles and mesas rising from the desert floor.

The Bureau of Land Management runs the place as part of Bears Ears National Monument. There’s no ticket booth, no entrance fee and no line of cars waiting to get in.

If you love wide-open desert and solitude, keep reading.

Sandstone warriors frozen for 300 million years

The rock here is Cedar Mesa Sandstone, laid down 250 to 300 million years ago when a shallow sea covered this part of Utah.

Wind and water spent the eons since then carving it into the buttes, towers and spires you see today. That reddish-brown and purple color comes from iron in the rock mixing with oxygen, basically rust on a massive scale.

The Navajo people consider this valley sacred ground.

They see the sandstone monuments as ancient warriors frozen in stone, and the greater Bears Ears area holds tens of thousands of sites of cultural significance to the Navajo, Ute, Hopi and Zuni tribes.

A 17-mile gravel road through the buttes

San Juan County Road 242 winds 17 miles through the valley, and the drive takes one to two hours depending on how many times you pull over. You can enter from either end.

Highway 163 on the east side puts you right next to the most famous rock formations from the start. Highway 261 on the west side brings you in near the Moki Dugway.

The road surface is graded gravel and clay with a few sharp turns and wash crossings along the way.

No gas, no water, no cell service anywhere

In dry weather, most passenger cars can handle the road, though it gets bumpy in spots. When the road is wet, you’ll want four-wheel drive with high clearance.

Here’s what matters: there are no facilities anywhere along the route. No gas stations, no restrooms, no water and no cell service in most areas.

Bring plenty of water, food, a full tank of gas and emergency supplies.

Download offline maps to your phone before you arrive, because reliable internet does not exist out here.

The hen, the rooster and a perfect pair of buttes

Two of the valley’s most recognized formations sit near each other along the eastern portion of the loop. Setting Hen Butte looks exactly like a small hen perched on top of the rock when you see it from the right angle.

Rooster Butte stands tall beside it with a distinctive spire shape. Together they’re among the most photographed spots in the valley.

If you enter from the Highway 163 side, you’ll spot them early in the drive.

A medieval fortress and seven sailors in hats

Castle Butte rises large and rectangular from the desert floor, and it calls to mind a medieval fortress. Seven Sailors is a cluster of seven small flat-topped peaks that some say look like sailors wearing hats.

Lady in the Bathtub, also known as Balanced Rock, changes shape depending on your angle as you drive past it. Other named formations include Franklin Butte, Battleship Rock, Bell Butte and De Gaulle and His Troops.

No signs label any of them, so half the fun is making up your own names.

Walk toward any butte that catches your eye

There are no marked trails here. No maintained paths, no trailhead signs, no route maps.

You park at any pull-off along the road and walk toward whichever formation draws you in. The terrain is sandy desert scattered with sage and yucca, and you pick your own line through it.

Watch for rattlesnakes in warm weather, especially near underbrush and rock formations. Dogs can come along but keep them under control in this fragile landscape.

Camp for free under almost zero light pollution

Free dispersed camping is allowed at previously used roadside sites along the route. No reservations, no fees and no designated campgrounds.

You can stay up to 14 days in one spot. Campfires are not allowed anywhere in the valley, so bring a camp stove for cooking.

The payoff comes at night. The remote location means almost zero light pollution, and the sky fills with more stars than you’ve probably seen in years. This is one of the best stargazing spots in Utah.

Catch the buttes glowing orange at sunrise

The best light for photographs comes during sunrise and sunset, when the sandstone turns orange and red. Morning light from the east side entrance creates dramatic silhouettes of the buttes against the sky.

The wide-open landscape and big skies give you sweeping panoramic shots in every direction. Spring brings wildflowers like Indian paintbrush and blooming yucca that add color to the desert floor.

If you come in winter, a dusting of snow against the red rock creates a contrast you won’t get any other time of year.

Drive the Moki Dugway with no guardrails

The western end of the valley road connects to Highway 261 just below the Moki Dugway. This three-mile stretch of steep, unpaved switchbacks was carved into the cliff face of Cedar Mesa.

It climbs about 1,200 feet at a 10 to 11 percent grade, and there are no guardrails. A mining company built the road in the 1950s to haul uranium ore.

At the top, a parking area gives you sweeping views of the Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley in the distance and Shiprock over in New Mexico.

A river that loops six miles to go one and a half

Goosenecks State Park sits a short drive south on Highway 261 and then west on Highway 316.

From the rim, you look down about 1,000 feet at the San Juan River as it winds through tight loops called entrenched meanders.

The river flows more than six miles through those loops to cover just one and a half miles as the crow flies. The park carries an International Dark Sky Park designation, so it’s another top stargazing spot.

Muley Point, at the top of Cedar Mesa off Highway 261, delivers panoramic views of the valley, Monument Valley and the river canyon far below.

Silence, red rock and nothing else for miles

Valley of the Gods gives you something rare in the modern West: true solitude surrounded by formations older than most life on Earth. No entrance fees, no crowds and no commercialized anything.

The valley rewards the people willing to travel off the beaten path and slow down once they get there. Drive the loop, camp overnight or just stand among the buttes and listen to nothing.

Some of the best landscapes in America are still out there waiting, and this one doesn’t charge you a dime to see it.

Explore Valley of the Gods in Utah

You can reach Valley of the Gods near Mexican Hat in southeastern Utah, about 15 miles southwest of Bluff. The 17-mile gravel loop road starts from Highway 163 on the east or Highway 261 on the west.

The Bureau of Land Management keeps it open year round, and it’s free to enter. Bring all your own water, food and supplies because nothing is available along the route.

While you’re in the area, the Moki Dugway, Goosenecks State Park, Muley Point, Monument Valley and Natural Bridges National Monument are all within reach.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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