Hunts Mesa
Hunts Mesa is a breathtaking elevated viewpoint inside Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park where the entire valley spreads out below you instead of around you. It is the only place where you can photograph the soaring buttes and spires from above. The perspective is completely different from anything you get on Valley Drive or from around The View Hotel. You cannot get here on your own, any shooting adventure at this location needs to be prebooked through a tour. A licensed Navajo guide is required and the two hour drive is rough, crossing sand dunes, creek beds, and steep rocky trails. Tour operators run both day trips that are timed to leave the mesa just after sunset and overnight trips that include sunset, a night camping on the mesa, and sunrise the following morning. Sunset from the western cliffs lights up the formations in warm red and orange, and sunrise from the eastern side puts the entire valley in front of you with low side light that reveals every layer of the sandstone. With zero light pollution, the night sky in this area is exceptional. On the drive up, guides will stop at hidden arches and ancient Ancestral Puebloan dwellings tucked into the rock. The overnight tours include meals cooked over a cedar fire and basic camping gear. Tours depart from The View Hotel or from Kayenta. You will need to book your tour well in advance, especially for overnight trips during peak season. (Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona, USA)
