The BEST Drive in Southern Utah!
A road trip through Utah wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Valley of the Gods or Monument Valley (which is technically in Arizona). Add in a stop at Goosenecks State Park, and a quick visit to the Four Corners - because why not? - and you’ve got yourself one of the best drives in Utah! Read on to see how best to spend this epic day!
A car driving down a dirt road in the desert in Valley of the Gods
If you’re coming from Moab, it really helps to get an early start to this long day of driving. Moab is a great place to base yourself for a couple of days when exploring the nearby national parks, and there’s some great street art in town that we highly recommend checking out before you leave. Just make sure to get on the road early, our first stop is the Four Corners Monument and it’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Moab.
First Stop: Four Corners Monument
Have you ever wanted to be in two places at once? Well how about four?! That is exactly the reason we made a detour to the Four Corners Monument. It’s not exactly on the way to our next stop, but if it’s a bucket list item for you to be in multiple places at once, then now’s the perfect opportunity!
There’s honestly not a lot to see or do here, but it’s a great pitstop to stretch your legs. Once you’ve taken all your photos and jumped across state lines over and over, you can do a little shopping of handmade goods by local artisans. There are also usually some food trucks around, but our next stop is a fun little taco place, so hang in there!
Second Stop: Twin Rocks Cafe
We’ll be doing a little back tracking from the Four Corners Monument back into Utah for our lunch stop at Twin Rocks Cafe. Try the fry bread tacos, they’re delicious and will really fill you up!
Twin Rocks Cafe and Trading Post
Be sure to try one of their famous fry bread tacos!
Third Stop: Valley of the Gods
Just a 40 minute drive from our lunch spot is Valley of the Gods, an epic backcountry stop that’s just begging you to explore! Be sure to have a vehicle with 4WD and high clearance, the roads here aren’t always well maintained and sometimes have pretty big pot holes. Don’t let that deter you from visiting though because the monuments in the area are fantastic and there are some great hiking opportunities.
A monument in Valley of the Gods
Fourth Stop: Goosenecks State Park
Just down the road from Valley of the Gods is another fun stop: Goosenecks State Park. It’s not necessarily a long visit, but it’ll be a good one! At this state park you can see the San Juan River meandering back and fourth through the deep canyon it has carved through the landscape. It’s definitely worth a visit if you have time!
Goosenecks State Park where the San Juan River meanders back and forth
Fifth Stop: Forest Gump Viewpoint
We’ve all seen the famous movie staring Tom Hanks as Forest Gump right? Or are we dating ourselves by admitting we’ve seen it, do kids these days even know who Forest Gump is? Either way, you can’t come all the way to this part of southern Utah without making a stop at this famous viewpoint. This specific stretch of road was made famous when Forest ran across America and then decided he was done. There’s a place to pull off on the side of the road, but remember that you’re still walking on a highway and cars could be going pretty fast, so be sure to look both ways before stepping into the street to get your perfect photo. It can get pretty crowded during the day, so we recommend coming early to beat the crowds.
The famous view of Monument Valley from Forest Gump viewpoint
Karin and Jeremy at Forest Gump viewpoint! Be sure to look both ways before going into the road!
Final Stop: Monument Valley
Now, technically, Monument Valley is in Arizona. If you’re going to the official Monument Valley visitor’s center, you’ll cross into Arizona and you might also change timezones. But just because it’s in an other state doesn’t mean we’re going to leave it off this list!
Monument Valley at sunrise
Monument Valley is an incredible place to experience. We arrived about half an hour before sunset and parked for free in the huge parking lot, though you might have to pay a fee if you visit during a busier time of day. When we visited, all tours and self-driving experiences that get you up-close and personal with the monuments were done or sold out for the day. If this is an experience you don’t want to miss, we highly recommend staying a couple nights in the area to take full advantage of an entire day to explore the monuments.
The visitor’s center for Monument Valley is a great place to pick up a couple souvenirs and take a bathroom break. If you’re lucky, you might also be able to score a table at the on-site restaurant, though we highly recommend a reservation in advance if you really want to eat here. There really aren’t many food options in the area, so if you find a place to eat that sounds good, we recommend going for it because you never know when you’ll come across another option. When it comes to spending the night, there is a hotel on the property that would make it very convenient for sunrise and sunset visits. But if you’re looking for a budget stay, we stayed in nearby Mexican Hat for a fraction of the price.
Jeremy admiring the view of Monument Valley between two rocks
Monument Valley just before sunset
Have you visited this part of Utah before? What tips and must-see stops do you recommend?
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