Mesa Verde National Park is an American national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States including Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum has exhibits on the ancient Native American culture. Mesa Top Loop Road winds past archaeological sites and overlooks, including Sun Point Overlook with panoramic canyon views. Petroglyph Point Trail has several rock carvings.
Mesa Verde National Park contains over 5000 archeological sites across 40+ miles of roads. Tickets must be purchased for Cliff Palace, Balcony House and Long House.
Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona–Utah border near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the territory of the Navajo Nation Reservation and is accessible from U.S. Highway 163.
Monument Valley has been featured in many films since the 1930s. In the words of film critic Keith Phipps, “its five square miles have defined what decades of moviegoers think of when they imagine the American West.”
Google Maps Monument Valley Location
37.047294, -110.090309
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the most visited location at Grand Canyon National Park. The Scenic views and vistas are stunning. Photographers line up along the rim at sunset for the perfect shot. The ultimate experience is hiking rim to rim or riding a mule to Phantom Ranch on Bright Angel Trail, considered one of the top ten scenic hikes in the world. The canyon is roughly a mile deep, 277 river miles long, and up to 18 miles wide.
Grand Canyon National Park website
Box lunch and other supplies for hiking (similar to what is provided at Phantom Ranch): Food: bagel and cream cheese, oreos, gatorade packet, salami or beef sticks, granola bars, apples, dried fruit, nuts, beef jerkey
Other hiking items: Headlamp for night hiking, moleskin and bandaids, duct tape, WATER in hydration pack or 2 liter bottles, Antacid tablets, Ibuprophen, Acid Reducer, Camera with short range, GoPro, hat, sunscreen, bug repellent wipes, bandana, hiking pole(s)
