Dion and Nelson were our light-hearted and hardworking tour guides on our recent 2-hour sunset…read morehorseback tour. We enjoyed tremendous views of Monument Valley as well as interesting and thoughtful stories and explanations of how this area holds deep meaning to the Navajo. Our group was small, and our leaders were patient, funny, and helpful for those of us with next to no horseback riding experience. My husband, who can be difficult to impress, was awestruck by the views and the perspective that comes only with being on a trail, not in a vehicle. If you go, bring a full water bottle and cash for tipping, plus remember to wear your sunscreen and a hat. Special thanks also to Mack and Sideburns, our trusty steeds! We had a little trouble locating the starting point at the stables -- we thought we were supposed to park in the Navajo Visitor Center parking lot and check in at the tour booth at the far end of the parking lot. Turns out that tour booth is for vehicle tours. The folks there advised us to drive down a short gravel road next to the visitor center and park next to the stables that we could see in the distance. Easy enough, but this could have been clearer in the directions; a simple map or drawing would have been very helpful. We also didn't realize we'd have to pay a $10 per person entry fee to the Visitor Center parking lot before even getting to the stables. Maybe that was mentioned in the instructions and I just missed it? Either way, not a deal-breaker for us.

We booked a 1-hour horseback riding tour for 1:00 PM. Before it was our turn, another group arrived…read more(most likely booked for the 11:00 AM tour), so the same horses had already been out riding for 2 hours before it was our turn. The horses were given no break - not even a water break, before we were put on the same horses and started our 1-hour tour. The horses we rode walked slowly and appeared tired and dehydrated. We did not see any water in the horses' enclosure. We also noticed that the horses had no shelter from the sun or rain inside the fence area where they were kept. Otherwise, the horses seemed OK, they were fed and our guide was OK. I would have given Sacred Monument Tours better rating if I had observed that the horses had access to water and were given a break between rides before a new group of people went out.

We did a 2 hour ride. I'm an intermediate rider and my partner had never rode before. We had a…read moregreat time. We called ahead and were told to show up at 9am. The owners had some hold ups getting their water and hay in that morning because it was a Sunday. So, they were a little late (about 30 mins), but it was ok. The ride went to an arch that is not accessible to the public on the road and some petroglyphs. Prices were reasonable. The guide was nice and made jokes.

From the owner: Indian route 42, John Ford's point. Dinéh Trail Ridesread more

For you Arizonans and visitors alike who may not know, Monument Valley is temporarily closed due to…read moreCOVID-19. Therefore, it is not possible to tour the sacred site itself. Last June, this information was not as known as it is now, and given our long-standing plans to see Monument Valley, my fiancé booked a horseback tour hosted by Roy Black's Awesome Horse Tours. What has since ensued has been a fascinating exhibition of dishonesty that would be laughable if it wasn't such a waste of time. Read on: | 7/4/20 tour booked on 6/26/20 | It should have piqued our suspicions that Roy Black's website does not provide any means to cancel tours. It does, however, provide ample contact information -- phone numbers and email addresses -- which we deemed sufficient if a cancellation was necessary. On 6/26/20, two one-hour tours were booked for $155.40. | 7/4/20 tour cancelled on 6/27/20 | With more evidence supporting Monument Valley's apparent closure, we decided on 6/27/20 to cancel the tour that was booked on 6/26/20. My fiancé called Mr. Black and left a voicemail. She also left two emails on 6/27, explicitly declaring our intent to cancel the tour, but she did not receive replies for either. How curious. The next action was to contact the bank on the same day; a dispute was filed, and a temporary credit was issued. | 9/1/20: Surely you're joking, Mr. Black! | Per the bank, the temporary credit was reversed! While Mr. Black is a difficult gentleman to reach, the bank had no problem getting in touch with him. He explained that the $155.40 paid on 6/26/20 was nonrefundable given his 72-hour cancellation policy. I'll give you, dear reader, a moment to reflect upon this fatuous remark. For whomever would inconceivably need this to be explained, Mr. Black's claim would only be true if we cancelled on 7/1/20, 72 hours in advance of the 7/4/20 tour we booked. However, we did not do that because -- brace yourselves -- we read the cancellation policy. We cancelled a week in advance of the tour, honoring the policy and cordially informing a strangely-unavailable Mr. Black. | Verdict | So, what happens now? The photos attached to this review will be sent to the bank, another investigation will be launched, and, of course, we will be refunded. Mr. Black's dishonest report to the bank has only served to delay the correct outcome. "Awesome Horse Tours", indeed. Would you like to know what's even more awesome? Honest business, a forthright website (e.g. "Monument Valley is closed, but we'll be glad to book tours when it reopens!"), and the literacy of one's own cancellation policy. As Roy Black has failed to deliver on all of these, I unequivocally do not recommend Roy Black's Guided Tours. Monument Valley will reopen, my friends, hopefully sooner rather than later. When they do, I trust you will join me in booking a tour with an actually legitimate service. Until then, godspeed.

What a wonderful tour we had with our guide, Jim. He made it so interesting with his experiences…read moreliving in the Monument Valley area. Made it very personal, as well as great driving skills! Highly recommend Jim with Roy Black Guided Tours!

WOW! Horseback trail rides takes you back into the old wild west, clean air, if you really want to…read moreexperience the true outdoors, rugged southwest, camping under the stars, relaxation, only you and mother earth, totally clears your mind of stress, guides are outstanding, totally recommend the ride. vLocated approximately 15 miles north of Monument Valley, the most north of the Navajo reservation. Definitely recommend this ride whether it be couple hours, half a day, all day or weekly rides, overnight camp, views, views, views.

What a great experience! After one year of dying to ride a…read morehorse for the first time, D/D MTA Horse Tours (across the street from Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park) fulfilled my dream. After some google searches on horse tours in the area, we chose this slightly more affordable option for a 90 minute tour that featured the same incredible views as the alternatives. We booked online, and I was a little nervous at first given some sketchy google reviews and the dated website. All time slots showed availability, so I went ahead and called the morning of to confirm our reservation. For booking the night before, we definitely got our money's worth. The tour guide was kind, and gave us a lot of info on the buttes and mesas. He also gave us a few photo ops, making sure we captured the moment and liked them before moving on. 90 minutes is a long time, but I loved every second of it and so did my boyfriend. My horse, Charlie, was a little older and slower, but they were well trained and easy to handle. Worth every penny.

From the owner: At D/D MTA Horse Tours, we invite you to experience the beauty and tranquility of nature from the…read moreunique perspective of horseback. Whether you're an experienced rider or a complete beginner, our guided horse tours offer an unforgettable adventure that connects you with the great outdoors.

We visited Monument Valley as a last-minute stop on our recent vacation. After driving the scenic…read moreloop, we decided we wanted to try horseback riding the next morning. We called around, and Wild West answered the phone--they were incredibly kind and able to fit us in first thing in the morning. We had three kids, and my husband and I--four out of the five of us had never ridden horses before. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted and given a quick, easy-to-understand tutorial on safety and riding. Each of us rode our own horse and held our own reins. The staff was incredibly patient and kind with our young children. Once we set out on the trail, the views were absolutely breathtaking every single minute of the ride. I'm not sure you can get a better horseback riding experience in Monument Valley. Our guide was wonderful--so kind and happy to answer all of our questions. It was such a memorable experience for first-time riders, and I'm not sure we'll ever be able to top it.

Wild West Trailride - aka Hubert "Joe" Atene - 435-459-2626 - joeatene@yahoo.com (assisted by…read moreguides such as Larry and Elias) SUMMARY: UNFORGETTABLE HORSE RIDE - THE BEST EVER - PERFECT TRAIL AMONG THE MESAS AND BUTTES. RIDER ASSUMES ALL RISKS. We rode on the 1.5 hour (45 minutes out, and 45 minutes back) 5:00pm trail ride on Monday 10/21/2024. Our guides were Larry (lead) and Elias (trailing). Let me tell you why this ride was fantastic, and also about the little mishap that reduced it from 5 stars to just four. HINT: If they try to put you on Little Warrior, ask for another horse. PRELIMINARY: You'll need GPS coordinates to find the meeting location, which is an easy-to-miss locked gate on Hwy 163. Once let in you'll follow a guide in his truck some distance down a rough dirt road to a corral of horses and a locked wooden shed with the tackle and other gear. Need a restroom? You'll be told to "go behind the shed" and just take care of business in the open desert. WHY THIS RIDE IS GREAT: The views cannot be surpassed. WHY CAUTION IS IN ORDER: This is a business and as such its sole purpose is to make money. There is no love lost between Navajo and non-Navajo. It is solely your money that makes you "welcome". Thus, all risks are assumed by you, and you sign a waiver putting this in writing. If you have a riding helmet that fits you, bring it. There were only four helmets observed hanging on the wall of the ramshackle shed; sizes undetermined. None of the six paying riders opted for a helmet; made to initial our refusal in writing. My wife and I refused helmets so as to look better in photographs. And in what some might call irony, I was later thrown onto my head by my mount Little Warrior. Read more on that later. WHY MEH: There was very little commentary by our two guides, Larry and Elias. Perhaps this is a good thing, since nobody wants a jabber mouth cracking the quiet wilderness silence. These are Navajo, quiet and respectful people. Larry did manage to say a few very interesting things at two or three points along the ride, including identifying the buttes and mesas. He also mentioned the high number of tribes in North America, and they all have their own different language and different religion. Fascinating! He also told us how to say "Hello", "Goodbye" and "Thank you" in the Navajo language (Yá'át'ééh, Hágoónee', and Ahéhee', respectively) WHY ONLY FOUR STARS: We always have to take these online reviews with a grain of salt... does the reviewer have an axe to grind? Well, please notice that I am emphasizing the "fantastic ride" aspect, and am quick to point out that 5 out of 6 riders were not thrown to the ground onto their face. Five out of six is pretty good! Read on... LITTLE WARRIOR GOES DOWN: I've ridden horses 6 or 7 times now in my life, always on a paid tour, so I am not exactly a beginner, but simply an average horse riding tourist. Having a horse stumble a bit or take a misstep is fairly common. On this ride my wife's horse Silver stumbled, but didn't go down. However, about 4/5ths of the way back on our return trip, my horse Little Warrior suddenly stumbled with both front feet and went all the way to the ground. In less than one second I was thrust forward, landing on my face and forehead, left shoulder, and right hand. Thankfully the point of impact was dirt and not rock, so I was able to stand up after a few stunned seconds and pick up my eyeglasses. I was able to take a moment to slowly bend the left temple from their bent 45-degree angle to almost straight again. Forehead was bleeding a bit, my right hand even more, but I was able to get back up and ride back. CONCERN BY GUIDES: Larry returned to see me (I was last of the 6, just before very quiet Elias). He expressed his concern with "what happened? Did the horse stumble?" Elias, the trailing guide, did offer "did you want to get back up, or do you want to walk back". Thus ended their words of concern. SUMMARY: Book this ride! The trail around Brighams Tomb is fantastic. Just don't let them put you on Little Warrior (if he did it once he'll do it again) PS: Oh, if you were wondering about the concern expressed by business owner Hubert "Joe" Atene: if you have a good calculator, you can total up the sum of his concern as: ZERO. Joe was very responsive to both emails and text messages before we'd paid our balance via Venmo. After the ride, however, thinking he'd like to be informed of the spill, I reached out to him, but there was absolutely no response. No response to my text. No response to a followup email. That's okay; I signed the waiver, and was only providing feedback, but it's a nice reminder that as a person, you are NOT welcome on the land of the Navajo Nation. As a Venmo account holder, you are "welcome" up until the time you have paid for your tour. And hopefully you don't get hurt, as you probably won't. 5 out of 6 un-hurt ain't bad. PPS. Dogs

Marlin is the man and you should check out his slot canyon tours too. Much more personalized and…read moreprivate than the big mass tour companies doing Antelope Canyon.

It was a Very Easy ride. Freddie being an indigenous person, has interesting information…read moreBeautiful scenery

Seriously, only 3 reviews so far for one of the largest natural bridges? This place is difficult to…read moreget to. The easiest is to take a 2 hour boat tour/ride and it will take you to about a mile's hike to the bridge. Not the easiest natural bridge to get to but would be worth it when you get there. It is a sacred bridge to the Navajo Indians so you are requested not to walk under or approach the arch. Might be better to go in the evening, because sunlight does not fall on it in the morning from the viewing area and you are not heavily pressured to respect tribal custom and not walk under the bridge and take pictures from the other side. Don't even think about walking around it, since that would be walking off the trail and the fine is $25,000, if you are caught.

What: Rainbow Bridge, one of the world's largest known…read morenatural bridges More Info: - The Rainbow Bridge can be accessed by taking a boat tour from Lake Powell, Page, AZ - The boat tour is 2.5 hours one-way - Make reservations online via http://www.lakepowell.com/play/tours/boat-tours/rainbow-bridge-.aspx - Water and snacks will be provided in the boat - From the Rainbow Bridge dock, one needs to hike for a little over a mile to see the Rainbow Bridge After learning about the Rainbow Bridge, one of the world's largest known natural bridges, we took a boat tour to see the Bridge, during our weekend trip to Page, Arizona. On the day of the tour, we woke up really early, munched on some fruits and bread for breakfast and drove to the Lake Powell Marina to take the boat. We sat on the top deck for a few minutes to enjoy the views, but very soon went downstairs to sit indoors because the weather was very cold. During the two and a half hours boat journey, we kept ourselves busy by listening to the audio tour and looking at the unique and marvelous red rock formations all the way through. During the last half hour, the boat entered a narrow passage with towering rocks on all sides. A bit scary and exciting! A part of the passage was so narrow that everybody in the boat went "Ohhhhh" and "aaaaahhhh". We finally reached the dock near the Rainbow Bridge, stocked up on water and snacks and started the 1.5 mile hike to see the Rainbow Bridge. It was an easy hike and we were walking among the soaring tall rocks. We looked minuscule and more like ants to these rocks. As the trail turned, we caught a glimpse of the massive Rainbow Bridge. We walked further to see the bridge completely. A colossal structure majestically standing right in front of us! This 290 feet structure is apparently considered sacred by the American Indian tribes. For the same reason, visitors are not allowed to walk under the bridge or touch the bridge. We spent a little over half hour, taking pictures and mostly gasping at this gigantic naturally formed structure. Then walked back and boarded the boat. The return journey is never always fun, because everyone is exhausted. Just lazed back in the seat, watching the beautiful structures on the way, until the boat took us back to Lake Powell in Page.

For the $3k we paid for the 3 night stay we expected more than a slight step above camping in a…read moretent. At arrival the unit had a bad propane leak and no one answered the contact number or email for hours. There was no main propane shut off at the cabin. We located the leak as internal at the stove. We turned the gas off there and aired out the cabin until it was safe to sleep in which was a little past midnight. The kitchen door didn't latch and couldn't be locked. We also had an issue with mice in the kitchen. Forget about showering, there was absolutely no water pressure, and only one bathroom had enough pressure to flush solid waste. We ran out of toilet paper since only 1 roll was provided for 16 people. The sinks also drained the grey water right outside the wall to the dirt and not to a septic system. The building wasn't built using commonly safe building practices. One room smelled liked a hamster family had died in or under the room. The tap water was trucked in and given the whole experience we didn't dare drink the water from the tap. One person braved it and ended up with lots of tummy troubles. If you want camping, then camp. Avoid this place unless you want a real shanty barn experience.

This review is long over due, i've been busy since i've gotten back from our weekend here. My…read morefamily stay at the, Ranch Mountain Cabin. We spent 3 nights here. The area is nice and quiet. Plenty of fresh air. We also glad that we could bring our two huskies along, for an additional charge. They loved the cooler temperatures at night, in July. The cabin was good enough for 5 adults. The loft area was a lot shorter than i thought it would've been. It's about 3 ft high, so we had to crawl around up here. which was fine, the area would be great for kids. There was an AC, which seems like it needs to replaced, it just blows out warm air. But that didn't matter, because during the warm hours, we were outside in the shade. Even in July you just need to open the windows at night to cool the entire cabin down. The place was clean, but not to our standard of clean for a chain. We just clean a bit more, to our liking. The pots and pans are useable, they also need to be replaced, as well. They did have everything we needed. The hosts did have a booklet of all the house rules. As well as information on the two towns near by. This was my first "house rental" booking and the experience was great! communication with the host was clear and concise. I figured since the host lived in the area we would be checked on, we weren't. And that was great! that put me at ease. I can't wait to book this same cabin or one of the others soon.

Our group visited the upper canyon & had a great time. The Canyon was very busy with group(s) ahead…read more& behind but we managed to take some group shots in the breathtaking canyon. (Shoutout to our guide, David, & Tyler, who volunteered their photography talents!) The Canyon was shaped like an A (wider where walking; narrow above); the sandy path was very fine like a find beach. The ride to/from the check-in location was a little bumpy near the canyon but took us near the entrance (as did the walk way exit). Some man-made steps after exiting the canyon but not a difficult trek for one in sneakers. Military (incl. spouse) discount. Would recommend.

We had a great time. Our guide was awesome! Gave us great info on the area and knew all the great…read morespots for amazing pics.