Monument Valley, home to some of the most recognizable icons of America's Southwest desert, covers an area of 40 by 50 miles. This famous valley in Navajo Country, was introduced to Americans as a backdrop for many of Hollywood's western movies and countless television commercials.
   The Mittens, as well as other valley buttes and mesas, rise up hundreds of feet from the valley floor near border of Utah and Arizona. Sometimes these red rock features are referred to as timeless and enduring. A recorded geological event at the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park reminds us that these monuments are finite and cannot escape the forces of gravity and erosion. On May 18, 2006 a huge slab on the East Mitten butte came loose and made a thunderous roar as it tumbled down the talus slope. A dust cloud welled up and enveloped the magnificent butte, shocking those visitors who looked on. Known to the Navajo as The Big Hands, this pair of buttes are one of the most popular sights on the 17 mile self guided tour route.

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