Las Vegas to Monument Valley Road Trip

Route map

Start / endStopsOvernight

Las Vegas to Monument Valley: the drive

The drive from Las Vegas to Monument Valley covers 398 miles (640 km) and takes about 6 hr 45 min without stops, mostly on I-15, US-89 and AZ-98.

That's a lot of time behind the wheel for one day, so we suggest splitting it into 2 days with an overnight in Kanab, UT. That keeps each day to about 3 hr 30 min of driving.

We found 14 worthwhile stops within about 25 miles of the route, including Seven Magic Mountains, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire State Park and Snow Canyon State Park.

Best time to go: March to May and September to November; sunrise and sunset are the money shots.

Suggested 2-day itinerary

1. Day 1: Las Vegas → Kanab, UT (199 mi). Stops: Seven Magic Mountains, Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire State Park.
2. Day 2: Kanab, UT → Monument Valley (199 mi). Stops: Kodachrome Basin State Park, Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell and Navajo Bridge, Marble Canyon.

Best stops between Las Vegas and Monument Valley

Before you leave Las Vegas

1. 2

   Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

   1–3 hrs~60 min detour

   A 13-mile one-way scenic loop 25 minutes from the Strip. A timed-entry reservation has been required for most of the year.

   

1. 1

   Seven Magic Mountains

   Mile 020–30 min~90 min round-trip detour

   Seven towers of neon-painted boulders in the desert just off I-15 south of Las Vegas. Free, quick and very photogenic.

   

2. 3

   Hoover Dam

   Mile 161–2 hrs~88 min round-trip detour

   Walk across the 726-foot Art Deco dam, or take the power plant tour. The Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman bridge walkway gives the best view.

   

3. 4

   Valley of Fire State Park

   Mile 402–3 hrs~49 min round-trip detour

   Nevada's oldest state park: fiery red Aztec sandstone, petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock and the short Fire Wave hike. Too hot for hiking at midday in summer.

   

4. 5

   Snow Canyon State Park

   Mile 1201–2 hrs~29 min round-trip detour

   Red and white Navajo sandstone, lava tubes and petrified dunes just outside St. George. A mini-Zion without the crowds.

   

5. 6

   Kolob Canyons (Zion)

   Mile 1381 hr~70 min round-trip detour

   Zion's quiet northwest corner, with a 5-mile scenic drive right off I-15 at exit 40 and no shuttle needed.

6. 7

   Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

   Mile 1981–2 hrs~42 min round-trip detour

   Shifting pink sand dunes between Zion and Kanab, where you can rent sandboards.

   

7. 8

   Kanab

   Mile 1981+ hrsOn the route

   'Little Hollywood': a central base between Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon North Rim and Page, and the permit office for The Wave.

   

8. ☾

   Overnight in Kanab, UT

   End of day 1: about 3 hr 30 min and 199 miles from Las Vegas.

   See hotels in Kanab →
9. 9

   Kodachrome Basin State Park

   Mile 2321–2 hrs~81 min round-trip detour

   Tall sandstone chimneys named by National Geographic after the color film, 20 minutes from Bryce.

   

10. 10

    Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell

    Mile 2691 hrOn the route

    The Carl Hayden Visitor Center overlooks the dam and the start of Lake Powell's 1,900 miles of shoreline.

    

11. 11

    Navajo Bridge, Marble Canyon

    Mile 26930 min~42 min round-trip detour

    Walk the historic 1929 bridge 470 feet above the Colorado River and look for California condors roosting underneath.

12. 12

    Horseshoe Bend

    Mile 2731 hr~13 min round-trip detour

    The famous 1,000-foot overlook of a Colorado River meander, reached by an easy 1.5-mile round-trip walk. Paid parking.

    

13. 13

    Antelope Canyon

    Mile 2791.5–2 hrs~7 min round-trip detour

    Sculpted slot canyons on Navajo land, visited only with a licensed tour. Upper is for light beams, Lower for ladders and curves.

    

Near Monument Valley

1. 14

   Goosenecks State Park

   30 min16 mi from the route

   The San Juan River carves tight entrenched meanders 1,000 feet below a simple overlook near Mexican Hat.

   

Where to stay overnight on the way

Hotels and rentals around Kanab, UT, the natural end of day one:

Map not loading? See places to stay near Kanab →

Where to stay in Kayenta

The sandstone buttes of every Western movie, run by the Navajo Nation, with a 17-mile dirt loop drive. Kayenta is the closest town with lodging. Rooms near national parks sell out in peak season, so book early.

Map not loading? See places to stay near Kayenta →

Renting a car for this trip

Most travelers fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and pick up a car there. Booking a round trip from the same airport is usually much cheaper than a one-way rental. A mid-size car is fine for all paved roads on this route. You only need an SUV for the optional dirt-road detours.

Trip cost calculator

Estimate gas or charging, hotels and car rental for a round trip from Las Vegas to Monument Valley:

Las Vegas to Monument Valley road trip FAQ

Route calculated from OpenStreetMap data and checked 2026-11-09. Drive times assume normal traffic and no stops.