Monument Valley and Goosenecks State Park

Oljato-Monument Valley, Arizona and Mexican Hat, Utah

Monument Valley, Arizona: Bordering the state of Utah, this amazing natural wonder is wild - tall huge chunks of rock shooting up from the ground with nothing else in sight for miles.  You can take a stroll on the one public hike, the Wildcat Nature Walk, or you can arrange for a driving or horseback tour from the local guides at the blue booth across the parking lot from the visitor center.  You'll be allowed to see more hidden treasures by taking one of the tours and hiring a guide.  Alternatively, you can do a self-driving tour, but some parts of the dirt road will require a vehicle that sits higher off the ground.  Exploring off of the dirt road is prohibited unless you hire a guide to go with you.  I would recommend taking a few photos from the lookout points around the visitor center and doing the self-driving tour.

Goosenecks State Park, Utah: Located only one hour away from Monument Valley, Goosenecks State Park is yet another geological gem.  The San Juan River has slowly carved out what is known as an entrenched meander, and this park is one of the best examples of one in the world.  Just a short walk to the edge from the parking lot and you can capture the views below.  To go a bit further down, look for the crack in the rock just to the right of the hiking register and don't slip!