17 MILE DRIVE STOPS FULL
17 MILE DRIVE STOPS PLUS

There is a small admission fee of $10.50 per vehicle. The 17-mile drive highlights 17 points of interest that I’ll dive more into in the section. This is the philosophy the resort keeps in mind, featuring the most striking stops along the drive.

It is a place to take your time and enjoy the magnificent views and the natural state of the forest.” The Basics: What to Knowįounder of Pebble Beach Resorts, Samuel Morse once said “The forest is not a place to drive through in a hurry. All of these points have a parking area and numerous also have picnic benches and seating areas. There is abundant wildlife along the drive and you may see anything from a deer or a stork, to harbor seals, sea otters, and owls.Īlong the 17-mile drive, there are 17 points of interest to stop by and check out.

This beautiful 17-mile drive is filled with dramatic coastal cliffs, mystical forests, iconic white beaches, and beautiful golf courses. On the coast of Monterey Bay is home to Pebble Beach and the well-known 17-mile drive. A permanent Navajo jewelry store is located nearby, and visitors can recreate the iconic image of a lone rider on a horse standing at the edge of the viewpoint for just $2 per person - paid to the owner of one of the horses stationed here most of the day just for this purpose.One of the most scenic drives in the world lives just beyond the backyard of the Bay Area. Along with Artist's Point (viewpoint number 9), this is the best overlook in the park and has a suitably large parking area to accommodate the many tour buses that stop here.

17 MILE DRIVE STOPS PLUS

The main summits in view are Sentinel Mesa, West Mitten Butte, Big Indian, Merrick Butte and the Castle Rock-Stagecoach group, plus Three Sisters/Mitchell Mesa to the west and Elephant Mesa to the east. Opening hours are 6 am - 8 pm (May - Sep) or 8 am - 5 pm (Oct - Apr).įilm director John Ford used Monument Valley as a location for many Westerns between 1939 (Stagecoach) and 1960, and one site that featured often is now known as John Ford's Point - a promontory at the edge of a plateau overlooking a large area of uneven, undulating desert land around the first few miles of the Valley Drive, with several isolated peaks beyond. The road can become very busy during summer days, with queues at the major overlooks early morning is the preferred time to visit as the light is better for photography and there are far fewer people than later in the day. 15 mph is the nominal speed limit, and some places are too rocky and bumpy to go any faster, though other sections are quite smooth (with a surface of hard pressed sand), and up to 40 mph is possible.

17 MILE DRIVE STOPS FULL

The drive is 17 miles long of which 13 miles is a one-way loop, and typical times for the full trip are 2 to 4 hours. Heavy rain may temporarily make the road impassable for all but 4WD vehicles, however. Although the surface is unpaved, only large RVs and unusually low clearance cars should not make the journey. Various services are available including horse rental, a basic tour of the valley, and longer, more expensive tours that visit places not reachable on the Valley Drive, but still the majority of visitors travel along the road in their own vehicles. The paved road to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park crosses the Utah-Arizona stateline, passes the entrance booth and reaches the visitor center complex, which includes a gift shop, cafe and the new View Hotel, a timber building looking out over the first few miles of the park scenic road (the Valley Drive) as it heads towards a group of red cliffs in the distance.

17 mile drive stops