It was mostly sunny, but the ground was wet, wet enough that the woman at the kiosk by the visitors center told us that the steep dirt road to the valley was not safe for anything but four-wheel-drive vehicles. I had already seen deep new ruts in Kayenta, so I was ready to believe her. We took what pictures we could around the visitors center and left.

We visited from the East Entrance, near Tuba City on the Navajo Reservation. It’s far less crowded than the South Entrance and a lot more pleasant. There is a 25 mile road from the East Entrance to the Village. It has great view and lots of turnouts.