Take a drive through one of the most iconic desert landscapes in the American Southwest as we journey 23 miles north along U.S. Route 163 from Kayenta, Arizona to the Utah state line. This unforgettable stretch of highway cuts through the heart of Navajo Nation land, tracing a path among red sandstone mesas, sculpted buttes, and timeless horizons—an open-road experience that feels more like a cinematic masterpiece than an ordinary drive.
We begin in Kayenta, a modest but vital crossroads community deep in the Arizona desert. Located at the intersection of US-160 and US-163, Kayenta is one of the main gateways to Monument Valley and home to a large portion of the Navajo population. As we turn north onto US-163, the town quickly gives way to open space, and the terrain begins to transform. Towering bluffs and weathered rock formations gradually rise around us, and the road itself winds with gentle curves through the high desert. The further we get from town, the more the scenery takes center stage, with vast red plateaus stretching out toward the sky. You can feel the weight of history here—ancient geology shaped by wind, water, and time, and ancestral lands still deeply tied to the Diné people.
Continuing north, the highway begins to straighten, offering those iconic postcard views that have graced countless Western films and car commercials. The distant silhouettes of Merrick Butte and the Mittens—some of the most photographed rock formations in the world—begin to appear on the horizon. We’re now entering the Monument Valley region, a place of deep cultural and spiritual importance to the Navajo, and a symbol of the American West. Though this route doesn’t enter the tribal park directly, it skirts close enough that the scenery is just as staggering. As we approach Oljato-Monument Valley, a small, dispersed community within the Navajo Nation, the highway crests and dips in a rhythmic cadence that feels purpose-built to showcase the grandeur ahead. The dramatic approach to the Utah state line is framed by the kind of stark, red-hued vistas that seem to defy belief.
We end our journey at the Arizona–Utah border, where the highway continues into the equally photogenic expanse of southern Utah. Ahead lies the world-famous Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, but even this brief stretch of US-163 captures the full majesty of the Colorado Plateau’s high desert. It’s a route that’s more than just scenic—it’s sacred, cinematic, and deeply rooted in the landscape and people that define this region.
🎵 Additional Music:
Go Not Gently by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
🗺️ Route Map
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