The site was originally marked in 1912, soon after government surveyors determined the exact borders of the four states. It was only in 1992 that the bronze disc encased in granite that we see today was placed at the site. Activities at and around the site include sightseeing and hiking. As the monument is situated on Native American land, visiting it will also give you the opportunity to learn more about ancient and present-day indigenous cultures.
Monument Valley is an ancient repository of many natural stone wonders. Famous land formations such as the Three Sisters, The Mittens and the Totem Pole were carved out of the sandstone by wind erosion. Canyons and dizzying cliffs were formed by geologic uplift. These natural forces continue to shape the land into the present day.
Although it is a fact that famous cowboys such as Butch Cassidy and Billy the Kid rode through Utah on their travels, the history of the state is not all gunslingers and tumbleweeds. The American West Heritage Center is a nonprofit organization that works to preserve the area's heritage. The headquarters in Cache Valley, Utah, consists of historic recreations of a working farm, mountain man campsite, a Shoshone encampment and a pioneer settlement.
Five Native American tribes currently live in the state of Utah. They are the Ute, Paiute, Shoshone, Goshute and Dine' (Navajo). The ancient, elaborate cliff dwellings that the ancestors of the native people left behind are visited and studied by tourists, anthropologists and archaeologists alike. Literally every corner of Utah has rock art that dates back thousands of years, and most of these are found in remote areas untouched by civilization.
