Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon: the park pass doesn’t work there

They sit on the classic Southwest loop, within a few hours’ drive of Grand Canyon, and they look like national parks. They are not. Both are Navajo Tribal Parks, managed by the Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation Department on Navajo land. The America the Beautiful pass, whether $80 or $250, is not accepted, and the NPS nonresident fee does not apply either.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

• Entry fee: $8 per person, per location, according to the Navajo Nation Parks fee page.
• Pass: "WE do NOT Accept the National Park Pass", in the park’s own words.
• The 17-mile loop drive is a dirt road with rough terrain and deep sand; the park recommends an SUV or a truck. Some places, such as Ear of the Wind, are reached only on a guided tour with a Navajo operator.
• Rules: no drones and no rock climbing on Navajo land.

Antelope Canyon

• Guided tour only: "Tour Guides are mandatory to all Antelope Canyon locations" (Navajo Nation Parks, tour operators).
• Entry fee: $15 per person, per location, per day. The tour itself is sold by the operators, at an additional cost.
• Book the tour first: the operator list is on the Navajo Nation Parks site.

Budgeting a Southwest loop

For two adults, add $16 for Monument Valley and $30 in Antelope Canyon entry fees on top of the national park costs from the calculator, plus the Antelope Canyon tour. None of it counts toward the pass break-even.

Fees read on September 30, 2026 on navajonationparks.org. The Monument Valley page adds "(Subject to change)"; check before you go.