2018 First-Class Forever Stamp,Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona and Utah

U.S. #5298k

2018 50¢ O Beautiful – Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah

Value:  50¢ 1-ounce First-Class Letter Rate (Forever)

Issue Date:  July 4, 2018

First Day City:  Colorado Springs, Colorado

Type of Stamp:  Commemorative

Printed by:  Ashton Potter

Printing Method:  Offset

Format:  Pane of 20

Self-Adhesive

Quantity Printed:  60,000,000

Between Arizona and Utah lies a plot of land known as the Navajo Nation Reservation.  Within the reservation is Monument Valley Tribal Park, the equivalent of a US National Park.  This park’s beautiful desert rock formations have become the landscape most Americans associate with the West.

Monument Valley is known for its massive red sandstone buttes, the most famous of which are “The Mittens.”  Other formations include “The Three Sisters,” “Wetherill Mesa,” “Yei Bi Chei,” and many more.  One 17-mile road winds through the park, and all other areas are inaccessible except with help from a Navajo guide.  The goal of the Navajo Nation is to allow visitors to appreciate the natural beauty of the land, but still prevent it from being disturbed.

The Navajo knew about Monument Valley for a long time, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that the rest of America was introduced.  Movie director John Ford was the most influential person to visit Monument Valley.  He used it for the backdrop of many Western films, including the famous Stagecoach starring John Wayne.  Ford developed a friendly relationship with the Navajo and introduced America to the beautiful red sandstone and sprawling desert.  It is thanks to For