Monument Valley Advice / Suggestions

I have the opportunity to go through Monument Valley on my way up to Moab this coming September. I am looking for suggestions on where to stop for both sunrise silhouettes of the West Mitten, East Mitten, and Merrick buttes, as well as late afternoon light on those same buttes. If I time my trip right, I can catch late afternoon light on the way up, and early morning light on the way back down from Moab.

Thanks, in advance. (I did do a search on the forum --- enjoyed the butte collapse hoax pics).

- Sam

I think the very best place is anywhere on top of the mesa before you take the dive down to begin the driving tour, from the primitive camping area north to the hotel south.

Just off the parking lot of the hotel was a perfect setup for sunrise.

Consider a tour with Tom Phillips. He'll take you places you can't go on your own & his rates are quite reasonable. Hunts Mesa can be quite amazing. Also check the Ephemeris for the dates of the shadow alignment of the Mittens (I usually think of it as around the weekend after Labor Day). I was a day late in March as I was coming back from Iceland, but being just a few degrees off is still a nice image. This was taken from the Wildcat Trail, under Joe's tree.

Monika, I'm sorry to say, Tom Phillips passed away suddenly in May.
I don't know if his tour company has continued operation.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1114209

Hate to hear about Tom...did his Hunt's Mesa trip with his nephew and son...met him briefly...ran a good operation.
Joe Rogers

Note that the Sam mentioned doing a fairly quick setup enroute to other places.
And I'm real sorry to hear about Tom's passing.

So sorry to hear about Tom's passing. His nephew Ray does a good job with the tours. And the Wildcat trail is very short -- about a mile to Joe's tree from the campground.

Thanks for the suggestions. If Tom were still around I would have definitely wanted to have him as a guide.