Canyon de Chelly National Monument
4.8(3.0K)google
4.6(73)yelp
Archaeology
Overview
Canyon de Chelly National Monument ( də-SHAY) was established on April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service. Located in northeastern Arizona, it is within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and lies in the Four Corners region. Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, it preserves ruins of the indigenous tribes that lived in the area, from the Ancestral Puebloans to the Navajo who eliminated them.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration0.5-1 day
Best TimeThe warm summer-autumn season from May to October. It is highly recommended to drive the famous "South Rim Drive" about 1.5 hours before sunset; along the way are more than a dozen commanding clifftop overlooks, and Spider Rock glows a fiery golden-red in the head-on sunset light
Getting ThereLocated on the core east side of the small town of Chinle. Because it sits deep in the Navajo wilderness, driving is the only way to get there, accessible via US-191. The scenic loop overlooks are [completely free with no reservation required for everyone and offer free large parking]
Travel Tips
- Remotely located deep in the Navajo Native American reservation in northeastern Arizona, this is an extremely rare national monument [jointly managed by the federal government and the local indigenous tribe], protecting centuries of sacred Native American history
- The park's spiritual backbone is the towering twin monolith beast "Spider Rock," rising 244 meters (about 800 feet) straight into the sky, with cosmic-level visual impact in the crevice of the rough deep-red sandstone canyon
- Because real Navajo families still farm and live at the bottom of the canyon, to avoid disturbing the spirits [independent visitors are absolutely forbidden from freely self-driving or hiking into the canyon floor]; apart from the completely free White House Trail, descending to the floor requires hiring a licensed local Navajo guide in advance for a fee
Reviews
Positive
- An absolute ultimate spiritual utopia for road-trippers and hardcore history buffs! Standing at the cliff edge of the South Rim looking down at that huge 'Spider Rock' pillar, the lonely, vast prehistoric Southwest scenery is so stunning it gives you goosebumps all over. None of the commercial tackiness of Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon
- An extremely wild, pure experience. We hired a Navajo guide and took a jeep down to the canyon floor, seeing up close the ancient petroglyphs covered in moss beneath the cliffs and their orchards, listening to him tell ancient tribal myths—the weight of this cultural history is priceless
Heads up
- The whole monument sits deep in the Navajo reservation, with very few commercial amenities and upscale dining options nearby, and phone signal is completely lost at some clifftop overlooks. Also, the canyon floor is very strictly controlled; sneaking down alone will get you a hefty fine from the local tribal police