Solo Road Trip - Canyon de Chelly

Certainly a highlight of my trip so far is Canyon de Chelly, located in eastern Arizona off the beaten path but well worth a visit.  The canyon is hidden below a high flat mesa that extends for miles.  As you drive toward Chinle, you would never expect such a major canyon to appear, below you.  It's not a mountain canyon but rather a canyon dug out by nature from the mesa.

Chinle is a Navajo town of about 4,000 residents, a good place to stop for groceries, gas and a meal before heading out to the Canyon area.  There are two hotels here, I stayed at the Holiday Inn at the canyon entrance for a night before camping near the canyon for two nights.

The name chelly (or Chelley) is a Spanish borrowing of the Navajo word Tséyiʼ, which means "canyon" (literally "inside the rock" < tsé "rock" + -yiʼ"inside of, within"). I started my visit by driving along the north branch, Canyon del Muerte or canyon of death.

This was my first view of the canyon, the Navajo Fortress, which was used as a refuge throughout the Spanish and American military incursions into Navajo lands. In 1864 hundreds of Navajos hid here from Kit Carson as he attacked and burned villages on the canyon floor.

Camping and Hiking at the Canyon

As you leave Chinle, stop in at the visitor center to get oriented.  The Canyon is operated by the Navajo government as a National Monument and as a sacred place of the Navajo Nation.

Right past the visitor center is the first of two campgrounds, this one in the cottonwoods at the mouth of the canyon.  We went on the south rim drive about 10 miles to Spider Rock Campground, operated by Howard, a Navajo who grew up in the canyon.

I recommend camping to really experience the area, I stayed in a mud hut or Hogan but there are also tent and RV sites at the campground.  Be prepared, the bathrooms here are pretty basic.

After you get settled in, venture out to the Canyon Overview sites along the South Rim Drive and the North Rim Drive.  Each drive will take you 1-2 hours depending on how long you stop at the overlooks.  You cannot go into the canyon without a Navajo guide except for the White House trail that I mention below.

Here is just one of the many spectacular views you will see:

The White House Trail

Be sure to take this hike, down 600 feet into the canyon on easy switch backs.  You will get to walk across the canyon floor to the White House running and see the ancestral pueblo dwellings up close.

Jeep Tour With Navajo Guide

Another must for a visit to the canyon is a jeep tour with a Navajo guide.  We took a 5 hour tour that got us up to the Navajo Fortress in Canyon del Puerto and to Sliding House in Canyon Del Chelly.  The five hour trip with a great guide cost about $60 per person since we had three people.

Our guide Benjamin told us stories of the history of the canyon and how he grew up living in the canyon with his grandfather.  

The images of the history of the Navajo and their ancestors in this canyon was a powerful and memorable experience.  To conclude, here is the Navajo Fortress, the tower that Navajos climbed to escape the attacks of the US Army and Kit Carson in the 1860's.  Also my favorite camping pic ever, thanks to Lori Brooks.