Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona, near Chinle on the Navajo Nation, protects over 2,500 archaeological sites and a living community simultaneously — Navajo families still farm, graze sheep, and maintain homes on the canyon floor, making it one of the few National Monuments where indigenous land use is actively ongoing. The canyon complex includes three main canyons — Canyon de Chelly, Canyon del Muerto, and Monument Canyon — carved up to 1,000 feet deep into red de Chelly sandstone by Chinle Wash. Over the millennia, the canyon's sheltered walls and reliable water supply supported continuous human occupation from Archaic peoples, through the Basketmakers and Pueblo periods, into the Navajo era. The most celebrated site is White House Ruins — an Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling built around 1060 AD in a sweeping alcove partway up the 600-foot canyon wall. The White House Ruin Trail, a 2.5-mile round trip, is the only trail visitors may walk independently without a Navajo guide; it descends steeply from the South Rim to the canyon floor for an up-close view. Spider Rock, a spectacular sandstone spire rising 800 feet from the canyon floor, is visible from a South Rim overlook 9 miles east of the visitor center — one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the American Southwest. A licensed Navajo guide is required for all other canyon floor access, including Antelope House Ruin and Mummy Cave, and for driving on the canyon floor. Tours can be arranged through operators based in Chinle. The North Rim Drive passes Antelope House Overlook and Mummy Cave Overlook, both offering stunning aerial perspectives.