A unique natural treasure, Canyon de Chelly is an incredible landscape dotted with historic Navajo sites set amidst red sandstone cliffs and verdant forests.

In the heart of Navajo tribal lands, the majestic Canyon de Chelly National Monument takes up over 80,000 acres of northwest Arizona. To get there, follow South Rim Drive, a scenic road that hugs a 15-mile stretch of the southern section of the national park: the seven viewpoints along the way promise jaw-dropping panoramic views. At some, the canyon floor lies almost a thousand feet below you!

Make a stop at Spider Rock Overlook, which grants views of Spider Rock, its 750-foot-tall spires steeped in Native American folklore: according to local legend, it's the home of the Spider Woman who taught the Navajo how to weave and has been keeping eternal watch over this sacred land, inhabited by the Navajo, for over 300 years. To enter the canyon and tread the trails bordered by red sandstone cliffs, shaped and eroded by running streams for over 50 million years, visitors are required to hire the services of a local Native American guide. From Face Rock Overlook, another spectacular viewpoint, get out of your vehicle to take in the rugged rock formations and graceful curves of the canyon, at the bottom of which other hikers look like ants. Orientation tables serve as nifty guides for identifying sites nestled within the cliffs, while in the distance lies Black Rock, the centre of a long-extinct volcano eroded by time and now blanketed in greenery.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument Indian Route 7

Chinle, AZ 86503

+1 928 674 5500

https://www.nps.gov/index.htm