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Window Rock | Canyon de Chelly | Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
Land has always been central to the history of the Navajo people: it’s embedded in their very name. The Tewa were the first to call them “Navahu,” which means “large area of cultivated land,” but according to the Navajo creation myth, they were given the name ni’hookaa diyan diné (“holy earth people”) by their creators. Today tribal members call themselves the Diné (pronounced din- eh), “the people.” The eastern portion of the Arizona Navajo Nation (in Navajo, diné bikéyah) is a dry but often surprisingly green land, especially in the vicinity of the aptly named Beautiful Valley, south of Canyon de Chelly along U.S. 191. A landscape of rolling hills, wide arroyos, and small canyons, the area is dotted with traditional Navajo hogans, sheepfolds, cattle tanks, and wood racks. The region’s easternmost portion is marked by tall mountains and towering sandstone cliffs cut by primitive roads that are generally accessible only on horseback or with four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Essentials
Visitor Information
Navajo Nation Tourism Office. | 928/810–8501 | www.discovernavajo.com.
Window Rock
192 miles from Flagstaff, 26 miles from Gallup, New Mexico.
Named for the immense arch-shape “window” in a massive sandstone ridge above the city, Window Rock is the capital of the Navajo Nation and the center of its tribal government. With a population of around 2,710, this community serves as the business and social center for Navajo families throughout the reservation. Window Rock is a good place to stop for food, supplies, and gas.
Getting Here and Around
From Flagstaff follow Interstate 40 east for 160 miles, then Highway 12 north. From Gallup, New Mexico, follow U.S. 491 north and then NM 264 west (which becomes AZ 264). Window Rock lies on the border between the two states, with most businesses on the Arizona side.
Exploring
Navajo Nation Council Chambers.
The murals on the walls of this handsome structure, built to resemble a large ceremonial hogan, depict scenes from the history of the tribe, and the bell beside the entrance was a gift to the tribe by the Santa Fe Railroad to commemorate the thousands of Navajos who built the railroad. Visitors can observe sessions of the council, where 88 delegates representing 110 reservation chapters meet on the third Monday of January, April, July, and October. Be aware that when the council is not in session, the building is locked, but the exterior still makes for a nice stop. Turn east off Indian Highway 12, about ½ mile north of AZ 264, to reach the Council Chambers. Nearby Window Rock Navajo Tribal Park & Veteran’s Memorial is a memorial park honoring Navajo veterans, including the famous World War II code talkers. | AZ 264 | 928/871–7160 | www.navajonationcouncil.org.
Navajo Nation Fair.
Many all-Indian rodeos are held near the center of downtown at the fairgrounds. The community hosts the annual multiday Fourth of July celebration with a major rodeo, ceremonial dances, and a parade. The Navajo Nation Tribal Fair, much like a traditional state fair, is held in early September. It offers standard county-fair rides, midway booths, contests, powwow competitions, and an all-Indian rodeo. | AZ 264 | 928/871–6478 | www.navajonationfair.com | $5.
Navajo Nation Museum.
Located on the grounds of the former Tse Bonito Park off AZ 264, this museum is devoted to the art, culture, and history of the Navajo people and has an excellent library on the Navajo Nation. Each season brings new exhibitions by native artists; call for a list of current shows. There are also permanent exhibits on the Long Walk, during which the Navajo were tragically and temporarily relocated to Fort Sumner, New Mexico; and on culture and philosophies of the Navajo people. In the same building is the Navajo Nation Visitor Center, a great resource for all sorts of information on reservation activities. | AZ 264 and Loop Rd., next to Quality Inn Navajo Nation Capital | 928/871–7941 | www.navajonationmuseum.org | Free | Mon. 8–5, Tues.–Fri. 8–6, Sat. 9–5.
The Navajo Nation Zoological & Botanical Park.
Amid the sandstone monoliths on the border between Arizona and New Mexico, the Navajo Nation Zoological & Botanical Park displays about 50 species of domestic and wild animals, birds, and amphibians that figure in Navajo legends, as well as examples of plants used by traditional people. Most of the animals here were brought in as orphans or after sustaining injuries—they include black bears, mountain lions, Mexican gray wolves, bobcats, cougars, golden eagles, Gila monsters, and prairie rattlesnakes. It’s the nation’s only Native American–owned zoo. | AZ 264, just east of Quality Inn; shares parking lot with Navajo Nation Museum | 928/871–6574 | www.navajozoo.org | Free | Mon.–Sat. 10–4:30.
Where to Eat and Stay
Blake’s Lotaburger.
$ | AMERICAN | The westernmost branch of the beloved New Mexico chain of old-school burger joints is technically in the Land of Enchantment (i.e. New Mexico) but just a few hundred feet over the Arizona state line, and within walking distance of the Quality Inn and Window Rock museums. Blake’s began in 1952 in Albuquerque and enjoys a cult following for its Angus-beef green-chile cheeseburgers, seasoned fries, breakfast burritos, and cherry milk shakes. | Average main: $5 | NM 264, at Alma Dr. | Gallup | 505/371–5400 | www.lotaburger.com.
Quality Inn Navajo Nation Capital.
$ | HOTEL | Rooms in this two-story beam-and-stucco hotel near the Navajo Museum are decorated with an earthy Navajo-inspired palette that complements the dark wood furnishings. The decor, bedding, and amenities exceed typical Quality Inn standards and are nicer than you might guess given the hotel’s drab exterior. The Diné Restaurant serves tasty Navajo and Southwestern fare (roasted corn chowder, Indian tacos, veggie burritos) plus a handful of American standards, and the gift shop sells authentic Navajo jewelry. Pros: within walking distance of Navajo Museum; decent on-site restaurant; rooms are bright and attractively furnished. Cons: on busy road; dull setting. | Rooms from: $89 | 48 W. AZ 264, at Hwy. 12 | 928/871–4108 | www.qualityinnwindowrock.com | 56 rooms | Breakfast.
Shopping
Fodor’s Choice | Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprises.
This outlet of the Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprises stocks tribal art purchased from craftspeople across Navajo Nation, including stunning silverwork and traditional Navajo dolls, pottery, and rugs. Local artisans are occasionally at work here. There are six other outlets: four are in northeastern Arizona (Cameron, Chinle, Kayenta, Navajo National Monument), and one is in northwestern New Mexico (Shiprock). Major credit cards are accepted. | AZ 264 at Hwy. 12, next to Quality Inn Navajo Nation Capital | 928/871–4090, 888/831–7384 | www.gonavajo.com.
Canyon de Chelly
30 miles west of Window Rock on AZ 264, then 25 miles north on U.S. 191.
Comprising two long canyons, each one more than 1,000 feet deep, Canyon de Chelly is one of the major sites in the Four Corners region. It’s somewhat overshadowed by the Grand Canyon and some of southern Utah’s national parks, and you can only venture into the canyons with an authorized guide, but visitors with just a little time can experience Canyon de Chelly’s dramatic viewing areas along two park roads (there’s no admission fee) that snake along the canyon rims.
Getting Here and Around
U.S. 191 runs north–south through Chinle, the closest town to the Canyon de Chelly entrance.
Guided tours allow visits directly into the canyons, not just the park drives high above them; jeep tours even have the option of camping overnight. Each kind of tour has its pros and cons: you’ll cover the most ground in a jeep; horseback trips get you close to one of the park’s most notable geological formations, Spider Rock; and guided walks provide the most leisurely pace and an excellent opportunity to interact with your guide and ask questions. You can also plan custom treks lasting several days.
Planning Your Time
To get even a basic sense of the park’s scope and history, spend at least a full day here. If time is short, the best strategy is to visit the visitor center, where you can watch an informative 23-minute video about the canyons, and then drive the most magnificent of the two park roads, South Rim Drive. You could, if you’re ambitious, drive both park roads in one day, but it’s better to set aside a second day for North Rim Drive, or take the North Rim Drive as an alternative route to Kayenta, by way of Tsaile. From the different overlooks along the park roads you’ll be treated to amazing photo ops of the valley floors below, and you can also access certain dwellings. For a more in-depth experience, book one of the guided hiking, jeep, or horseback tours into the canyon.
Both Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto have a paved rim drive with turnoffs and parking areas. Each drive takes a minimum of two hours—allow more if you plan to hike to White House Ruin, picnic, or spend time photographing the sites. Overlooks along the rim drives provide incredible views of the canyon; be sure to stay on trails and away from the canyon edge, and to control children and pets at all times.
The visitor center has exhibits on the history of the cliff dwellers and provides information on scheduled hikes, tours, and National Park Service programs offered throughout the summer months.
Essentials
Visitor Information
Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center. | Indian Hwy. 7, 3 miles east of U.S. 191, | Chinle | 928/674–5500 | www.nps.gov/cach.
Who Were the Cliff Dwellers?
The first inhabitants of the canyons arrived more than 2,000 years ago—anthropologists call them the basket makers, because baskets were the predominant artifacts they left behind. By AD 750, however, the basket makers had disappeared—their reason for leaving the region is unknown, but some speculate they were forced to leave because of encroaching cultures or climatic changes—and they were replaced by Pueblo tribes who constructed stone cliff dwellings. The departure of the Pueblo people around AD 1300 is widely believed to have resulted from changing climatic conditions, soil erosion, dwindling local resources, disease, and internal conflict. Present-day Hopi see these people as their ancestors. Beginning around AD 780, Hopi farmers settled here, followed by the Navajo around 1300. Evidence indicates that the Navajo migrated from far northern Canada, although the timing of their initial voyage south isn’t clear. Despite evidence to the contrary, most Navajos hold that their people have always lived here and that the Diné passed through three previous underworlds before emerging into this, the fourth or “Glittering World.”
Exploring
Fodor’s Choice | Canyon de Chelly.
Home to Ancestral Puebloans from AD 350 to 1300, the nearly 84,000-acre Canyon de Chelly (pronounced d’shay) is one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the Southwest. On a smaller scale, it rivals the Grand Canyon for beauty. Its main gorges—the 26-mile-long Canyon de Chelly (“canyon in the rock”) and the adjoining 35-mile-long Canyon del Muerto (“canyon of the dead”)—comprise sheer, heavily eroded sandstone walls that rise to 1,100 feet over dramatic valleys. Ancient pictographs and petroglyphs decorate some of the cliffs, and within the canyon complex there are more than 7,000 archaeological sites. Stone walls rise hundreds of feet above streams, hogans, tilled fields, and sheep-grazing lands.
You can view prehistoric sites near the base of cliffs and perched on high, sheltering ledges, some of which you can access from the park’s two main drives along the canyon rims. The dwellings and cultivated fields of the present-day Navajo lie in the flatlands between the cliffs, and those who inhabit the canyon today farm much the way their ancestors did. Most residents leave the canyon in winter but return in early spring to farm.
Canyon de Chelly’s South Rim Drive (36 miles round-trip with seven overlooks) starts at the visitor center and ends at Spider Rock Overlook, where cliffs plunge nearly 1,000 feet to the canyon floor. The view here is of two pinnacles, Speaking Rock and Spider Rock. Other highlights on the South Rim Drive are Junction Overlook, where Canyon del Muerto joins Canyon de Chelly; White House Overlook, from which a 2½-mile round-trip trail leads to the White House Ruin, with remains of nearly 60 rooms and several kivas; and Sliding House Overlook, where you can see dwellings on a narrow, sloped ledge across the canyon. The carved and sometimes narrow trail down the canyon side to White House Ruin is the only access into Canyon de Chelly without a guide—if you have a fear of heights, this may not be the hike for you.
The only slightly less breathtaking North Rim Drive (34 miles round-trip with four overlooks) of Canyon del Muerto also begins at the visitor center and continues northeast on Indian Highway 64 toward the town of Tsaile. Major stops include Antelope House Overlook, a large site named for the animals painted on an adjacent cliff; Mummy Cave Overlook, where two mummies were found inside a remarkably unspoiled pueblo dwelling; and Massacre Case Overlook, which marks the spot where an estimated 115 Navajo were killed by the Spanish in 1805. (The rock walls of the cave are still pockmarked by the Spaniards’ ricocheting bullets.) | Indian Hwy. 7, 3 miles east of U.S. 191 | Chinle | 928/674–5500 for visitor center | www.nps.gov/cach | Free | Daily 8–5.
Chuska Mountains.
To the north of Tsaile are the impressive Chuska Mountains, covered with sprawling stands of ponderosa pine. There are no established hiking trails in the mountains, but up-to-date hiking information and backcountry-use permits (rarely granted if a Navajo guide does not accompany) can be obtained through the Navajo Nation. | Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department, Bldg. 36A, E. AZ 264 | Window Rock | 928/871–6647 | www.navajonationparks.org.
Where to Eat
Chinle is the closest town to Canyon de Chelly. There are lodgings with basic restaurants, as well as a supermarket and a campground. Be aware that you may be approached by panhandlers in the grocery store parking lot.
Garcia’s Restaurant.
$$ | AMERICAN | The lobby restaurant at Chinle’s Holiday Inn is low-key, a bit lacking in natural light, and rather ordinary, but people come here because it is one of the area’s only non–fast food dining options. It’s a reliable—if unspectacular—choice for dinner. You can count on well-prepared Navajo and American fare, such as mutton stew with fry bread and honey, but be prepared for slow service and no alcohol. It also sells a box lunch. | Average main: $13 | Indian Hwy. 7 | Chinle | 928/674–5000 | www.holidayinn.com | No lunch Nov.–Mar.
The Junction.
$ | AMERICAN | Across the parking lot from the Best Western Canyon de Chelly Inn, this sun-filled, airy dining room with cream-color walls, large windows, a long granite counter, and a mix of attractive booths and tables has a cheerier feel than any other restaurant in town. The kitchen turns out pretty tasty American, Southwestern, and Chinese food, too. Specialties include posole stew (a Mexican dish made with pork), chicken-fried steak, and sheepherder’s sandwiches (consisting of a tortilla or fry bread stuffed with steak, Swiss cheese, grilled onions, chiles, and tomatoes). A small kiosk by the front door sells gifts and jewelry. | Average main: $10 | 100 Main St. | Chinle | 928/674–8443 | www.bestwestern.com.
Where to Stay
Best Western Canyon de Chelly Inn.
$ | HOTEL | This two-story motel about 3 miles from Canyon de Chelly but close to the junction with U.S. 191 has cheerful rooms with modern, no-frills oak furnishings. All rooms have coffeemakers. The on-site Junction restaurant is one of the few spots in town to serve three meals a day, year-round. There’s also a very good gift shop off the lobby. Pros: affordable; fun retro-motel exterior; indoor pool with hot tub and sauna is open until 9 pm. Cons: not within walking distance of the park; ordinary rooms. | Rooms from: $99 | 100 Main St. | Chinle | 928/674–5874, 800/327–0354 | www.bestwestern.com | 104 rooms | No meals.
Holiday Inn Canyon de Chelly.
$ | HOTEL | Once called Garcia’s Trading Post, this well-kept hotel near Canyon de Chelly is less generic than you might expect: the exterior is “territorial fort” in style, although the rooms are predictably pastel and contemporary. Off the lobby there’s a gift shop stocked with local Native American arts and crafts, plus a decent restaurant. Pros: attractive adobe-style building; nice pool and gym; a short drive from park entrance. Cons: room decor not especially memorable; dull roadside setting; slightly pricier than other options in town. | Rooms from: $110 | Indian Hwy. 7 | Chinle | 928/674–5000, 888/465–4329 | www.holidayinn.com | 108 rooms | No meals.
Sacred Canyon Lodge.
$ | HOTEL | Purchased in 2013 by the team behind the View Hotel in Monument Valley, this pleasant, if basic, establishment has an ideal location within the national monument’s borders—the stone-and-adobe units that match the site’s original 1896 trading post. Rooms have colorful Navajo blankets, and bathrooms are functional but spotless. The cafeteria-style restaurant is in the original trading post and serves reasonably priced soups, salads, sandwiches, and entrées, including charbroiled steaks. The lodge can also help to arrange jeep tours of Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto. Pros: only hotel inside the actual park borders; atmospheric architecture and decor are steeped in history; tours offered right from hotel. Cons: rustic decor not for everyone; area cell phone service is spotty. | Rooms from: $99 | Indian Hwy. 7 | Chinle | 928/674–5841, 800/679–2473 | www.sacredcanyonlodge.com | 70 rooms | No meals.
Best Northeast Arizona Campgrounds
Cottonwood Campground. This sometimes cramped and noisy campground has RV and tent sites right in Canyon de Chelly. | Indian Hwy. 7 near Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center, Chinle | 928/674–2106 | www.nps.gov/cach.
Goulding’s Good Sam Campground. Views of Monument Valley are the draw at this clean, modern campground. | Monument Valley Rd., off U.S. 163 just north of UT/AZ border, 24 miles north of Kayenta, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park | 435/727–3231 | www.gouldings.com.
Mitten View Campground. Sites are crowded together, but most offer spectacular views of Monument Valley. | Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, near visitor center, Monument Valley Rd., off U.S. 163 just north of UT/AZ border, 24 miles north of Kayenta | 435/727–5870 | www.navajonationparks.org.
Navajo National Monument Campground. Beautiful and serene with no fee, this campground has no hookups, and open fires aren’t allowed (you must use camp stoves). | AZ 564, Shonto | 928/672–2700 | www.nps.gov/nava.
Spider Rock Campground. Cordial Navajo owner Howard Smith makes everyone feel comfortable at this informal campground nestled in low piñons within a few hundred yards of the canyon. | Indian Hwy. 7, 10 miles east of Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center | 928/781–2016 | www.spiderrockcampground.com.
Wahweap/Lake Powell RV & Campground. This campground in the Wahweap Marina complex, which is run by the National Park Service concessionaire, has views of the lake and serves both RVers and tent campers. | U.S. 89, 5 miles north of Page near shore of Lake Powell, Wahweap | 888/896–3829 | www.lakepowell.com.
Shopping
Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprises.
This branch of the respected Navajo gallery carries an excellent selection of locally made crafts and works of art. | AZ 64 at U.S. 191 | Chinle | 928/328–8116 | www.gonavajo.com.
Sports and the Outdoors
Hiking
From about late May through early September, free three-hour ranger hikes depart most weekend mornings from the Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center—call ahead for times and to reserve a spot. Year-round, you can book a Navajo-led day hike or overnight camping trip through Ancient Canyon Tours. Some trails are strenuous and steep; others are easy or moderate. Those with health concerns or a fear of heights should proceed with caution.
Only one hike within Canyon de Chelly National Monument—the White House Ruin Trail on the South Rim Drive—can be undertaken without an authorized guide. The trail starts near White House Overlook and runs along sheer walls that drop about 550 feet. If you have concerns about heights, be aware that the path gets narrow and requires careful footing. The hike is 2½ miles round-trip, and hikers should carry their own drinking water.
Ancient Canyon Tours.
This Navajo-owned tour company offers both day-hiking and overnight-camping excursions into the park’s two canyons, de Chelly and del Muerto. The moderately difficult day hikes venture into some of the park’s most spectacular backcountry and can last from three to four hours, if covering the lower parts of the canyons, and as long as nine hours for excursions into the higher terrain. The cost is $40 per hour (three-hour minimum) for up to 15 hikers; there are additional $30 per-guide and $50 per-night land-use fees for overnight trips. | Chinle | 928/380–1563 | www.ancientcanyontours.com | From $40/hr.
Jeep Tours
Canyon de Chelly Tours.
Book a private jeep tour into Canyon de Chelly or choose from group tours, overnight camping in the canyon, late-afternoon and evening tours, and bus tours along South Rim Drive. Entertainment such as storytellers, music, and Navajo legends can be arranged with an advance reservation. Rates begin at $82 per person for three-hour tours, or $55 per hour per vehicle if you use your own SUV. (There’s roughly a 10% discount if you pay in cash.) | Sacred Canyon Lodge Trading Post parking lot | Chinle | 928/349–1600 | www.canyondechellytours.com | From $82 per person.
Walking Tours
Footpath Journeys.
Hoof it into Canyon de Chelly on a scheduled or custom four- to seven-day trek. | Chinle | 928/724–3366 | www.footpathjourneys.com | From $800 per person, not including food.
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
40 miles south of Canyon de Chelly, off AZ 264, 30 miles west of Window Rock.
Administered by the national park service, this well-preserved Navajo trading post provides a glimpse into the region’s legacy as a trading hub of fine weavings. High-quality, handmade rugs are still sold in the park store.
Getting Here And Around
The site is just off AZ 264, well marked from the road, and easily explored on foot once you arrive. The National Park Service Visitor Center exhibits illustrate the post’s history, and you can take a self-guided tour of the grounds and Hubbell home, and visit the Hubbell Trading Post, which contains a fine display of Native American artistry. The visitor center has a fairly comprehensive bookstore specializing in Navajo history, art, and culture; local weavers often demonstrate their craft on-site.
Exploring
Fodor’s Choice | Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site.
John Lorenzo Hubbell, a merchant and friend of the Navajo, established this trading post in 1876. Hubbell taught, translated letters, settled family quarrels, and explained government policy to the Navajo, and during an 1886 smallpox epidemic he turned his home into a hospital and ministered to the sick and dying. He died in 1930 and is buried near the trading post. Visitors today can tour the historic home and explore the grounds and outbuildings.
The Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is famous for “Ganado red” Navajo rugs, which are sold at the store here. Rugs can cost anywhere from $100 to more than $30,000, but considering the quality and time that goes into weaving each one, the prices are quite reasonable. It’s hard to resist the beautiful designs and colors, and it’s a pleasure just to browse around this rustic spot, where Navajo artists frequently show their work. Documents of authenticity are provided for all works. Note: when photographing weavers, ask permission first. They expect a few dollars in return. | AZ 264, 1 mile west of U.S. 191 | Ganado | 928/755–3475 | www.nps.gov/hutr | Free, $2 to tour Hubbell home | Daily 8–5.
En Route: Steamboat Rock.
This immense, jutting peninsula of stone resembles an early steamboat, complete with a geologically formed waterline. At Steamboat Rock you are only 5 miles from the eastern boundary of the Hopi Reservation. | About 20 miles west of Hubbell Trading Post, AZ 264 | Steamboat.