Canyon de Chelly

While we travel from one location to another, if there is a National Monument or National Park near by, we will try and visit.  One of our 'bucket list' goals is to see how many of these beautiful areas we can explore.

The return trip this spring to the Pacific Northwest, we routed ourselves through the NE corner of Arizona see Canyon de Chelly (pronounced Canyon de Shay), just out side to Chinle Arizona on Navajo land.  This National Park is maintained by the US Park Service, but owned and overseen by the Navajo tribe.  There is only one camping area, Cottonwood Campground.  Nice and clean, but no hookups...dry camping only and minimal spots for large RV's.  There is a lodge next to the campground along with a cafe and gift store.

Petroglyphs

Jeep ride through river in canyon

It had been suggested by friends to take a jeep tour while here, to get a close up perspective of the cliff dwellings, the petroglyphs and history.

We booked a tour with Beauty Way Tours and our guide T.J. gave us an unprecedented explanation of the history of the area, the cliff dwellings, and a personal view into what it was like to grow up there.

His grandparents had homesteaded in the canyon and since the Navajo people have a very strong family bond,  he spent a lot of time with his grandparents playing in the cliffs. His grandparents only spoke their native language, farmed their land at the far end of one of the Canyons, raised their children and helped raise their grandchildren until they died at the ages of 89 and 92.

Cliff Dwellings

Cliff Dwellings

The two days we were here, we spent one down in the canyon with T.J., driving into the two canyons, Canyon de Chelly and Canyon Del Muerto and the second day, driving the south rim to see all from above.

Cliff Dwelling

The Anasazi, Navajo and Hopi Indians have lived in these canyons for thousands of years and built dwellings in the cliffs of the canyons.  There are remnants of their living spaces, worship, hospitals and food storage areas.  T.J. gave us good explanations of the petroglyphs left by both the Navajo and the Hopi tribes that lived in the canyons.

We learned the word Anasazi, means Old or Ancient ones to the Navajo.  They would be the tribes that came into the canyons around 700a.d. and started building the dwellings in the cliffs.  All tribes seemed to have left the area around 1400 and never returned.


The second day we drove the South Rim of the Canyon de Chelly.  What a different perspective when you are  1000 feet above the canyon floor.  The view from above allows you to see so much more at once and get a perspective of how big the canyon is.

view from south rim

Spider Rock, from South Rim

It was a short trip, next stop St. George, Utah and fix one of the two issues we are having.