The town of Chinle on the eastern fringes of the Painted Desert provides the gateway to the stunning and historic Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The National Monument spans an area of 131 square miles and incorporates the three main canyons, these canyons are de Chelly, del Muerto and Monument. The canyons were carved out by streams of water coming from the Chuska Mountains just to the east. The Rio de Chelly starts near the Chuska Mountains near the Arizona-New Mexico border and snakes west before flowing into the Chinle wash, at times the water flow is dwarfed by 1000 feet high vertical sandstone canyon walls which are about 200 million years old.
Canyon de Chelly is one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes in North America, the earliest known inhabitants were prehistoric indians who lived in circular shaped pit houses which had the dwelling floor dug into the ground, these indians were known for their basketmaking skills and are often referred to as the Basketmakers. Slowly new ideas were introduced and the Basketmakers developed pottery making skills as well as use of the bow and arrow, the style of their homes also changed significantly from pithouses to rectangular stone buildings built above the ground. After 700AD the canyon dwellers are known as Pueblos, this is the spanish word meaning village and refers to the kind of village life that these indians adopted. You will find hundreds of ruins of these villages scattered through out the canyon floors. The unique cliff houses that can be seen at Canyon de Chelly were built between 1100 and 1300AD during the time of the Pueblo dwellers who are also known as the Anasazi.
For many years between 1200 and 1300AD the four corners region of the United States was hit by a long period of drought, this area is called four corners because the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona all sit aside one another, this drought is thought to have been the reason why the Anasazi upped and finally deserted Canyon de Chelly, there is evidence that the canyons were occupied by the Hopi Indians for a time until around 1700 when the Navajo moved into the canyons from what is now northern New Mexico. The Navajo raided Pueblo villages and Spanish settlements for many years always returning to Canyon de Chelly which they had turned into their very own stronghold, until in 1805 a Spanish expedition fought a day long battle with a band of Navajo Indians holed up in a fortified rock shelter in Canyon del Muerto, official reports of the time claimed 115 Navajos were killed and to this day the rock shelter is known as Massacre Cave.
Today Canyon de Chelly consists entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land and is within the borders of the Navajo Nation, it is also unique as a National Parks Service unit because the Navajo work together with the NPS to sustain the community of working Navajo Indians who farm the land and live on the canyon floors. Most of the visitors that the canyon gets all year round arrive by car, and if you too arrive by car then you can view the sights of Canyon de Chelly by way of two scenic drives, the North and South rim drives are free of charge for you to undertake at your own leisure. The South rim drive is a 36 mile long round trip with 5 overlooks, while the North rim drive is a 32 mile round trip with 3 overlooks.
Only one trail is free of charge to do but it is well worth the effort to participate in, this is the trail down to the White House Ruin, without a doubt the best of the Anasazi cliff dwellings which gets its name from a long wall covered in white plaster in the upper ruin, the trail is a two and a half mile round trip which you do not need a guide for, but you must stay on the path at all times. The other must see viewpoint is near the end of the South rim drive, here you will find Spider Rock, an 800 foot high sandstone spire shooting up from the canyon floor at the Canyon de Chelly-Monument Canyon junction, the Navajo believe a spider woman lives at the top and protects the bones of her victims.
As it is forbidden to gain access to the canyon floor on your own, if you would like a tour down to the canyon floor, then visit Thunderbird Lodge right by the Monument HQ, here you will be able to take a full tour with a Navajo guide in special vehicles able to cope with canyon terrain or if you own a 4×4 take your own vehicle, you will just need a guide to go with you. Whatever your decision I can guarantee you will have an excellent opportunity to see the Navajo up close, even get the chance to enter a hogan and witness a famous Navajo Rug being made if you are willing to tip the owner, but worth the price of the tour alone is the stunning views you will see of the sheer, red sandstone canyon walls that change colour depending on the time of day.
Nigel Makin is the founder of http://www.Painted-Desert-Jewels.com a website dedicated to promote awareness of Arizona’s beautiful Painted Desert.
