Weekend Trip: Canyon de Chelly
Wow. That is probably the best way to describe this last weekend. What an incredible adventure. After making the 6.5 hour drive up to Chinle we were met by a small Navajo Reservation town that seemed really down on it’s luck. A town in the middle of nowhere, littered with poorly kept public housing, abandoned dogs, and trash everywhere. This was definitely not the best first impression when arriving at a National Monument. As we entered Canyon De Chelly’s property the visuals of the town seemed to follow us in. Again, not very promising so far, but then there was the Canyon.
It slowly creeps up on you, starting with a glimpse of the 30 foot tall canyon walls at it’s entrance, gradually getting taller as you drive along the rim . Mind you one cannot enter the canyon without a NPS approved Navajo guide, so your trip is driving along the north or south edge of the canyon. Several overlooks dot the rims. We choose the South Rim for a few particular stops we had wanted to make. The first of which was the White House Ruins overlook. Looking down 1000 feet into the Canyon you see a small clay-brick community built into the cliff side at the base. But who could stand for such a remote view?
Tags: adventure, arizona, camping, canyon de chelly, horseback, photos, totsonii ranch, tour, travel, weekend