Canyon de Chelly

One of the few U.S. National Monuments that have full-time residents, Canyon de Chelly is one of the longest continuously inhabited locations in North America. When I was younger, our family made annual treks via Navajo guided tours into the canyon. The four-wheel-drive trucks too almost the entire day to travel to the canyon's upper reaches, viewing ancient ruins amid the perpendicular canyon walls. The National Monument is comprised entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land that is still home to members of the Tribe. Except for one trail, down the canyon walls to the White House Ruin, all parts of the Canyon are closed to visitors unless accompanied by licensed Navajo Nation guides. Travel into the Canyon is not inexpensive, a day long tour can cost as much as $50.00 per hour or more per person.

The Canyon is a mixture of the very old and the very new. It is claimed that there are over 2700 archaeological sites withing the Canyon. The floor of the Canyon is mostly soft sand and when wet or dry requires careful driving. The entrance to the Canyon is almost in the center of the small town of Chinle. When I was young, the entrance to the Canyon was undeveloped and had beautiful sand dunes nearby. Now, there are buildings right up to almost the entrance of the Canyon. The whole area is surprisingly small. You can drive completely around the Canyon in a few hours on paved roads and never see into the Canyon.

I think it is one of the most spectacular places in the world and although the area around the Canyon has been subject to development, the Canyon itself has been beautifully preserved.