Canyon de Chelly National Monument
This vertical rock wall canyon is bested only by the Grand Canyon in inspiring awe in those who gaze upon its wonder. Shear rock walls, hundreds of feet high loom over the valley below. Views are so vast, it’s difficult to get a sense of scale of objects on the canyon floor. Chelly is pronounced “Shay”
The canyon seems to appear out of nowhere. On the outskirts of the Navajo town of Chinle, the canyon subtly recedes into the earth. The most rewarding sights are found along the south rim of the canyon (keep right immediately after the visitors center). The first real viewpoint, Tsegi Overlook, is surprisingly vast and each successive vista gets better and better. At every point the canyon floor falls further and further from the rim. Signs warn of sheer 400ft, then 500ft, then 600ft cliffs, eventually leading to the grand finale overlooking Spider Rock, an 800ft tall rock spire looming over the canyon floor. There are a number of ancestral cliff dwellings and ruins scattered along the canyon floor. Many are pointed to by viewing pipes (literally just a pipe to look through, no magnification) attached to the canyon handrails and trying to find them is like a game of I Spy. The canyon is jagged and meandering and each viewpoint offers you a completely different view. I imagined before my visit that you could see down the canyon to Spider Rock and it would just keep getting bigger until the final lookout, but you can’t. Each viewpoint is like an entirely new canyon. If you’re interested in native ruins and have some time to kill, check out the north rim drive that takes you up the northern arm of the Y shaped canyon. Antelope House and Mummy Cave overlooks offer great views of larger sets of ruins.
TIPS
Bring binoculars. There are significant ruins at each viewpoint and then some lesser ruins you can spot through binoculars. They are typically very similar in color to the surroundings so they aren’t always easy to spot with the naked eye. Take binoculars and comb the walls of the canyons for these spectacular and befuddling cliff dwellings.
If you have the time, book a tour into the canyon. You aren’t allowed down into the canyon unless you’re on a tour or with a Navajo guide (the one exception being the White House trail) If you don’t have the time it is more than sufficient to take in the sights from the viewpoints along the south rim of the Canyon.
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