Where in the west is one of the most visited national monuments in America?

When I was young, I lived in Arizona.  There is a place I heard about a lot, but I never visited there until later in life.  It’s breathtaking.  It’s a quiet, peaceful place.  It is sun, wind, and sky.  It’s on the Navajo reservation: Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

The Navajo word “tseyi’” means, “inside the rock” or in English, “Canyon.”  Today, the canyon has a more French-like spelling and pronunciation: “…de-SHAY.”

It is estimated that humans have lived in Canyon de Chelly and the surrounding area for over 4,000 years.  The first inhabitants were the Ancient Puebloans.  They built homes in the cliffs and crags of the canyons.  They farmed the land.  When the Navajo arrived, the Puebloan people were there.

The Navajo are an ancient people.  In their language, the word they use for themselves is: Dine’ or “dineh.”  It means: The People.  The Navajo have lived in ancient lands, the high plateaus of the American west, for hundreds of years.  Archeological evidence shows the Navajo first arrived in the Southwest in the early 15th Century.

The canyon itself is millions of years old. There is a lot of sandstone.  It is dry and hot a lot of the time.  There is rain and snow.  There is wind, sometimes a lot of it.  Over the centuries, the hot, cold, wind, rain, the geological shifting of the Earth have shaped the land.  It has made the canyon what it is today.  It is a carved sculpture of sandstone. Where the Grand Canyon is huge and almost unfathomable, Canyon de Chelly is on a scale that can be taken in and understood.

Some of the places in the American west are famous.  Example: the Grand Canyon.  The name itself says it all.  There is Canyonlands (National Park). Canyonlands is expansive. Canyon de Chelly is not as famous as some.  And yet it is one of the most visited national monuments in America.

Canyon de Chelly became a US National Monument in 1931.  President Herbert Hoover authorized the monument to preserve the archeological history of the area.  Unlike the Grand Canyon and other national parks, Canyon de Chelly is not federally-owned land.  The land is owned by the Navajo Tribal Trust of the Navajo Nation.  It is managed jointly between the US National Park Service and the Navajo Nation.  It is the only land in America managed this way.  

Canyon de Chelly is in northeastern Arizona.  It is not far from Monument Valley.  The Four Corners of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah are nearby.  Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado) is a few hours by car.  From Phoenix, head north to Flagstaff and then turn right at Interstate 40 and go east.  At Winslow turn left and head north across the reservation toward Ganado, Chinle, and Canyon de Chelly.  

In winter, bring a coat.  In summer, bring some sandals (or hiking boots) and plenty of water.  Always bring a camera.  Morning and evening are great times to capture some good photography.  When you’re done, stop at the historic Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado.  Have a look at the silver and turquoise jewelry handcrafted by local artists.  Enjoy the reservation and, by all means, take in the peace and quiet.