"Sacred Navajo Area " a Canyon de Chelly National Monument Travel Page by Basaic

Sometime around 350 AD the Pueblo or Anasazi People entered the area now known as Canyon De Chelly. The Anasazi lived at the base of these sheer cliffs and in dwellings built into the canyon walls until around 1300 AD. These canyons are now the home of members of the Navajo Nation, who are connected to this landscape of great historical and spiritual significance. This area is one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America.

Today, the Canyon De Chelly houses distinctive architecture, artifacts, and rock imagery, and is unique because it is comprised entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land. The National Park Service in partnership with the Navajo Nation to manage park resources and sustain the living Navajo community. The National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1970. The Visitor Center is open daily all year from 8 AM to 5 PM, except for Christmas Day. The North and South Rim Drives and the White House Trail remain open all year, although accessibility is limited in the winter. Access to the north and south rim drives is free. You cannot drive into the canyon without a permit and a Navajo Guide. You also cannot hike into the canyon without a permit and a Navajo Guide except for the Whitehouse Ruins Trail.

NOTE: From March through November, the Navajo Nation observes Mountain Daylight Savings Time. The rest of Arizona observes Mountain Standard Time all year.

The Ganado Mission and the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site (see my Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site Page) are just south of the Camyon De Chelly.