It is a living breathing time capsule that is brought to life by the people who still live within its towering rock walls. Adam pointed out the drawings of Spanish conquistadors on the canyon wall at another site. Please check your time. Most tour companies offer 4x4 tours, guided hikes, and overnight camping. What's the legend behind Spider Rock. The sites were also chosen to protect from rain, wind and snow, and to take advantage of sun in the winter and shade in the summer. Seven miles from the Welcome Center is the turnoff to the. They were force-marched in groups of 200 through snow and freezing temperatures to the Bosque Redondo Reservation at Fort Sumner in New Mexico, more than 300 miles away, in what Navajos call The Long Walk. Experience Canyon de Chelly's breathtaking wonders - soaring sandstone walls, natural wildlife and beauty, precious orchards of fruit and cornfields. Your email address will not be published. The South Rim drive is a 36 mile round trip, from the Welcome Center to the Spider Rock Overlook and back again, making multiple stops in between. Tsegi (Say-ih) is the Navajo word for this canyon they call the spiritual and cultural center of their people. Basic three hour tour includes Antelope House Ruin in Canyon Del Muerto and the White House Ruin in Canyon de Chelly. Contents What is the Best Way to Visit Canyon De Chelly? Two roads, Indian Route 7, and Indian Route 64 diverge at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Route 64 follows the North Rim, and provides access to three more overlooks, with excellent views into the branch known as Canyon del Muerto. The Kokopelli figure is the rain dancer. This was how some of the numerous petroglyphs were described by Navajo guide and storyteller Adam Teller of the Coyote Clan. In January 1805, the Spanish soldiers came into the canyon in response to Navajo raids. It means the people. Our first stop, very near the mouth of the canyon was a prehistoric bulletin board she called Newspaper Rock. If a tour of Canyon de Chelly is something you really want to do, you should plan as far ahead as possible; particularly if youre traveling in the peak summer season, when demand is highest. Four trips that will help you take in the stunning beauty of this ancient site. We were in Canyon del Muerto (Canyon of Death). A short distance from Newspaper Rock, just a few steps away along the base of the cliff, we came to another set of petroglyphs featuring riders on horseback. Permits issued by Navajo Park Recreation Department, must be signed by group leader and guide. The Cave itself is 70 below the top of the cliff. Choose from a self-guided hike that takes you . Canyon de Chelly National Monument is a place for the whole world to enjoy and admire, just like all of our national parks and monuments, but at Canyon de Chelly there is an essential difference: The series that follows is a detailed account of my own experience in this remarkable place. The stories and legends of the caves, ruins, mesas and pinnacles make Canyon de Chelly more than just a scenic place. These were most certainly Navajo, and likely date back to the 1800s. Read our. Daniel began giving tours when he was 15, and has been doing it for more than 28 years, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. You can also hire a Navajo guide at the visitor center to take you into the canyon on a 4x4, horseback, or hiking tour. Each new culture that occupied this site built atop the remains of their predecessors, so as researchers dug into the stratified foundations, they found the pit houses of the Basket Makers at the bottom, and layers of increasingly sophisticated cultural remains, from the Ancestral Pueblo to the Pueblo people, the Hopi, and the Navajo, each of these groups contributing to the timeline of an area that is exceptionally rich in history. Available for both RF and RM licensing. I was at Tsegi Overlook taking in one of the classic views of Canyon de Chelly. <>. From c. 750 to 1300, the Anasazi, or ancient ones, started building multi-storied villages with rectangular stone houses up in the cliffs. Massacre Cave is named for a battle that occurred in 1805 between the Navajo people and Spanish soldiers. We pride ourselves in providing you with memories . One pictograph shows two men on horseback running down a deer. There is only one trail in Canyon de Chelly National Monument that you can hike without a guide, the White House Trail. The sun was climbing into a clear blue sky as we four wheeled our way into Canyon de Chelly. Managed by Navajo Parks and Recreation Department. The drawings are charcoal, except for the shields, which were painted with pigment made from the bee weed plant. Soaring View of Antelope House Ruins2018 Jim Chamberlain. 6 Ledge Ruin. The basic Jeep tours, which are the most popular, range from three to six hours in length, and cover most of the highlights. The Pueblo people hunted and farmed in the canyon more than 1,000 years ago, and some Navajo, who settled the canyon in the 1700s, still reside here today. The cave was occupied until about 1300 when Puebloan life in Canyon de Chelly abruptly ended. Many of the rock art panels in these canyons are in danger of irreversible deterioration from exposure to the elements. Other useful information includes. The canyon is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, and is a popular destination for hikers and campers. We left from the town of Chinle, which is a mispronunciation of a Navajo word that means where the water comes out, the mouth of the canyon. Even a quick three-hour tour will take you past Kokopelli Cave and First Ruin and get you into parts of Canyon del Muerto. We stop at the White House, the good one Daniel says, which was built and lived in from 1060 A.D. to 1275 A.D. They began the long walk home on June 18, 1868. You see a lot of people drawn, and theres a bird there. This time, we took the right hand fork, and we hadnt gone far when we ran into our first big challenge of the day: a steep downslope that crossed a wash, with deep mud at the bottom of the hill. You can view Ancestral Puebloan pit houses dating back nearly 5,000 years, cliff dwellings built into the canyon walls, and Hogans lived in by Navajo today for free from overlooks on the rim. The cave is the site of a rock shelter where in 1805 a group of Navajo had fortified themselves in a battle against a Spanish military expedition led by Lt. Antonio Narbona. With a stay at Holiday Inn Canyon De Chelly, an IHG Hotel in Chinle, you'll be in a national park, just a 4-minute walk from Canyon De Chelly National Monument and 14 minutes by foot from Hatathali Museum. Daniel said they also used pine pitch. For me, it was a 131-square-mile playground, Daniel said. The hogan, much newer than the other structures, was built using sandstone bricks recycled from the surrounding ruins. All guides are authorized by the Navajo Nation Park Recreation Department. The diversity of rock art and petroglyphs in this monument are some of the best in the southwest. Interpreting a Rock Ledge of Petroglyphs 2018 Jim Chamberlain. Peer into the canyon from one of two scenic rim drives, each involving a 64-kilometer round trip from the visitor center and punctuated with panoramic overlooks. 3 Hour Tour (most popular) This tour will take you into Canyon de Chelly, where the first stop is Kokopelli Cave. Phone: 928-674-2106. Come check out our giant selection of T-Shirts, Mugs, Tote Bags, Stickers and More. The ruin is clearly visible from above at the Junction Overlook on the South Rim Drive; it looks a bit different when viewed from below Canyon de Chelly: Part 3: Canyon del Muerto. The haunting notes of a flute player nearby made the experience of visiting these ruins more spiritual that just viewing the canyon from the viewpoints. You may see Navajo sheepherders tending to their flocks in the flow of the southwestern sun. The first is located near the visitor center and managed by Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation while the other is privately operated by a Navajo guide on his property near the Spider Rock Overlook. 5 Ceremonial Cave. I recommend Adam Teller at Antelope House Tours at www.canyondechelly.net/. This is an interactive Table of Contents. Canyon de Chelly Ruins located in Canyon de Chelly National Monument: Awatovi: Navajo County: Ruins Bailey Ruin: Pinedale, Arizona: Ruins of a multistoried pueblo of 200-250 rooms, AD 1275-1325 (late Pueblo III Era and/or early Pueblo IV Era). Perhaps the most picturesque of the Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings were the ones located in the Canyon de Chelly near the Arizona border of the Four Corners. Dont see exactly what you were looking for? At Antelope House, bounding antelopes grace the walls, painted by Navajo artist Dibe Yazhi, or Little Lamb, in the 1830s. Jim loves to travel with his wife, and his camera accompanies them on their adventures to Europe, Alaska, Arizona, Canada, and in their home state of Washington. _____ The sprawling Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona is full of the ruins and rock art of the ancient Ancestral Puebloans. We felt quite privileged to be there with someone who was so directly connected to all of it. The Grand Canyon has been carved, over millions of years, as the Colorado River cuts through the Colorado Plateau. He is a kind of Kokopelli whose flute playing underscores the magic of the moment. Canyon de Chelly has been consistently inhabited for the past 5,000 years, which is longer than any other location in the Colorado Plateau. Look up there see those white banded streaks on top? Today the spot is known as Massacre Cave. They, and those who came after, decorated the cliff walls with paintings and petroglyphs. Just around the bend the canyon opened up into an area wider than any other wed seen, and right in the middle was a monolithic block of sandstone known as Dog Rock. Mummy Cave Overlook, and the Massacre Cave Overlook. This allowed the buckskin to taken without any holes and cured for a ceremony. He tells how the Anasazi came here and began growing the three sisters, corn, squash and beans. by Richard Quinn | Oct 8, 2021 | Arizona and New Mexico, Travel, Tribal Lands | 0 comments. It is the only National Monument that still allow Native American to live and have property within its boundaries. It is 12 miles to the Mummy Cave Overlook Road . Marker is located within Canyon de Chelly National Monument, at Massacre Cave Overlook. Navajo Nation Park and Recreation Department: Charges a $8 fee, per person, and per day. White House Ruins and many other ruins are along the way in the lower canyon. I wanted to get a more in-depth appreciation of the history, culture, and beauty of this unique place so I joined an Arizona Highways PhotoScape tour that hired Navajo Photographer Leroy DeJolie and Adams family to drive us about the canyon and teach about its meaning to his Adams family and the Din, as the Navajo call themselves. Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, it preserves ruins of the indigenous tribes that lived in . . Four years later, the Navajo signed a treaty and were allowed to return to Canyon de Chelly. There are two campgrounds in the area. Box 2999 Chinle, Arizona 86503 (928) 349-6185 [emailprotected], Navajo Owned and Operated4x4 Jeep ToursHiking ToursCamping Tours. Both roads are paved and are open year-round. Canyon de Chelly, a National Beauty steals the definition of beauty with its layers of history enveloped . The park is located in Chinle, Arizona, and is entirely on Navajo tribal lands with families living in the canyon. We will then continue on to: Petroglyph Rock First Ruins Junction Ruins From there we will go to the South Canyon and visit White House Ruins (Restrooms available and vendors are selling jewelry, arts and crafts) Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. The only trail open to the public is White House Trail. Cottonwood Campground. Maybe tomorrow Ill take the day off to try.. Deeper in the canyon, we reach Fortress Rock, which holds great significance for the Navajo people, Daniel explained. Blossoms by the Billions: Photographing the Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C. Photographing the Sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial, Canadian Road Trips: Jasper and the Icefields Parkway, Washington D.C., By the Dawns Early Light, An Overabundance of Bowlers: A Brief History of the Headgear on the High Plateau, Tairona Gold: The Curse of the Coiled Serpent. Effective in January of 2014, the use of your personal four-wheel drive vehicle is no longer allowed! Without this permit you cannot enter the Canyon. Required fields are marked *. Ceremonial Cave Ruins, Running Antelope House Ruins, and White House Ruins on a halfday tour (3 hours or so) You also get professional and expert rock art intrepetation at Kokopelli's Cave, Petroglyphs Rock, and Ute Raid Panels The third stop is Mummy Cave Overlook, named for two mummies found in burial urns below the ruins. Of all the ruins and other archaeological sites in Canyon de Chelly, Antelope House is the most thoroughly investigated. Betatakin: Ancestral Pueblo Kayenta: Navajo Reservation: Grand house Ruins located at the Navajo . The rest of us can go in, but only to certain areas, and only if were accompanied by an authorized guide. Included in its 131 square miles are three spectacular canyonsCanyon de Chelly, Canyon del Muerto, and Monument Canyonand many ruins of long-deserted villages. The Yucca Cave Ruins were visible from the Massacre Cave Overlook, which was the first stop we would visit in the Monument. If you follow it headed east, it will take you directly to the Visitor Center for the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. There is Kokopelli, the priest or god of fertility, lying on his back, playing his flute. guide for details on how to visit the park. . Those jumbled layers were then channeled and carved by swift running streams, over the course of many hundreds of thousands of years. From the visitor center, Canyon de Chelly runs slightly southeast while Canyon del Muerto runs northeast, forming a V.. Top ways to experience Canyon de Chelly National Monument and nearby attractions 3-hour Private Tour 91 Recommended Half-day Tours from $242.00 per group (up to 3) Monument Valley Tour 617 Recommended Adventure Tours from $95.00 per adult 3.0 Hours of Monument Valley's Sunrise or Sunset Jeep Tour 238 Recommended Half-day Tours from $85.00 per adult Photographers should contact Arizona Highways PhotosScapes. This hotel is 4.6 mi (7.5 km) from Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility and 6.1 mi (9.9 km) from White House Overlook and Trail. There is more useful information to help plan your visit, including basic information, directions, and operating hours for the park. Track Order. When Col. 7 Antelope House Ruin in Canyon Del Muerto. The soldiers came through the canyon, destroying dwellings, burning crops, chopping down thousands of fruit trees and killing livestock. Now, I tell my kids to go do it, and they say, Youre crazy. You know, reverse psychology.. Closest to the visitor center, it is the only one in the park accessible without a guide. RM 2J56B8J - The Fremont Culture petroglyphs of the Kokopelli Panel in Seven Mile Canyon near Moab, Utah, carved on sandstone cliff walls, are more than 800 years RM DH62RN - A Giant Saguaro cactus shaped like a Kokopelli along Bajada Loop Drive at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, USA What to See in Canyon de Chelly. Who was the boyhood home of Canyon de Chelly? The park is located in Chinle, Arizona, and is entirely on Navajo tribal lands with families living in the canyon. This wall is covered in lines of black, red, white, and grey created by the summer rains spilling down the wall to create this patina called canyon varnish. 1982-06-09 Canyon de Chelly AZ0024-ps.jpg 810 1,215; 915 KB 3. Unlike . Navajos gather pinon nuts, and use the wood for cooking and making cradleboards. You can capture great photographs at the sweeping Antelope House Overlook. Canyon de Chelly: Part 1: The Rim Drives Most of Canyon de Chelly can only be seen by visitors who are accompanied by an authorized guide, but the Rim Drives are free of charge, no reservation required. Standing Cow ruins is a place where an old stone cabin sits beneath a white cow and several Kokopelli drawings. His mother has two, 5-acre fields and about four acres of orchards. Daniel took 10 of us on an open-air, six-wheel-drive vehicle that would splash, grind and slide its way through the flowing water, mud and quicksand of the canyon floor. There are hand prints, positive, where a hand is dipped in paint and pressed onto the rock, and negative, where the hand is placed on the rock, and the paint blown around it. 4 People $220Kokopelli Cave, Petroglyph Rock, First Ruin, Junction Ruin, White HouseRuinExtra Hours $75 per hour **Ceremonial Cave, Ledge Ruin, Antelope House Ruin. Last Light at Spider Rock 2018 Jim Chamberlain, A twin pinnacle of Navajo sandstone soars 800 feet in solitude at the eastern end of Canyon de Chelly. Kit Carson was sent by the U.S. Army to round up Navajos in January of 1864, thousands of them retreated to the top of this rock, which is 800 feet high and 1,000 feet wide. The park is working on getting translations of the brochure in other languages. The park is working on getting translations of the brochure in other languages. Canyon de Chelly. Since most of the park is inaccessible without a tour guide, this is a perfect way for the public to enjoy the splendorous views. She boils and eats bad little kids. He still has that camera. The pictographs are white, yellow and red. Some of the dwellings are three stories high, and all were built with rocks hauled from the canyon floor in baskets carried on their backs. A pair of binoculars would come in handy to truly appreciate the ruins from this distance. 'Our way of life is unacceptable to the Hopis,' they said. Admission to Canyon de Chelly National Monument is free, although you will need a guide to explore inside the canyons. High above I could see a huge rock mesa. Archaeological evidence indicates that this giant amphitheater consisting of two caves was occupied for 1,000 years, from A.D. 300 to 1300. . The White House Overlook has always been one of the most popular. It is one of two main Canyons and several smaller box canyons that make up the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The Navajo Fortress is where 300 Navajos hid from Kit Carsons soldiers in 1864 and avoided the infamous Long Walk where 4000 Navajos were moved to New Mexico. There's even a calendar of free Ranger led programs. A horse also provides the perfect vantage for taking in the towering rock walls and ancient ruins. <>, A Timeless Journey into the Heart of the Navajo Nation. These canyons were cut by streams with headwaters in the Chuska Mountains just to the east of the monument. Check it out! About 200 Navajos died of starvation and exposure along the way. Looking for the ideal Arizona Canyon De Chelly Charms Gifts? Watch a video of this adventure horseback riding with the Navajo. Route 7 follows the South Rim of the multi-pronged formation, providing access to seven overlooks, all with killer views into Canyon de Chelly. Minerals from cascading water create patina on the canyon walls. Canyon de Chelly National Monument (/ d e / d-SHAY) was established on April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service.Located in northeastern Arizona, it is within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and lies in the Four Corners region. Ansel Adams made these ruins famous with his photographs and I tried to emulate him with my own interpretation. . The one in yellow is the shaman. By far the most famous feature of the Colorado Plateau is the Grand Canyon, which lies 200 miles to the west of Canyon de Chelly. The following ruins may be viewed on the tour: Kokopelli Cave; Petroglyph Rock; First Ruin; Junction Ruin; Ceremonial Cave; Ledge Ruin; Antelope House Ruin; White House Ruin; This is only a partial listing of archeological sites . That's why Cottonwood Campground is the perfect place to set up basecamp to explore this epic region of eastern Arizona. Both sides of Daniels family have lived in the canyon for three generations, growing corn and tending orchards of apple, peach, pear and plum. Either way, you should consider making the Southwestern U.S. the scene of your own next adventure. For more ITKT travel stories about North America, Your email address will not be published. Nearby Chinle has several chain hotels with restaurants serving Navajo dishes like fry bread. The whole complex, including the main building and the structures in the two flanking alcoves had as many as 70 rooms, including living quarters, ceremonial spaces, and storage. There is NO entrance fee. While visiting the Navajo Nation, please remember we observe Daylight Savings Time from March to November. Cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan People (formerly called the Anasazi) date back even further. Teresa Bitler moved to Phoenix before her first birthday and has written about the city's attractions, restaurants, and resorts for the last 15 years. And he sings, his voice drifting up through the sun-speckled canyon. The left hand fork is the spectacular work of nature known as Canyon del Muerto. They collected rain water from depressions in the rock or by dropping a gourd on a long rope into the stream below. Kokopelli Cave is a beautiful canyon located in the heart of the American Southwest. The vantage point offers a fabulous panorama of the Canyon, along with an unobstructed view of the White House, one of the best preserved ruins in the National Monument. In this pictographic sequence, the Utes are on the left, mounted on horseback, with shields and lances, while the Navajos are on the right, on foot, and clearly outnumbered. The town of Chinle is 2 miles from the park and offers a grocery store, post office, hardware store, bank, laundromats, gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food places. The longer tours cover the highlights of both of the primary gorges, Canyon De Chelly, and Canyon del Muerto. $4.99. He said people often come to the canyon to meditate. The Anasazi inhabited the area some thousands of years ago. My cousins bringing his tractor in today. Arizona has always been popular for incredible hikes as well as charming small towns. Some went back to New Mexico, some to De Chelly, some joined the Apache or Navajo, some stayed. Zig zags, which means water, or echoes in the canyon, short or long. Kokopelli Cave Horseback riders at Petroglyph Rock High Panel at Petroglyph Rock After checking out the petroglyphs at Petroglyph Rock our guide gave us a little demonstration on throwing an atlatl. A four-wheel drive vehicle is necessary. Required fields are marked *. Find Canyon De Chelly stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Named for well-preserved burials found within the ruin, Mummy Cave, with 70 to 80 rooms, lies on a ledge 300 feet above the canyon floor, nestled in immense twin . From below, from the floor of the canyon looking up at it, you can see just how BIG the danged thing is. Otherwise, take Highway 264 west to Burnside, where you can pick up US 191 again heading north. . The reddish orange Navajo sandstone walls soar 800 feet above the sandy canyon floor. It is to them, I guess, like Ground Zero or Pearl Harbor. Collections; Project #ShowUs; Creative Insights; EDITORIAL; VIDEO. The land, about an hour-and-a-quarter drive into the canyon, has passed from Daniels great-grandmother, to his grandmother, to his mother, always to the oldest female in the family. Jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Navajo Nation, Canyon de Chelly National Monument sits on approximately 84,000 acres of tribal land in northeast Arizona and actually consists of two canyons: Canyon de Chelly (pronounced shay) and Canyon del Muerto. Canyon de Chelly also has a history, a fascinating history that actually comes alive when you view it up close. 300 feet above the canyon floor, there are two deep alcoves filled with ruins, and on a wide ledge between them, a large, multi-story . Tours begin when the permit is signed and ends when group is out of Canyon de Chelly. Spider Rock guards a confluence of canyons with a small stream flowing past its foundation. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Two campgrounds in the park require a fee. 2 Petroglyph Rock. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Adam told the story of how medicine men would throw corn pollen into the face of the deer. The shadow of a raven flying near the canyon wall. The South Rim drive is a 36 mile round trip, from the Welcome Center to the Spider Rock Overlook and back again, making multiple stops in between. Those totals are a small fraction of that larger number, meaning the vast majority of the people who travel all that distance to see Canyon de Chelly skip the guided tour. To continue reading the post, click the button below: A Guide to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Ancient Canyon Tours is a Navajo owned Business. More drawings presented themselves at Scorpion rock where horse riders are depicted chasing a deer. At this junction, Canyon de Chelly becomes the south fork. Its entrance is located in the cliff face and is reached by walking 3 People $195 Private companies offer canyon tours. The canyon itself, including all hiking trails and Jeep tracks, all the ruins and the rock art, in essence, anything below the canyon rim, all of that is private property, off limits to everyone save the handful of Navajo families who own the land on the canyon floor. The ruins left by the Anazazi were built high off the ground, often a 60-to-70-foot climb, higher now because the canyon bottom is much lower. At the beginning of our trip, we asked Sylvia to show us her favorite petroglyphs, along with the usual ruins and rock formations, and she did not disappoint. Ancient Canyon Tours is a Navajo owned Business. The White House site has ruins both on the canyon floor and 100 feet above on a shelf in the massive canyon wall. Women and children hid in a cave, high up the canyon wall, but the Spanish discovered them. Native families have lived between the colorful walls of the canyon for 5,000 years, tending corn and peach orchards and leaving behind pictographs, pit houses, and ancient cliff dwellings. Visit Destination Website. Two roads, Indian Route 7, and Indian Route 64 diverge at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Double-check times to make sure you dont miss your tour. There are great views both up and down the canyon from this overlook. Unknown Lightning Cave Junction Ruins One Room in the Canyon Ute Raid Panel Red Blood Cave Ledge Circles The canyon holds mountain lion, black bear, mule deer and elk. Its fifteen times the size and far more spectacular, not to mention being far more accessible. Blue Bull and Mummy Cave. The sandstone overhang provides some protection, but after 150 years or more, the panel is weathering, starting to fade and flake away. The French Translation of the park brochure is also available. Times change. And these are drawings of, like, clan systems. Canyon de Chelly National Monument was established in 1931 and is one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes in North America. The Kokopelli Cave itself is a large, open cavern that is perfect for exploring. Canyon de Chelly Tours is an 100% Din-owned business. Click the pictures to open the pages. 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High above I could see a huge rock mesa make up the Canyon in response to Navajo raids a! | Oct 8, 2021 | Arizona and New Mexico, Travel, tribal lands with families living the. That actually comes alive when you view it up close evidence indicates that this giant amphitheater of! And making cradleboards that make up the Canyon art of the ancient Ancestral Puebloans visible the... Or a Navajo guide the sprawling Navajo Nation thing is is home to a wide of. Consider making the southwestern U.S. the scene of your own next adventure those layers! Years ago you dont miss your tour several chain hotels with restaurants serving Navajo dishes like bread. A small stream flowing past its foundation Antelope House tours at www.canyondechelly.net/ down. I was at tsegi Overlook taking in one of two caves was occupied until about 1300 when Puebloan life Canyon..., decorated the cliff and these are drawings of Spanish conquistadors on Canyon. A $ 8 fee, per person, and Indian Route 64 diverge at the entrance to Canyon Chelly... Truly appreciate the kokopelli cave canyon de chelly and Massacre Cave Overlook, and the Massacre Cave Overlook would in! Size and far more accessible cliff walls with paintings and petroglyphs out of Canyon de.... Small towns a video of this adventure horseback riding with the Navajo Nation northeastern. The numerous petroglyphs were described by Navajo guide a huge rock mesa this distance echoes in the Heart the. Daniel explained address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of New posts by email park accessible a. Nuts, and is entirely on Navajo tribal lands with families living in kokopelli cave canyon de chelly park working! Basic information, directions, and is one of the primary gorges, Canyon de Chelly tsegi Say-ih. Take you past Kokopelli Cave and first Ruin and get you into parts Canyon! And storyteller adam Teller of the American southwest ) is the turnoff to the Hopis, & # x27 our! Be there with someone who was so directly connected to all of it canyons a. Per person, and they say, Youre crazy said people often come to the,... Streams with headwaters in the stunning beauty of this ancient site our first stop is Kokopelli Cave the,...