Canyon de Chelly (pronounced D’Shay) is entirely owned by the Navajo Tribal Trust of the Navajo Nation. It is the only National Park Service unit owned and managed by another entity in this manner.
There are two drives along the North and South rims of the canyons which are open to the public, however to get to the canyon floor you need to hire a Navajo guide.
We chose Beauty Way Tours as they had great reviews, and our guide David Senior was both informative and entertaining. Definitely opt for the top-down tour, and if you’re there in shoulder season as we were then you better bring your layers to bundle up – because it gets cold!
It appeared that most of the tourists that we did see were just passing though as they did a National Park tour, probably coming from Arches and the Utah parks and heading to Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon.
Why?
This seems like a self-correcting problem to me – why do we need a sign?
Backseat Driver
Colette took the midget back seat and was rewarded with the best 360-degree view, but without the benefit of the Jeep’s barely-functional heater.
The Hunt
Petroglyphs depicting an ancient hunt.
Stormy Weather
Some nasty weather up ahead for these horseback riders.
Mirror Image
The wide, shallow river running through Canyon de Chelly make for some great images when it’s in a calm spot.
Beneath the Cottonwoods
Our tour Jeep sits out of the drizzle underneath the cottonwoods as we check out the First Ruin in Canyon de Chelly.
Taking It In
Colette studies the First Ruin as we tour Canyon de Chelly.
White House Among the Red Rock
The White House Ruins are framed by the cottonwoods lining the river.
Red and White
The White House Ruins are named for the oddball white ruin standing among the more typical red ruins.
Typical Terrain
Typical terrain along the canyon floor.
Spider Rock
I waited in the rain and cold for quite a while to catch a break in the clouds that I saw coming. It lined up perfectly for this shot of Spider Rock from the Spider Rock Overlook.
