Canyon de Chelly

Maybe I am mistaken, but from my experience, there is no backcountry camping.  Only the common campground.  All day hikes are with guides. The only unguided hiking is to the White House ruins and up on the rim.  It was not one of our favorite places to visit.

We spent a good deal of time in the Southwest over the past few years.  A few thoughts:

>>  The Navajo Reservation is not a public park, nor a national park.  In most cases you need permission to camp outside of established campgrounds, and that permission can only come from the tribal offices.  It is not BLM land, and those guidelines, including those for backpacking or dispersed camping, mean nothing on the Rez,

>>  In most areas (like Canyon de Chelly) you need to hire a local guide in order to enjoy a more in-depth visit.  In Canyon de Chelly we worked with Deswood Yazzie: 928-781-2113.  He was an excellent guide, and we would recommend him again.

>>  We liked a lot of different places:  Wuptaki NM, Navajo NM, Walnut Canyon, Homolovi ruins, Museum of Northern Arizona…and if you get further north or east, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde…there are something like 100,000 archeological sites in this area.  Be prepared to do some exploring.  We used The Grand Circle Tour by Michael Royea as an excellent general info source on these sites.

>> We also enjoyed our many interactions with the Navajo people we met on our trip, from the young couple who shared their experiences and beliefs with us the scenic drive overlooks at Canyon de Chelly, to the young man who encouraged us to explore the amazing area around Coal Mine Mesa.  And don’t forget the Code Talkers Museum at the Burger King in Kayenta!

>>   The North Rim of the Grand Canyon IS USFS land, and if you ask at the entrance station, the National Park Service can give you a one-sheet map of suggested camping areas outside of the national park.  Easy peasy.

How much time do you plan to spend in the area? What is the framework of your visit. As Paul noted there’s a LOT to see.

The Navajo are not all that keen on people just wandering around on reservation lands. It’s their home after all. But they are also generally gracious and friendly. You must have a permit to do any kind of hiking including day hiking on the Rez. Navajo Nation Hiking – Camping

2nd Paul’s mention of the Burger King in Kayenta. Worth a stop.

Without any idea of the broader scope of your visit it is difficult to know how exactly to rank recommendations.

I know you said you have some books but still below is a list of some I’d recommend related to the region with an emphasis on the ancient Puebloan culture.

Craig Childs:   House of Rain

David Roberts: In Search of the Old Ones 

Harvey Leake Wolf Killer: Navajo Culture and History

If I had one thing I could do, one place I could visit to hike to rock art and ruins, and oddly enough or ironically back at the beginning of my visits I thought it as sort of too easy or too mundane; maybe because it is so accessible because it’s right outside of town (Bluff, Utah) and there’s nothing out there about it, anyone can go there…. Anyway I could spend days weeks or even months going in and out of all the little side canyons of Comb Ridge right outside of Bluff Utah. It’s a beautiful area. There’s a guide in Bluff named Vaughn Hadenfeldt who runs Far Out Expeditions

The local place to stay (which has hosted the 3 authors above on many occasions) is The Recapture Lodge

Not the ne plus ultra tourist accommodation but it’s where the repeaters stay

Oh and for fun read some of these Tony Hillerman

Yes to all of the above!  Especially House of Rain, in Search of the Old Ones…and all of Tony Hillerman.

I’d really like to overnight in the canyon if possible. I know there are guided tours for that, just wondering which is the best. REI has a 3 night trip, but it’s almost $2k per person! Yikes. But maybe it’s worth it for a once in a lifetime experience.

I’m particularly intrigued by Canyon de Chelly because my parents loved it so much and visited repeatedly. They’re both gone now, so I can’t ask them what they did there; it was just  a favorite spot on the southwest map for them.

Thanks for the other tips on where to stop on the Navajo Nation.

Bear in mind that times have changed.  When I first visited, more than fifty years ago, all sorts of things were allowed…not so much anymore.

You could also hike out and overnight at Keet Seel in the Navajo National Monument. But I get the connection and why you’d really want experience Canyon de Chelly

Here’s a scene from the Comb. It’s called Monarch Cave