Traveling through the Navajo Nation offers visitors a chance to experience some of the most culturally rich and visually striking destinations in the American Southwest. We cannot overstate the spiritual significance of these places and always consider it a privilege when visiting them.
In this post, we highlight three of our favorite sites: Navajo National Monument, Monument Valley, and Canyon de Chelly National Monument, along with a bonus stop at the historic Hubbell Trading Post. Whether you’re interested in ancient ruins, epic scenery, or stories from the past, each of these locations offers something special.
This article is a summary of our podcast episode #113: Must-See Navajo Parks. To listen to the entire episode, follow this link.
You can also learn more about what to see and do on our podcast episode #61: An Epic Road Trip Through Northern Arizona. Listen to the entire episode here.
A Word About Time Zones in Arizona
Before diving into what to do and see, there’s something you should know: the time zones in this part of the country can be confusing. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, but the Navajo Nation does. From March to November, the Navajo Nation is on Mountain Daylight Time, while the rest of Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time. This means that for part of the year, the Navajo Nation is an hour ahead of the rest of the state.
To add to the confusion, some tour operators, like Antelope Canyon Tours, operate on “Page time” (based on the nearby town of Page, Arizona), regardless of the Navajo Nation’s time. Your best bet? Check the tour company’s website, and call to confirm. Time confusion isn’t usually a big deal unless you’re trying to catch a scheduled tour.
Snap Shot of the Navajo Nation
Spanning more than 27,000 square miles across Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado, the Navajo Nation is the largest Native American territory in the U.S. It is home to about 400,000 people and operates under its own laws, courts, and police.
Visitors should be aware of specific regulations while on Navajo land: no littering, no rock climbing, no spreading of ashes, no drones, no alcohol or firearms, and no hiking or camping without a permit.
Also worth noting: National Park passes like the America the Beautiful pass work at co-managed parks like Navajo National Monument and Canyon de Chelly, but not at tribal parks like Monument Valley.
Navajo National Monument
Located roughly halfway between Page and Monument Valley, Navajo National Monument protects the remains of three 13th-century pueblos built by Ancestral Puebloans: Keet Seel, Betatakin, and Inscription House. The monument was established in 1909.
The main site visitors can see is the Betatakin ruin, visible from an overlook reached by the one-mile round-trip Sandal Trail. The trail is short but involves a bit of an uphill climb on the return.
We hiked this trail early one cool morning in the fall, but we could imagine it being dangerously warm in the summer months, especially mid-day.
If you’re up for more adventure, the monument offers a strenuous, ranger-led five-mile round-trip hike down into the canyon to view Betatakin up close. These hikes are offered on summer weekends at 7:00 AM and are first-come, first-served with a 25-person limit.
Camping is available on site, and for the truly ambitious, there’s a 17-mile round-trip backpacking trail to Keet Seel. When we were there last, the park had suspended permits to hike to Keet Seel, but the ranger at the visitor center urged us to keep checking the park website for the possibility it might be reopened.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Located on the Arizona–Utah border, Monument Valley is one of the most iconic landscapes in the Southwest. Towering red sandstone buttes—some reaching 1,000 feet—rise dramatically from the desert floor. If you’ve seen a Western movie or a dramatic photo of a Southwest landscape with towering buttes, you’ve likely seen Monument Valley.
While much of Monument Valley can be seen from U.S. Highway 163, the Navajo Tribal Park is a designated area with controlled access. At the time of this writing, the entrance fee was $8 per person per day (America the Beautiful passes not accepted), and inside the park you’ll find a visitor center, gift shop, and access to the famous 17-mile Valley Drive.
Years ago, we drove the Valley Drive and found it to be jarringly rough. However, on a more recent visit, the road was in much better shape. If you don’t want to drive the road in your own vehicle, consider a guided tour in one of the open-air trucks.
For hikers like us, the Wildcat Trail—a four-mile loop around West Mitten Butte—is the only trail you can hike here without a guide or permit. If you’re staying overnight, The View Hotel and nearby cabins offer sunrise and sunset views that are hard to beat.
We stayed in one of the cabins overlooking the valley and could not take enough pictures of the landscape just outside our front door at sunrise and sunset.
Don’t miss Forrest Gump Point on Highway 163, where the famous movie scene was filmed. Just be careful when standing in the road to take photos, it’s still an active highway.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
About 90 minutes southeast of Monument Valley lies Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “de-shay”), a less-visited but equally stunning park known for its deep canyon, red rock formations, and ancient cliff dwellings. Co-managed by the National Park Service and the Navajo Nation, this is still home to many Navajo families who farm and raise livestock in the canyon.
You can’t explore the canyon on your own. Guided tours by Navajo guides are the only way to go below the rim. The only exception was the White House Trail, which is now closed indefinitely. Check the park website for the current status of the trail.
Visitors can still enjoy two scenic drives along the canyon rim: the South Rim (36-mile round trip with five overlooks) and the North Rim (32-mile round trip with three overlooks). Spider Rock, a 700-foot sandstone spire, is the highlight of the South Rim drive.
We once joined a ranger-led hike into the canyon with Ranger Henry, a Navajo park ranger. His personal connection to the land and the stories he shared made the experience unforgettable. These tours are limited to 15 people and cannot be reserved online, so ask at the visitor center when you arrive.
The Thunderbird Lodge is a great place to stay and is located right inside the monument. Once a 1902 trading post, it now offers lodging and books tours into the canyon.
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
A short drive south of Canyon de Chelly is Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, Arizona. Established in 1878 by John Lorenzo Hubbell, this is the oldest continuously operated trading post on the Navajo Nation. It still sells goods and Navajo-made arts and crafts, including jewelry and rugs.
The trading post is managed by the National Park Service but operated by a nonprofit. It also offers ranger-led tours of the historic Hubbell home, which is furnished exactly as it was during the Hubbell family’s time. One of the highlights is its incredible collection of red pencil portraits by Elbridge Ayer Burbank, who stayed with the Hubbells and became their friend.
We took the tour of the Hubbell House one Sunday morning not knowing what to expect and came away with an entirely new appreciation for the artwork treasures held at this “hidden gem” of a site.
Wrapping Up
The Navajo Nation is filled with remarkable places. But they are more than just scenic views of the American Southwest—they’re part of an ongoing cultural story. When you visit, be sure to do so respectfully, follow the rules, and take the time to learn from those who call this land home.
We hope you’ll add these incredible parks to your travel list the next time you head through Arizona and the Four Corners region.
