Canyon de Chelly is an especially beloved, sacred place of remembered childhood wonder for me. My last pilgrimage confined me to the soul searching views from the rim though I still remember the wild jeep rides splashing though the river on the canyon bottom from my younger days. On this visit the canyon seemed to me to be a green and gold and red suprising jewel hidden in the heart of the great sandstone sea of the high desert. The protective soaring, roiling layers of multi-hued rock walls drop away suddenly to the rich greens far below. The colors were so stunning that i was freshly amazed by the scenery which had lured me such a distance across the badlands. I was also fortunate this trip to visit during softly misting rains and overcast skies which muted the desert sunlight and allowed the colors to burst forth in fresh intensity. I find every encounter with the wild natural beauty of our Colorado plateau parks to be new and different since the rocks reflect the light and weather of each day so dramatically.
Sincerely,
Canyon De Chelly National Monument
Three and a half hours east of the world-famous Grand Canyon, a majestic but much lesser-known canyon offers a more solitary Southwestern experience on colorful lands entirely within the Navajo Nation. Drive along the north and south rims to enjoy incredible vistas, including a view of the park’s dramatic 800-foot monolith, Spider Rock. Hike the only public trail (two and a half miles round-trip) into the canyon to see the White House Ruin left by Ancestral Puebloans. Hire a Navajo guide to explore even more of the canyon’s geology and learn about the native people who continue to live and grow food in the canyon as their families have for generations.
State(s): Arizona
Established: 1931
“Because these special islands of creation's beauty need our protection from the greed and thoughtlessness of people who would "pave paradise and put up a parking lot". The wide open spaces of the west aren't "empty". Besides being filled with the ethereal beauty of the geology and skies, these special places harbor lifeforms that have only a few protected spaces to survive.”
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