Canyon de Chelly

Wednesday, Sept. 30 - We are back in Arizona!  We left Monticello this morning with about 70 miles to go to the state line, and we hit Arizona about 11:00 a.m.  The highway through Chinle (Hwy 191) is open range, which we remembered from our trip to Colorado with Jeff and Brenda last summer, and you have to really watch out for livestock on the road.  We came upon a small group of horses right by the road.  We don't think they were wild, because one had a halter on, so we assume they are just left to graze on this open range.

As we got to Chinle, we had to stop for a flock (or herd) of goats that were being herded across the road.  There were 2 dogs leading them through a hole in the fence, and a goatherder pushing them.
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This is a pretty drive, with some rock formations (we saw one arch) and beautiful scenery in the distance.

We got to Canyon de Chelly, which is a National Monument, but is unlike and other national park in that the canyons are within the Navajo Nation and include a residential community, and not all areas are open to the general public.  There is a nice campground here inside the park, and it is free camping.


 We got set up in the campground, then went to the Visitor Center.  For those of you who have questions about how to see this National Monument, there are a few options.  You can drive the North Rim (34 miles roundtrip) and South Rim (37 miles roundtrip) roads in your own vehicle, by yourself, and there is one hiking trail you are allowed to take. The road is good, so that is not a problem. Or you can hire a guide to ride with you ($15 per hour), but still drive your own vehicle if it is a 4-wheel drive.  This tour will take you to the floor of the canyon.    You can also take jeep tours that take you to the bottom of the canyon.  We saw one of the jeeps, from the lodge here, and it was open top, probably seated 15 or so.  You can also tour the canyon on horseback.  We just did the self-guided tour of the South Rim.  There are several look-out points along both rim drives. This rock formation, at the end of the South Rim Drive, is called "Spider Rock," and is an 800-ft. sandstone spire that rises from the canyon floor.

From different viewpoints, you can see the canyon floor, and there are some houses down there.  You can also see some Anasazi ruins under the overhangs of the cliff walls.

 This is a beautiful canyon, with some spectacular views of rock formations, but after looking at rocks for 3 days in Arches, Canyonlands, and the scenic byway to Moab, it was a bit anti-climatic for us.  We opted not to drive the second rim road, but instead, drove into Chinle to check out the town (which didn't take long).  We did come upon a pick-up truck herding 4 horses across the road.

We stopped at the Bashas grocery store (they don't sell any beer here) and then went to Church's Chicken for dinner.  It was hot in the restaurant, so we took it back to the campground and ate at our picnic table.  We are finally getting closer to home!