| Canyon de Chelly (pronounced d'Shay) is located in Northern Arizona
just outside the town of Chinle. The National Monument actually consists of several canyons, and there is no entrance fee to the National Monument, the canyon overlooks, or the White House trail. However, guides
are required to enter the canyon itself, and many tours are offered for a fee. The Canyon presents
many dangers such as quicksand and flooding, so knowledgeable guides are necessary for safe travel. The guides are Navajos who still
work in and farm the Canyon.
Most of the ruins were built by the Anasazi. The Hopi spent
some time here as did the Navajos who arrived in the 1700s.
Spaniards who visited the area fought the Navajos. The Navajos
climbed hundreds of feet up cliff faces using wooden pegs
which were inserted into the cliff face and pulled out by
the last person on the way up to a small fortress. The Spanish
Cavalcade is depicted by a pictograph above Standing Cow Ruins.
In
1864, the US Army drove thousands of Navajo from their homes
and forced them to march 300 miles to Fort Sumner.
White
House Ruin was supposedly named by a US Army Lieutenant
in the 1800s who named it for the color of the plaster. The one exception to the no-entrance-without-a-guide
rule is the White House Ruin Trail.
Overlooks
enable visitors to see many of the ruins in the canyon.
Antelope
House was built on the north side of the canyon
and has white painted designs. It is named for some pictographs of antelope, believed to be painted in the 1830s.
Mummy
Cave Ruin is located on the east wall
of Canyon del Muerto, and is one of the oldest structures in the canyon. Two mummies were found
here in 1882 by an archeological expedition. The mummies were wrapped in fibers from the yucca plant.
Massacre
Cave is the location where a Spanish-led expedition
in 1805 killed 115 Navajos.
Other
ruins and features: Junction Ruin, First Ruin,
Big Cave, Mummy Cave, Yucca Cave Ruin, Ledge Ruin, and Sliding
House Ruin.
Another major feature is Spider Rock, which is an 832
ft. rock spire. A Navajo legend says that Spider Woman lives at the base of the formation.
Three
Turkey Ruin is also located in the area.
The National Parks web page for Canyon de Chelly National Monument has a little more information.
Location: Due east of Chinle, Arizona (6-7 hours from
Phoenix depending on route)
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