Outdoor Adventure USA

Not long ago we visited Canyon de Chelly in Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Canyon de Chelly is in the northeastern most corner of Arizona. If you go off the main paved roads you must have a Navajo guide.

Our trip had been planned for quite a while and there was a somewhat diverse group that was going. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't make it a strict wheelin' trip. We had to blend in some fishing, shopping and late sleep-ins. I checked out several guides and did a lot of research on the area. We had done a trip like this some years back to Monument Valley, so I knew basically what I wanted. We specified all 4WD trails and requested that we wanted to get as much cultural information as sightseeing. Our guide delivered. 4WD is not necessary but as the roads were somewhat muddy, it was helpful.

For some in the group, this was just a "whet your whistle tour". We will be going back again, this time with more of a 4WD focus and I may do a little hunting also. Be careful when you go. Up until about late March, temps are WAY below freezing during the night and sometimes the day. Summer gets very hot. We planned this trip for spring so as to have water in the streams and comfortable temps. We were mostly successful. There are many areas to explore outside the Monument and a good trip requires at least 4-7 days. If you take the kids, buy earplugs.

Looks like loads of fun.

The question I see the most on posts similar to this is where to find a guide. Care to explain how you found the guide for your trip?

FlyingWil wrote:Looks like loads of fun.

The question I see the most on posts similar to this is where to find a guide. Care to explain how you found the guide for your trip?

A whole lot of research and some good luck. I talked to many guides before I selected ours and it all paid off. It didn't hurt that this particular guide was identified in a write up of CDC in the Arizona Highways magazine, to which I subscribe and which is a tremendously rich source for outdoor adventure ideas. We had enough people in our group to allow us to have three days of custom guided tours of CDC. We shall return again soon and, without hesitation, I will call this same guide. If you are going soon, let me know and I will give you his info.

DaveK wrote:Despite my best efforts, I couldn't make it a strict wheelin' trip. We had to blend in some fishing, shopping and late sleep-ins.

Doing the basic tourist stuff never hurts sometimes, helps us appreciate the backcountry travel.

That is such a wonderful area with geology, scenery, and the contrast between present and past is a must see, even from a sports car.

Sounds like you have some knowledge of guides. Is there bad ones? I’ve only had interaction with a few, but they have been GREAT people who have very interesting answers, stories, and knowledge of everything in the area.

I was up there in 06 and the park still had the canyon rd to Spider Rock closed, is that still the case?

Of course the drive up Canyon Del Muerto is a full day IMHO and well worth a drive to that part of Az by itself.

Someone on another site posted a trip report about Dragoon Mtns in Az which I like the history better, but the 4 corners is the only place to get a GOOD Navajo Taco.

SteveS wrote:Sounds like you have some knowledge of guides. Is there bad ones? I’ve only had interaction with a few, but they have been GREAT people who have very interesting answers, stories, and knowledge of everything in the area.

I was up there in 06 and the park still had the canyon rd to Spider Rock closed, is that still the case?

I'm sure, like anything else, there are some guides that are not the best. I've not heard of any bad ones and, like you, we found the people to be great.

Regarding Spider Rock,it was open but the road was sorta washed out. We wished we had camped there.

Thank-you for the pix.... I came past there last week on the 191. No more than a break at Chinle - but I did see it on the maps. Might have to mark this as an opportunity in the future. I am guessing camping is really the only viable option.. I did not see much in the way of lodging around there.

Plenty of rooms in Chinle. Camping gives you a much better chance to connect with the adventure and the people. Hotels may be the only way for some to experience the Navajo Nation. With the right guide though, you can wander quite a distance from hotels and then camping is the only real alternative. We camped and did not want for comforts including hot showers, warm fires and great company. When time permits, it will happen again!