Spider Rock Overlook
An 800-foot sandstone spire, in the heart of Navajo tradition.
Canyon de Chelly
Sheer red canyon walls sheltering ancient cliff dwellings, and Navajo families who still farm the valley floor.
It's on Navajo Nation land, with homes that have been lived in for thousands of years. Two rim drives overlook 800-foot Spider Rock and the White House Ruin. To enter the canyon, you must go with a Navajo guide, except on one trail.
- Best Time
- April–May and September–October
- Time Needed
- 1 day
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Check before you go; hours vary by season
- Getting There
- About three hours by car northeast of Flagstaff.
What to See
2 of 3 are freeWhite House Trail
The one trail open without a guide, down to a cliff dwelling.
Navajo-Guided Canyon Tour
A jeep or hiking tour into the canyon floor.
Know Before You Go
- Respect private land, and ask before you take photos of people.
Where to Stay
Stay in Chinle.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
Editor's picks. Nobody paid to be on this list.
Something wrong or out of date?
Traveler Reviews
Sign in and mark Canyon de Chelly as visited to write a review.
Go Next
Must-SeeMonument Valley
Arizona and Utah
The red sandstone buttes of every Western movie, on Navajo land; see them at sunrise or with a Navajo guide.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyPetrified Forest National Park
Arizona
Fallen 225-million-year-old trees turned to rainbow-colored stone, on a colorful badland plateau beside old Route 66.
Full Guide
Worth a DetourChaco Canyon
New Mexico
The great ceremonial center of the Ancestral Puebloan world, with huge stone great houses in a remote desert canyon.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-11-02. Part of the Southwest list.