Canyon de Chelly National Monument, arizona
Attractions Guide

The majestic Canyon de Chelly National Monument is situated around a long deep canyon, not as deep as the Grand Canyon but somewhat similar. You can drive along the northern and southern rims of the canyon to enjoy the various viewpoints along the Canyon de Chelly.

It's highly recommended to see as many viewpoints as possible. Since this canyon follows a much more winding path than the Grand Canyon, each viewpoint offers very different scenery, with some even looking out over ancient Native American cliff dwellings.

Most of the main viewpoints are located along the southern rim of the canyon. Coming from the Visitor Center, you'll first reach the Tunnel Overlook, which isn't very impressive on its own, however with a ranger-led tour, this overlook acts as a trailhead for hiking down into the canyon.

A bit further along the road you can stop at the Tsegi Overlook, followed by the Junction Overlook and then the White House Overlook. All of these viewpoints arehighly recommended.

White House Ruin Trail

The White House Overlook provides views of an incredible Native American cliff dwelling within the canyon. From this overlook you have the option of hiking the 2.7 mile (4.3 km) round-trip White House Ruin Trail, which takes you to the bottom of this gorgeous canyon and up-close to the cliff dwellings. This is actually the only public trail within the park, as other trails are accessible only via a ranger-led tour.

Continuing along the southern canyon you can stop to enjoy the view at the Sliding House Overlook, followed by Face Rock Overlook.

Adjacent to the Face Rock Overlook is the canyon's most iconic sight, Spider Rock. The Spider Rock Overlook offers breathtaking views high above this famous rock pillar (Spider Rock), which towers high above the valley floor between several canyons. The best time to see Spider Rock is approximately mid-day, when the sun is high in the sky with minimal shadows, since this canyon is quite deep and thin.

Afterwards you can drive out to the more remote and less visited northern side of the national monument to see more stunning features of the Canyon de Chelly. The first stop along the northern side is the Antelope House Overlook, which offers views over another cliff dwelling set amongst the beautiful canyon. This viewpoint requires a short but worthwhile walk.

Continue along to the second best view in the park, the Mummy Cave Overlook, which offers views over extraordinary cliff dwellings set amongst a very picturesque part of the canyon. This viewpoint also offer the best views in the monument over ancient cliff dwellings. Nearby you might like to also take in views from the Massacre Cave Overlook.