Navajo Nation service town beside Canyon de Chelly, where red sandstone walls shelter cliff dwellings and rock art
Chinle is one of the largest communities on the Navajo Nation, in the northeast corner of Arizona near the New Mexico border. Almost everyone comes here for one reason: Canyon de Chelly National Monument, a stunning canyon system of red sandstone walls harbouring ancient Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, rock art, and ruins.
The town itself is a service centre — a few motels, restaurants, trading posts, and a supermarket — but the canyon is extraordinary. Two deeply incised gorges, Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto, cut into the Defiance Plateau with sheer walls rising up to 300 metres. Navajo families still farm the canyon floor, and their fields and hogans are visible from the rim drive overlooks.
Most of the canyon interior requires a Navajo guide to enter, but the rim drives are self-guided and free. The South Rim Drive leads to Spider Rock Overlook, where a slender 240-metre sandstone spire rises from the canyon floor. The only self-guided trail into the canyon descends to the White House Ruins, a cliff dwelling accessible to independent travellers. The Thunderbird Lodge within the monument operates group tours by open-bed truck, and independent guides offer jeep and horseback trips.
The free Cottonwood Campground near the canyon mouth is a pleasant place to stay, shaded by old cottonwood trees. Come in autumn for the cooler temperatures and the golden cottonwood leaves on the canyon floor.
Guide
Getting There
Chinle is in the northeastern corner of Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. The nearest town with a commercial airport is Gallup, New Mexico (about 120 kilometres southeast), and the nearest major airport is in Albuquerque, New Mexico (about four hours by road). Most visitors come by car — there is no public transport to Chinle.
From Flagstaff, the drive northeast on US-89 and US-160 takes about three and a half hours. From Albuquerque, take I-40 west to Gallup, then US-491 north and US-64 west. The roads across the Navajo Nation are well-maintained two-lane highways, mostly empty, and the scenery en route is remarkable. Fill your tank before arriving — fuel in Chinle is available but can be expensive.
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When to Go
Autumn (September–November) is the best time to visit Chinle and Canyon de Chelly. Temperatures are moderate, the cottonwood trees on the canyon floor turn gold, and the light in the canyons is extraordinary. The Navajo Nation Fair at Window Rock, a two-hour drive south, takes place in early September.
Spring (April–May) is also good, with wildflowers on the canyon floor and mild temperatures. Summer brings intense heat and afternoon thunderstorms that can make the canyon floor impassable with flash floods — a real danger that guides take seriously. Winter is cold, and some rim drive sections may be icy, but snowfall transforms the canyons into something surreal and beautiful, and visitor numbers are very low.