The White House Ruins are the most accessible of Canyon de Chelly's Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and the destination of the only self-guided trail into the canyon interior. The ruins occupy two levels: a lower structure on the canyon floor and an upper chamber built into a high alcove in the sandstone wall, with a distinctive patch of white plaster that gives the site its name. The Ancestral Puebloans lived here from around AD 350 to 1300.
The White House Trail descends 190 metres over about 1.5 kilometres from the canyon rim to the canyon floor. It is well-maintained but steep in places. The round trip takes one to two hours. No guide is required, which makes this the essential canyon experience for independent travellers. Bring water — the canyon floor is hot in summer.