Want to explore canyons, culture, and the heart of the Navajo Nation? Head to Chinle, Arizona! Tucked in the northeastern corner of the state, Chinle is the gateway to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. With stunning sandstone cliffs, ancient cliff dwellings, and rich Diné (Navajo) heritage, Chinle offers an unforgettable blend of natural and cultural history.
Chinle, AZ Highlights:
- For Outdoor Enthusiasts: Explore Canyon de Chelly National Monument – View jaw-dropping sandstone cliffs, hike into the canyon, and learn about the region's deep ancestral past.
- For History Buffs: Visit White House Ruins – Take the park’s only self-guided trail to this ancient Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling.
- For Scenic Drives: Drive the North and South Rim Roads – Stop at multiple overlooks like Spider Rock and Mummy Cave for panoramic canyon views.
- For Cultural Travelers: Take a Navajo-guided Canyon Tour – Go deeper into the canyon with a local guide and discover petroglyphs, ruins, and stories.
- For Photographers: Catch Sunset at Spider Rock Overlook – This iconic spire rises 800 feet from the canyon floor and glows brilliantly in golden light.
Best Time to Visit Chinle, AZ
The best time to visit Chinle is from April to June and September to October, when the weather is mild and ideal for hiking and sightseeing. Summers can be very hot, while winters are chilly with occasional snow in the canyon.
How to Get to Chinle, AZ
- By Car: Chinle is accessible via U.S. Route 191. It’s about 3 hours from Flagstaff, 4 hours from Albuquerque, and 2 hours from Gallup, NM.
- By Air: The nearest major airports are in Flagstaff (FLG), Albuquerque (ABQ), and Phoenix (PHX), with rental cars available.
- By Bus: Bus options are limited; renting a car is the best way to explore the area.
Where to Stay in Chinle, AZ
- Recommended for Families: Thunderbird Lodge – Located at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly, this lodge offers canyon tours and a Navajo-inspired café.
- For Convenience: Best Western Canyon de Chelly Inn – A reliable and comfortable option with a pool, dining, and central location.
- For Budget Travelers: Cottonwood Campground (NPS) – Basic National Park Service campground with great proximity to the canyon.
Best Things to Do in Chinle, AZ
⮕ North Rim Drive
Drive scenic overlooks and admire peaceful canyon views on a quiet day trip.
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North Rim Drive is accessible via Route 7 near the monument’s Visitor Center, providing access to three of the monument’s most significant archaeological sites.
The drive spans 34 miles round-trip and provides access to sites such as the Antelope House Overlook, which allows visitors to observe the Antelope House Ruin, a site excavated in the 1970s that showcases a circular plaza and illustrations by Navajo artist Dibe Yazhi.
One of the region’s largest Ancestral Pueblo villages is visible from the Mummy Cave Overlook, while the site of the 1805 Navajo massacre by pioneer forces may be viewed from the Massacre Cave Overlook.
⮕ Wheatfields Lake
Fish calm waters and enjoy a relaxing, affordable outdoor escape.
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Wheatfields Lake is located near the town of Tsaile, Arizona adjacent to the eastern side of Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and is one of the Navajo Nation region’s most popular outdoor recreation spots.
The Apache County lake is managed as a significant coldwater fishery, offering opportunities to fish for cutthroat, brown, and rainbow trout. Fishing spots are offered along the lake’s access road, with boat launch opportunities available along the opposite side of the lake from the road.
Picnicking is also a popular day-use activity, and several campsites are offered nearby, including the Wheatfields Lake Campground located between mile markers 64 and 65 along Indian Route 12.
Attractions for Couples
⮕ Ned A. Hatathli Cultural Center
Explore Navajo history and enjoy an educational stop on a cultural visit.
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Ned A. Hatathli Cultural Center is located on the grounds of Diné College in Tsaile and is named in honor of the college’s founder, Ned A. Hatathli. It is dedicated to the preservation of indigenous American culture and history, showcasing a large permanent museum collection of more than 3,000 significant artifacts related to the region’s tribes, including pottery, textiles, paintings, photographs, and civic documents. Approximately 40% of the museum’s collections can be viewed within audiovisually-focused exhibits, which focus on topics related to area tribes and their interaction with one another and with European pioneers. Public special events offered throughout the year include a Native American Music Festival and Art Market and an annual holiday bazaar.
Indian Route 64 & 1 Circle Drive, Tsaile, AZ 86556, Phone: 928-724-6982
⮕ Spider Rock
Marvel at towering sandstone spires and discover an unusual Navajo legend.
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Spider Rock is one of the Chinle region’s most famous landmarks, rising more than 830 feet above the floor of Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The red stone spire takes its name from the Navajo legend of the Na'ashje'ii Asdzaa spider woman, a figure of the tribe’s Third World legend who spun a silken web from the top of the structure and snatched up naughty children trespassing near her territory. In some variations of the legend, the spider woman is the figure who taught the Navajo people the art of weaving. Today, the formation is one of the region’s most-photographed sites, appearing in a large number of commercials and advertising campaigns.
P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503, Phone: 928-674-5500
⮕ Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Tour ancient dwellings and admire dramatic landscapes on an unforgettable trip.
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Canyon de Chelly National Monument is one of America’s most-visited national monuments, spanning more than 84,000 acres throughout Navajo Nation lands near the town of Chinle. The region’s brilliantly colorful cliff walls were carved millions of years ago by streams when the region’s sea level was significantly higher, with rock formations pushed upward by land uplifts. The area has a rich indigenous history, used historically by Ancient Pueblo, Hopi, and Navajo peoples, and commemorates significant archaeological ruins of the tribes today, along with sites related to the 1805 invasion of the canyon by pioneer forces that led to the Long Walk of the Navajo. In 1931, the region was preserved as a national monument, and today, it is accessible to visitors along two loop drives that provide automobile access to a number of tourist sites.
P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503, Phone: 928-674-5500
For Photographers
⮕ South Rim Drive
Stop at panoramic viewpoints and enjoy a romantic ride through sacred land.
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South Rim Drive is one of Canyon de Chelly National Monument’s main visitor vehicle access routes, accessible via Route 7 near the monument’s Visitor Center. Seven visitor overlooks are provided along the route, including an overlook showcasing the park’s most famous geologic attraction, Spider Rock, which rises 750 feet above the canyon floor and has been showcased in numerous commercials and advertising campaigns. Other significant sites along the route include the Tsegi Overlook, which showcases the remains of ancient Navajo farmlands, and Junction Overlook, which provides views of the confluence of the canyon with nearby Canyon del Muerto. The White House Overlook also provides hiking access to the White House Trail, the only portion of the canyon that may be explored on foot without a permit or tour guide.
P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503, Phone: 928-674-5500
⮕ White House Ruins Trail
Hike into the canyon and explore historic cliff dwellings on a guided trip.
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White House Ruins Trail offers the monument’s only opportunity to explore attractions on foot without a tour guide or permit, spanning 2.5 miles round-trip from the White House Overlook to the White House Ruins, named for the white plaster walls of the Ancestral Pueblo dwellings that decorate the region. The cliff dwellings were constructed between 350 and 1300 CE, when the Pueblo left the region due to climate change and pressure from other indigenous groups. Hikers descend 600 feet to the canyon’s floor to view the ruins, passing stretches of pinon-juniper woodland and offering dramatic views of the surrounding sandstone formations. Several points along the trail hike through tunnels within the sandstone, and a footbridge crosses the waters of Chinle Wash at the canyon’s base.
P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503, Phone: 928-674-5500
⮕ Canyon del Muerto
See ancient rock art and enjoy a quiet, retirement-friendly drive through history.
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Canyon del Muerto is located adjacent to Canyon de Chelly National Monument and preserves a significant burial ground for prehistoric indigenous people, including the Ancestral Pueblo, Hopi, and Navajo tribes. The canyon’s name is Spanish for canyon of the dead and showcases a number of significant archaeological sites and artifacts within its walls and structures. A variety of ancient carvings, etchings, and paintings decorate the walls of the canyons, with several significant areas of cliff dwellings preserved. Together with Canyon de Chelly and Monument Canyon, the region spans more than 130 square miles of historical sites.
P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503, Phone: 928-674-5500
Fascinating Ruins
⮕ Antelope House Ruin
Admire painted walls and learn local heritage on a meaningful cultural visit.
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Antelope House Ruin preserves a set of Ancestral Pueblo ruins that dates between 1050 and 1270 AD, created before the tribe left the region due to climate change and pressure from other local indigenous groups. The ruins center around a communal plaza surrounded by two main sections of buildings, which are believed to have originally consisted of more than 91 rooms in total and reached a height of more than four stories. Today, the remaining walls of the structures preserve a variety of ancient carvings, paintings, and etchings, along with illustrations created by modern Navajo artist Dibe Yazhi. The ruins derive their name from a set of paintings of antelopes grazing on the cliffs of the canyon. Several caves within the area may also be explored by visitors.
P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503, Phone: 928-674-5500
⮕ Sliding Rock Ruin
View cliffside ruins and explore this exciting archaeological site with a guide.
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Sliding Rock Ruin preserves an Ancestral Pueblo village constructed along the walls of Canyon de Chelly between 1050 and 1300 A.D. before the tribe left the region. Since then, additional ruins have been added to the site by other tribes that have used the area for agricultural dwelling, including the modern-day Navajo Nation. Tours of the Sliding Rock Ruin are offered by Navajo Nation tour guides, who elaborate on the region’s civic and archaeological history. The Sliding Rock Overlook, accessible via the national monument’s South Rim Drive, also provides spectacular lookout views of the canyon’s brilliantly-colored sandstone formations and cliff carvings.
P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503, Phone: 928-674-5500
Where to Eat in Chinle, AZ
- Recommended for Families: Junction Restaurant – Navajo-owned diner offering hearty American and local favorites like Navajo tacos.
- For Local Flavors: Thunderbird Lodge Café – Known for frybread, stew, and simple, tasty meals in a rustic setting.
- For a Casual Meal: Garcia’s Restaurant – Mexican-American dishes and comfort food right in the center of Chinle.
If you are interested in local events:
- For Cultural Insight: Navajo Nation Fair (Window Rock) (September) – Powwows, rodeos, art shows, and traditional foods just 1.5 hours away.
- For Visitors: Guided Canyon Tours Year-Round – Available from spring through fall depending on weather and conditions.
- For Seasonal Beauty: Fall Colors in the Canyon (October) – Cottonwoods along the canyon floor turn golden beneath red cliffs.
Day Trip Itineraries Within 30–90 Minutes of Chinle, AZ:
- For Culture: Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site (45 min) – Step inside an authentic 19th-century Navajo trading post in Ganado.
- For History Buffs: Window Rock (90 min) – Navajo Nation capital with the Veterans Memorial and stunning natural rock formation.
- For Rug Shoppers: Two Grey Hills (60 min) – Visit trading posts famous for handwoven Navajo rugs with distinctive patterns.
- For Scenic Views: Wheatfields Lake (75 min) – A quiet lake in the Chuska Mountains with fishing, walking, and picnic areas.
- For Archaeology: Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Culture NHP (2 hours) – A longer day trip, but rewarding for those seeking Ancestral Puebloan ruins.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is Chinle best known for?
- Chinle is best known as the gateway to Canyon de Chelly National Monument, an 84,000-acre site that preserves large collections of significant Ancestral Pueblo, Hopi, and Navajo ruins.
- Are guided tours available in Chinle?
- Yes, Navajo Nation tour guides offer a variety of guided tours of the area’s natural and historical attractions.
- What attractions can visitors explore on these tours?
- These tours include visits to the ruins of the area’s canyons, the Navajo National Zoological and Botanical Park, and the Window Rock Monument.
Plan Your Trip