|
Navajo National Monument
Reached via US 160 and a 9-mile paved road (SR 564), Navajo National Monument preserves some of the largest and most intact of Arizona's known cliff dwellings in perhaps the most awe-inspiring area in the Southwest. There are two areas that can be visited by ranger guided tours, each of which contains a remarkable 13th-century Pueblo ruin.
The monument lies within the Navajo Indian Reservation. Traveling off paved roads is not permitted. Most of the unmarked dirt-surfaced roads on the reservation are private driveways; private Navajo property is not open to visitors. Visitors should be aware of certain restrictions.
Free year-round camping and picnicking are permitted near the monument headquarters. The 41 campsites are available on a first-come first-served basis and are usually filled by dusk during the summer; vehicles must be no longer than 25 feet in length. Accommodations are available at Kayenta; reservations are recommended. Gas and grocery services are not available in the park; the nearest services are 9 miles south at the junction of SR 564 and US 160.
Note: In summer the Navajo Reservation observes daylight-saving time, which is an hour later than outside the reservation.
At an elevation of approximately 7,300 feet, the visitor center at the monument headquarters offers exhibits of ancestral Native American artifacts, a 20-minute videotape tour of the Betatakin ruins, a 25-minute videotape about the prehistoric culture and summer campfire programs. Check for fire restrictions at the campgrounds. Visitor center open daily 8-7, Memorial Day-Labor Day; 8-5, rest of year. Closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Free. Phone (928) 672-2700.
|
|
