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Canyon De Chelly National Monument
Seeing the Park
For those who may want a truly western experience take a tour of the canyons and ruins on horseback. Or you could choose to drive it.
For good views of the canyons and ruins, take the two rim drives. South Rim Drive, 36 miles round trip, leads to eight overlooks; North Rim Drive, 34 miles round trip, leads to four overlooks. Some of the highlights of these drives:
- Views of First Ruin and Junction Ruin from Junction Overlook.
- White House Ruin, the best known Anasazi cliff dwelling in the canyon. It is named after a long wall in the upper ruin that is covered with white plaster. The ruin is reached over a 2 1/2-mile round trip trail from White House Overlook. A guide is not required for this hike, but you must stay on the trail going to and from the ruin.
- Spider Rock, an 800-foot sandstone spire rising from the canyon floor at the junction of Canyon de Chelly and Monument Canyon.
- Antelope House, named for the colorful drawings of antelope by a Navajo artist 150 years ago.
- Mummy Cave, one of the most spectacular dwellings in the park. This site was occupied from A.D. 300 to 1300.
Pictographs may be seen at many other places in these canyons. Some date from the prehistoric Basketmaker and Pueblo periods, but probably the finest are of Navajo origin. On the cliff face at Standing Cow Ruin, in Canyon del Muerto, is a Navajo painting of a Spanish cavalry unit accompanied by a priest. Another is of a blue-and-white cow, which gave its name to this site.
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