This morning we visited the Canyon de Chelly National Monument visitor center:
We left the RV at the visitor center and drove out along the South Rim Drive, stopping first at the White House trailhead:
Across the canyon, the White House ruins are visible. Like the other cliff dwellings in the park, this site was built and occupied by the Anasazi between 1100 and 1300:
The White House ruins are along the canyon floor on the left side of this photo:
We started our hike down to the canyon floor. In places where the canyon wall is too steep for a trail, the trail was carved through the canyon wall:
Another man-made tunnel:
Down of the canyon floor:
White House ruins from ground level:
Heading back up:
Our next stop was a trail to an overlook of Spider Rock. The taller of the two spires is 750 feet tall:
We stopped at a number of other overlooks where cliff dwellings could be seen in the distance:
Navajo tribal members still farm and ranch the canyon floor today:
We returned to the visitor center and hitched up the RV. The kids handed in their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:
We left the park by way of the North Rim Drive, stopping along the way to view the park’s northern canyon and the cliff dwellings therein:
The Mummy Cave complex is the largest cliff dwelling in the Park:
Our Canyon de Chelly parting shot:
We drove south. Since we left the Phoenix area, we’ve been above 6,000 feet, and this afternoon we passed this frozen lake at over 7,000 feet:
We continued on to overnight at the Walmart of Gallup, New Mexico, where we last slept on Day 383.
See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.