Photo courtesy of Arizona Outback Adventures.

If not Canyon de Chelly’s canyon floor, try the White House Ruins Trail

Canyon de Chelly is protected and managed as a national monument, thus making it occasionally difficult to truly enjoy the area for not only what it is, but also for the remarkable history it still carries. Upon arrival, you might feel encouraged to pay a visit to some of the more mundane tourist hotspots, but we’d recommend that you dedicate some time to the White House Ruins Trail, in particular. All land within the park is Navajo tribal trust land, and approximately 40 Navajo families still reside in the area. Because of overlapping jurisdiction, hikers can still get a glimpse of the unparalleled history that still serves as a prominent blueprint of the monument’s DNA.

This trail in particular is 2.73 miles round trip and is noted as being a fairly easy hike – which means all the more travelers and explorers will have the opportunity to enjoy it, regardless of their stamina or hiking capabilities. The best part of this trail is a little-known destination which Navajos call Kinii’ ni gai, which translates to “white house.” The name stems from the glimpses of light-colored plaster that is visible on many of the walls of the ancient Navajo homes that you can see on the trail. Archeologists believe that several of the settlements found within the area date back to A.D. 1060. The history that has been well-preserved and well-kept – thanks in part to the limited visitors and restricted use of photography – is what sets this trail apart, making it one of Canyon de Chelly’s best-kept secrets.