Your Canyon Experience, Above and Below
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Your Canyon Experience, Above and Below Peregrine falcon © KENT R. KELLER Water carved these canyons over millions of years, exposing rock layers that are rem- Trails nants of ancient habitats. Prominent on the Whether your hike is long or short, be pre- Canyon View Trail This trail leads to a view rim and the upper canyon faces is the red- pared. Wear appropriate shoes or boots, use from the head of Betatakin Canyon and con- dish Navajo sandstone, formed from giant sun protection, and carry and drink plenty of tinues to the historic ranger station. 0.8 mile sand dunes. The dunes were deposited, water. Do not drink groundwater. Hiking can round-trip, self-guiding. shaped, and reshaped by wind during be more strenuous than you think, especially a near-waterless climate 180 mil- if you are not used to high elevation. If you Betatakin/Talastima You must visit this site lion years ago. Seeping have heart or respiratory problems, do not on a ranger- guided tour. This fairly strenuous water dissolves the attempt the canyon hikes. Most important, five-mile round-trip hike takes three to five calcium carbonate Mexican spotted owl stay on trails. Though it may not look it, the hours. The elevation on the rim is 7,300 feet, © SUPERSTOCK that binds the sand desert world is fragile. Human carelessness and there is a 700-foot gradual descent. Ad- particles. The weakened rock breaks away As you walk around, what may look to you can do irreparable damage. vance reservations are highly recommended, in horizontal slabs, forming arched alcoves like plain old dirt is actually alive. The ground especially on weekends and in summer. Call where the dwellings stand. is covered with biological soil crust, a com- Please help us preserve the cliff dwellings by the park staff for information and reserva- munity of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), not disturbing them, removing anything, or tions. Below the Navajo sandstone is the buff-to- green algae, lichens, mosses, microfungi, entering them without a ranger. The dwell- purplish colored Kayenta formation—sand- bacteria, and byproducts of all these organ- ings have survived several hundred years; Keet Seel/Kawestima This strenuous, 17- stone, shale, and limestone. The Kayenta was isms. The crust helps prevent soil erosion and please leave them in good condition for mile round-trip hike takes you to one of the deposited by freshwater streams 190 million retain water. Even a single footprint can present and future generations. best-preserved cliff dwellings in the South- years ago. You can see outcroppings of the damage it, and it takes dozens of years to west. The trail drops 1,000 feet to the can- Kayenta and the 210-million-year-old Win- self-repair. Don’t bust the crust—stay on trails! Sandal TraiI If you have only a brief time at yon floor, then follows shallow streams to gate sandstone layer below the Betatakin the park, this is a good way to see the dwell- the dwelling. At times you will be hiking alcove and along the trail to Keet Seel. The ings. A paved trail from the visitor center through water, so plan accordingly. Once at Wingate has dinosaur tracks in places. leads to an overlook with a spectacular cross- Keet Seel, you must wait for the ranger on canyon view of the ancient village of Betata- duty to lead a tour of the dwellings. Just as the rock composition changes the kin framed in its sandstone arch. 1.3 miles deeper into the canyons you go, so does the round-trip, self-guiding. Hikers must get a permit and orientation plant life. Pinyon-juniper forest, well adapted information at the visitor center. The daily to sparse rainfall, dominates the rim. Climate Aspen Trail This trail branches off the limit is 20 people, so advance reservations are inside the canyon is generally warmer and Sandal Trail and descends 300 feet to view a highly recommended; call the park staff for wetter, good for the agriculture of ancient relic forest of aspen, habitat for the endan- information. You don’t want to rush through times and grazing lands for livestock today. gered Mexican spotted owl. This is a steep this experience; most hikers choose to stay Look for Gambel’s oak, boxelder, and aspen. trail via stairs and dirt surface. 0.8 mile overnight at the primitive Keet Seel camp- On north-facing slopes you might spot round-trip; self-guiding. ground. The campground and portions of Douglas fir. the trail are outside the park boundary on Navajo Nation land, often indicated by sheep camps, corrals, and fences. Please respect the Sagebrush privacy of canyon residents. © PHOTO RESEARCHERS, INC. Villages in Sandstone Keet Seel, one of the best preserved dwellings in the Southwest © TOM BEAN Inscription House (closed to public) © MARC MUENCH Room interior at Keet Seel © GENE BALZER Rock image at Betatakin © TOM BEAN Keet Seel dwelling nestled in sandstone alcove © LAURENCE PARENT Betatakin/Talastima Keet Seel/Kawestima pottery, stone tools, animal bones, religious items, and other artifacts. Ancestral Puebloans lived here from about 1250 to 1300. Their agri- Keet Seel is the largest village at Navajo National Monument and one Many of these treasures are now in museums. Thanks to the archeo- cultural fields were on the canyons’ rims and floors. For living space, of the best preserved in the Southwest. It was occupied much longer logical community, Keet Seel received federal protection as a national the people chose this alcove: It was deep enough for shelter and, be- than Betatakin. Tree-ring dating and pottery fragments show that monument in 1909. cause it faced south, was warmed by the winter sun and cool in sum- people settled here by 950. Those early houses are gone, but a few mer shade. Because the rock layer below the Navajo sandstone was timbers and some stones were reused in the village you can see today. Inscription House/Tsu’ovi (closed to the public) less porous, water seeped out here, another benefit. This village is in a high, shallow sandstone alcove. Like Betatakin and In 1272 building activity surged at Keet Seel and new pottery styles Keet Seel, it was permanently occupied from about 1250 to 1300. At its height, 75 to 100 people lived here in clan or family groups. emerged. There were as many as 150 people living here before the About half the rooms were constructed of adobe bricks rather than They didn’t spend much time indoors; most activities took place in settle ment fell into decline and families began to leave. Those who the stone blocks of the other sites. It was named for wall markings open courtyards or agricultural fields. Archeologists have document- remained converted the abandoned rooms into granaries, maybe originally thought to be from Spanish explorers in the 1600s, but now ed 135 rooms, some now destroyed by rockfall. Rooms were used for storing food against hard times. By 1300, they finally departed alto- attributed to Mormon settlers from the mid-1800s. Modern Indian food storage, living, and ceremonies. The people used sandstone, gether, but not before sealing the entryways of many rooms contain- tribes hold ceremonies here. Inscription House remains closed to the soil, wood, bark, reeds, and grasses either alone or in combination. ing pottery jars filled with corn. Were they planning to come back public due to its unstable and fragile condition. There are no parking Smoke residue indicates fires for cooking, warming, or ceremonies. someday? In 1895 amateur explorer Richard Wetherill brought Keet areas or routes to this dwelling. There are private residences nearby; Seel to the attention of the outside world, along with its wealth of please respect owners’ privacy. Keet Seel dwelling © LAURENCE PARENT Plan Your Visit Navajo National Monument is off US 160, about For Your Safety More Information 50 miles northeast of Tuba City and 20 miles This is a natural area with canyons, cliffs, fall- Navajo National Monument is one of over 390 southwest of Kayenta. From US 160, take AZ 564 ing rocks, flash-floods, lightning, and other areas in the National Park System. For more nine miles. Navajo culture mixes hazards. Be alert and safety conscious at all information about national parks, visit old and new. Clothing times. Rocks can fall at any time in the alcoves www.nps.gov. The visitor center has information, exhibits, and jewelry, though and canyons. Visitors on tours enter the alcoves videos, and sales items. Navajo Arts and Crafts not from ancient times, at their own risk. • For firearms information, Navajo National Monument are distinctive. Navajo Enterprise has a gift shop specializing in Navajo fry bread, made from check the park website or ask at the visitor HC 71, Box 3 silverwork. Service animals are welcome in the wheat flour and water, center. Tonalea, AZ 86044 park. is a staple food—try it! 928-672-2700 Protect Natural and Cultural Resources www.nps.gov/nava Two campgrounds and a picnic area are avail- All natural and cultural objects are protected by ✩GPO:20xx—xxx-xxx/xxxxx Reprint 20xx able first-come, first-served. Group campsites federal law, with substantial fines for violation. Printed on recycled paper. are also available. Sunset View campground has charcoal grills, but wood fires are not al- Time Difference lowed. The nearest food and fuel are at Black The Navajo Nation observes Mountain Daylight Mesa Trading Post at the junction of Ariz. 564 Time (MDT), while the rest of Arizona does not. and US 160. Pets must be leashed at all times. So from mid-March to early November, Navajo They are not allowed in buildings or on trails.