Navajo National Monument, Arizona

Navajo National Monument is a site within the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona with three of the best preserved ancient cliff dwellings. The dwellings belonged to an ancient puebloan people known to the Navajos as the Anasazi, meaning "ancient enemies".

Navajo National Monument is located high up on the Shonto plateau, west of Kayenta. There are three sites of which two are opened to the public. Visitors to the site are taken on free guided tours by the resident rangers to visit the open sites Kiet Siel (Broken House) and Betatakin (House Built on a Ledge). Presently the third site, Ts'ah Bii' Kin (Inscription House), is not open to visits.

Kiet Siel, Navajo National Monument, Arizona
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keet_Seel_closeup.jpg
Author: Huebi


The Kiet Siel is believed to have first been occupied in AD 1250, though much of the construction date from between AD 1272 and 1275. Then it slowed down before coming to a stop in AD 1286. It was then abandoned some 20 years later. At its peak, the site may have housed some 150 people. It was discovered in 1895 by cowboy Richard Wetherill.

Betatakin, smaller in size than Kiet Siel, was discovered much later, in 1909 after Kiet Siel was declared a Navajo National Monument. It was discovered by Richard Wetherill's brother John and a Navajo guide Clatsozen Benully. In the early days the Wetherill brothers earned a living as site guides taking visitors to see the ruins.

Betatakin, Navajo National Monument, Arizona
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Betatakin-Utah2139.JPG
Author: Poco a poco


Visitors to the Navajo National Monument may also embark on the Sandal Trail, a self-guided walk offering scenic views of the canyon around the visitor center. The trail covers 1.6 km. It ends at a viewpoint overlooking the Betatakin ruins.

Visiting Navajo National Monument, Arizona

The Navajo National Monument is located to the northeast of Flagstaff, near the border with Utah. To get there, take US Highway 160 north till Shonto, then exit to the left to Arizona State Highway 564. Continue on 564 to the end to reach the site.

The visitor center is open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm daily in summer. During summer, the Sandal Trail, Aspen Trail and Canyon View Trail are open, and hikes to Betatakin and Kiet Siel are also available. In winter the center is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The three self-guided trails are open while the hike to Betatakin is conducted if weather permits.

As the cliff dwellings are considered sacred to the Hopi and Zuni who built it and the Navajo who now live there, no fees are charged for entrance as well as the guided hikes and campgrounds.

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