Situated in NE Arizona this is a spectacular canyon, entirely on Navajo Indian Reservation.
The beauty of the two deep sandstone canyons rival those of of the Grand Canyon. They are still occupied by Navajo Indians, and there is ample evidence, by the remaining ruins, of occupation by Indians over a period of 2000 years. The canyon is entirely owned by the Navajo Nation, and visitors can only be taken into the canyon by guided tours. Visitors can still view evidence of farming on the canyon bottoms. One of them most spectacular views is of the sandstone structure Spider Rock.
Spider Rock
The canyon is up to 1000 feet deep in places, and was carved out by the Rio de Chelly. Most of the rock structure is of Chelly Sandstone. The main attractions are the ruins of Indian villages built between 350 and 1300 AD at the base of sheer red cliffs and located in canyon wall caves.
The canyon bottom has a high water table, and this allows growth of cottonwood trees, willow, Russian olive and tamarisk. Peach trees also are in plentiful supply now, first planted by the Hopi Indians.
The visitors centre allows people the opportunity to discover and learn about Southwestern Indian history, from the Anaszai basketmakers to the Navajo Indians who are the present residents of the canyon.
Need more information ? http://www.nps.gov/cach/index.htm
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