Navajoland

Meet in the lobby of the hotel in St George, Utah at 9am. Riders, horses, and gear will be transferred to Canyon de Chelly. The drive is about 6 hours, and there will be a stop for lunch in Kayenta (lunch is an out of pocket expense today). Spend the first night camped at Navajo Camp on the south rim of the canyon. Drive to Spider rock overlook to view the canyon from the rim.

After breakfast, saddle up and ride down the Bat Trail into Canyon de Chelly. The trail down is rough and the going is slow, but once in the canyon the trail is smooth and offers wonderful opportunities for trots and canters. Riders will see Spider Rock, many Anasazi ruins and petroglyphs, and Navajo hogans. Camp near the junction of Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto.

Continue up Canyon del Muerto, viewing Anasazi ruins and Navajo farms along the route. The “Canyon of the Dead” was named after a massacre of Navajos at the hands of Spanish horsemen in 1804. Follow a switchback trail up and out of Canyon del Muerto. The horses and riders will be transferred across a stretch of the Navajo Reservation to a campsite among the buttes of Monument Valley.

Ride through the buttes and mesas of Little Monument Valley back to camp in the valley. The sunsets and sunrises in this colorful country are spectacular. There will be an opportunity to visit the visitor’s center and the rows of stalls selling Navajo Indian jewelry. Enjoy a hot shower at the campground if you like.

Ride past the popular Totem pole and through deep sand dunes to the true backcountry of the area. Today’s ride is through big open country leading to a maze of canyons. Stop for lunch at some rarely visited ancient ruins. Take advantage of the opportunities for long canters across valleys and through drainages.

Take one last ride in the valley stopping at some of the most popular viewpoints that are seen in the many movies that are and were filmed here. Around noon load the horses and van and transfer to Navajo Mountain. This graceful Hogan-shaped mountain lies just north of the Arizona/Utah state line and is sacred to the Navajo. This is very rough terrain, which is why the Navajo people living here were able to escape capture during the Kit Carson era. They are hogans still standing which were built during this period. Set up camp on the northeast side of Navajo Mountain.

Ride from camp into Navajo Mountain back country. This area is a maze of canyons draining toward the Colorado River. From several vantage points once can see north for hundreds of miles across the vast Colorado River Plateau into Utah and Colorado. Have a scenic lunch looking down on Lake Powell. Return to Navajo Mountain camp for a farewell dinner an final night in this peaceful landscape.

From the campsite, ride a half day down to a wonderful hidden arch named Hawkeye arch and enjoy this last ride on the horses in one of the most remote parts of the reservation. Return back to camp and plan on arriving back in St George, Utah by 7pm.