Navajo National Monument

Navajo National Monument protects three ancient cliff dwellings nestled in natural sandstone alcoves in northern Arizona: Betatakin, Keet Seel, and Inscription House. These structures display carefully arranged rooms and walls built into the rock faces, showing the craft of those who constructed them.

The structures were built between 1250 and 1300 CE as people moved into these canyons to establish permanent settlements. These dwellings were later abandoned and remained undisturbed for centuries before being rediscovered in modern times.

The monument preserves artifacts and structures from ancestral Puebloan people and maintains living connections with Navajo and Hopi communities today. These ongoing relationships shape how the sites are understood and valued by those who visit and live nearby.

Betatakin is accessed by guided ranger tours, while Keet Seel requires advance reservations and involves a long hike with significant elevation changes. Visitors should come prepared for varying trail conditions and bring water and sturdy footwear.

The Betatakin alcove is one of the region's largest natural overhangs and contains over 100 rooms built entirely into the rock face. This scale reveals how many people lived here together and suggests a highly organized community life.