View from the Antelope House Overlook on North Rim Drive at Canyon de Chelly National Monument

The canyon within Canyon de Chelly National Monument (pronounced de Shay) is shaped like a sideways Y with the mouth of the Y facing east. Canyon de Chelly is the southeastern fork of the Y and Canyon del Muerto the northeastern fork. The North Rim Drive largely follows Canyon del Muerto. There are three overlooks along the way that offer panoramic views of the surrounding canyons. You can do the entire scenic drive, a 34-mile round trip, and stop at all of the overlooks in about two hours.

North Rim Drive Map (click to enlarge)

From the three overlooks, visitors can see one named rock formation, three named archeological sites, and three named caves. Plan to spend around 15 to 30 minutes at the Mummy Cave and Massacre Cave overlooks and up to an hour at the Antelope House Overlook, which has a half-mile loop trail that leads to two points of interest.

Because Canyon de Chelly National Monument is entirely on Navajo lands, one of the agreements between the National Park Service and the Navajo is the authorization of “roadside concessions.” Navajo artists and vendors can sell their goods at the overlook parking areas provided they are sold from the vendor’s vehicle and not from tables or blankets set up on the sidewalks or at the overlooks themselves (though many vendors do not follow the rules). It is highly likely that you will encounter at least one roadside concession while visiting the overlooks. The few that I came across were selling handmade jewelry and artwork.

Navajo artist Alan Bíe shows his artwork at the Spider Rock Overlook, Canyon de Chelly National Monument

The following is a list of overlooks, complete with photos of the views. The overlooks are listed from west to east. At the bottom of each page is a menu that connects to the next and previous stops on the scenic drive.

Antelope House Overlook

Mummy Cave Overlook

Massacre Cave Overlook

Back to the Top