Navajo National Monument is located in northern Arizona, southwest of the town of Kayenta off highway 160. The turnoff to the monument is well marked. It is located on Navajo Nation lands, and because of this there is no charge for entry or camping.

The ruins of Betatakin and Keet Seel are accessible from the park visitor's center. There are daily guided tours to Betatakin, at 0815 and 1000 during the warm months. You can obtain a backcountry permit to hike into Keet Seel on your own. You will need to attend a short orientation before your permit is issued. They are run at 0815 and 1600 (4 pm) daily. Access to Keet Seel may be limited to the warm months only. There is camping at Keet Seel if you so desire, with a ranger in residence to take you into the ruin. Neither ruin can be visited without park rangers.

Both ruins are well preserved, and the park rangers- all of them Navajo- offer their academic knowledge of the ruins, as well as some personal stories about ceremonies, family and clan relations, and oral history of the area. This makes the visit to the Monument all the more interesting and unique.

Be sure to check in advance if you plan to visit during the winter or cooler months as schedules and access may change. Also, the guided tour times and days for visiting the ruins changes throughout the year and based on budget. Pay attention to time zones- even though the monument is in Arizona, it uses mountain daylight time. Call the monument at (928) 672-2700 for more information.


The ruins of Betatakin as seen from inside the alcove. Betatakin was occupied only for about 30 years between about 1250 and 1300.