Hidden USA

Encompassing some of the most iconic expanses of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, the home of the Navajo people is a must-see for those who truly want to understand modern America

Explore the Navajo Nation, home to some of the most iconic sites of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

In the land of the Navajo, the earth is alive and imbued with magic. Here, among the high desert plains and stark red canyons of the American Southwest, every rock and stone is steeped in myth and legend. Golden buttes punch through the ground like giant’s fists, the handprints of shamans mark the cliffs. Listen and you’ll hear the medicine man’s fire, the drums of ancestors echoing on the wind.

But this is not some far-flung place. It is hidden in plain sight, woven between the cracks like flowers growing through paving. It may say America on the map, but it feels like a different world.

In many ways, it is. The Navajo Nation is a 70,000 sq km sovereign state spread across the parched-yellow grasslands and burgundy mesas of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. It is the largest reservation in the country (bigger than Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire combined) and has its own language, government and cultural identity. More than 170,000 Navajo people – or Dinž, as they call themselves – make their homes here, one foot in the modern world, one in a way of life that has changed little for centuries.

That’s important, because to truly understand America today, you have to see it through the eyes of the people that came first. You have to listen to the stories and maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll feel the magic too. Yá'át’ééh. Welcome to the land of the Navajo.

HIGHLIGHTS MONUMENT VALLEY TRIBAL PARK

The towering red-rock pinnacles and flat-top mesas of Monument Valley are one of the most iconic landscapes in America, and the setting for numerous Westerns. But, in truth, it’s the Indians, not the cowboys, who call this place home.

For the Navajo, these enormous sandstone outcrops are sacred, believed to be the carcasses of defeated monsters, slain by the Holy People, petrified and buried in the sand. Each one tells a story, each one is part of their history and identity.

The most iconic formation is the Mittens, two 300m-tall sandstone buttes that rise from the desert like huge gloved hands. Come at dawn or dusk and they glow orange like embers; in the midday heat, the landscape burns like the surface of Mars.

But that’s what everyone sees. The real Monument Valley is in the backcountry, where a scattering of Navajo families still live the old way, off-grid and off the land, tending sheep the way their ancestors did for centuries.

Travel here with a Navajo guide – on horseback, on foot or by 4WD – and you will see these wind-sculpted peaks transformed into thunderbirds and dragon tails. You will learn how yucca is harvested for basket weaving and juniper for bracelets. You will see the dust storm of wild mustangs galloping in the distance. And if you’re lucky, you will feel that sacredness too (www.navajonationparks.org). Stay: The Navajo-owned View Hotel lives up to its name: every guest room faces the Mittens (www.monumentvalleyview.com). Do: Numerous Navajo operators offer guided tours. For a treat, book a private backcountry tour via Goulding’s Lodge with Navajo guide Larry Holiday, which includes the chance sleep under the stars (www.gouldings.com).

CANYON DE CHELLY

This dramatic 42km-long Y-shaped gorge is considered by many to be the heart of the Navajo Nation. But it’s also where its heart was broken. In 1864 Colonel Kit Carson invaded this sacred canyon, killing and capturing men, women and children. It was the last battle between the US military and the Navajo, and those that survived joined 8,000 others from their tribe on the infamous ‘Long Walk’ – a 480km forced march across New Mexico to the prison camp of Fort Sumner.

But although those scars still remain, Canyon de Chelly (pronounced ‘de shay’) is still a beautiful place. Scenic drives traverse the canyon rim, with panoramic viewpoints throughout; there are gorgeous hiking and riding trails.

For the best experience, hire a Navajo guide for a 4WD tour inside the canyon. Here, scattered among the cliffs and cotton trees are 4,000 years of human history, including the cliff-dwelling homes of the Anasazi, ancestors to the modern-day Navajo, who lived in caves carved into the rock walls. Petroglyphs of dancers, antelopes and the handprints of medicine men mark the walls. At the end of the canyon is Fortress Rock, where the Navajo warriors made their last stand. Perhaps nowhere else on the reservation is the pride, rich history and deep sadness of the Navajo people felt more acutely.

Stay: Thunderbird Lodge is Navajo owned and the only hotel in Canyon de Chelly (www.thunderbirdlodge.com).

Do: Canyon de Chelly tours offers guided Jeep and hiking tours inside the canyon led by a certified Navajo guide (www.canyondechellytours.com).

ANTELOPE CANYON

Forget the Grand Canyon – that’s just a big ditch. If you want to see Mother Nature at her most colourful and creative, then this narrow slot canyon is perhaps the most beautiful in the world.

It’s also a photographer’s dream. Between April and September mid-morning light shines into the narrow slot at the top of the gorge, lighting up the rock in a kaleidoscope of shades. Sun beams break from above like spotlights. Being here is surreal and awe-inspiring, like nowhere else on earth.

But for the Navajo, it’s more than that. Historically, Antelope Canyon was a kind of cathedral, a natural monument to the infinite creativity and harmony of nature. People would come to quieten their minds, to feel uplifted and connected to something greater than themselves. It was seen as a place of great energy and spirituality.

It still is to this day. Accessible only via Navajo guides, the Upper and Lower parts of the canyon are relatively short and easy to explore. But for a wilder experience, away from the crowds, consider hiking the backcountry trail (23km one-way) deeper into the park to Rainbow Bridge. This 85m long and 88m high natural stone arch, one of the largest in the world, is sacred to the Navajo and a true hidden wonder of the American Southwest.

Stay: Antelope Hogan Bed & Breakfast offers overnights in a traditional Navajo hogan close to the park, near the town of Page (www.antelopehoganbedandbreakfast.com).

Do: Navajo Tours Direct offers Navajo-guided tours through all parts of Antelope Canyon and beyond (www.navajotoursdirect.com). Backcountry permits are required for accessing Rainbow Bridge by land; it is also possible to take a boat trip from Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge (www.navajonationparks.org).