Navajo Nation is Native American territory covering land from New Mexico through Arizona and Utah. Lucky for visitors, the Natives give tours of their beautiful land, rich in history and sacred culture. Your annual National Park passes won't work here, and they do charge a small entrance fee going in to each site. Some guided tours cost roughly $40/adult and you can't enter without them. In the bigger picture, it’s a small price to pay to give back to the native community.

MONUMENT VALLEY

Visiting this land was a longtime dream come true. Owned by Natives in Navajo Nation, Monument Valley sits on the border of Utah and Arizona. We camped at The View campground for two nights, but could have stayed much longer. They have showers and there's also a hiking trail that loops the left mitten butte connected to the campground entrance. The View also offers cabins and tent sites if you don’t have a RV.

NAVAJO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Rich in history with cliff dwellings of Ancestral Puebloan People, this serene monument celebrates the culture of our Natives. You can hike down into the caves to get a better look at how they once lived off the land thousands of years ago. We camped at their quiet free campground with maybe one other guest.

ANTELOPE CANYON

There are two separate tours you can take of Antelope Canyon, the upper or the lower tour. We chose to do the lower tour. Luckily that day wasn't too hot in the desert, but the line of tourists with iPads was pretty intense. The beauty in the canyon made it well worth it. Depending on the wait, this tour can take up to an hour in line and then an hour down in the canyon. Take plenty of water. Again, you can't enter without a paid guide and you most likely won't be able to find the entrance without one either! Check the weather before visiting, flash floods are their biggest concern.

What you don’t see in most of these beautiful photos are the lines of tourists being led through the canyon back to back. There’s often a backed up queue because people are waiting for others to move to get a shot without humans in it. The photos feel more magical than the experience. It may be worth checking out the less crowded upper canyon in the future next time since there're smaller groups.

HORSESHOE BEND

The viewpoint of Horseshoe Bend near Page, AZ is a section of the Colorado River that twists 270 degrees. It is a short drive from Antelope Canyon and then about a 20-minute sandy trail from the parking lot. This was even more breathtaking in person. We returned here in 2019 to find that they started charging an entrance fee for maintenance. The viewpoint was filled with influencers, drones in the sky and crowds doing non-stop photo shoots. It was a bit unfortunate to experience such a drastic change but at least people are getting outdoors to enjoy our country more.

Navajo Nation landscape & nature photography by Lisa Beggs

Year: 2016