Located in northeastern Arizona, it is within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and lies in the Four Corners region.

Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, it preserves ruins of the indigenous tribes that lived in the area, from the Ancestral Puebloans (also known as the Anasazi) to the Navajo.

Kit Carson sent troops through the canyon, killing 23 Navajo, seizing 200 sheep, and destroying hogans, as well as peach orchards and other crops.

The resulting demoralization led to the surrender of the Navajos and their removal to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico.

Private Navajo-owned companies offer tours of the canyon floor by horseback, hiking or four-wheel drive vehicle.

Commercial air tours are to be banned starting June 2025, barring legal challenges to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Park Service Dec. 2024 Air Tour Management Plan decision.

[18] Accommodations for visitors are located in the vicinity of the canyon, on the road leading to Chinle, which is the nearest town.