Day 27 - (09/05) Chinle, AZ

Today’s travel was 237 miles from Flagstaff to Chinle, AZ. As we’ve experienced for the past three days, it was a gray day with intermittent heavy and light showers until mid-afternoon (thanks to hurricane effects from Mexico).

We stopped at Petrified Forest National Park and drove through some of the Painted Desert. The route (I-40W to US-191N to Navajo route 7) kept us mostly on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

Petrified Forest at Visitor Center

Petrified Forest

Painted Desert (on overcast day)

We’re staying at Cottonwood Campground in the Canyon de Chelly (dah-Shay) National Monument. The campground is free, but we have to dry camp … which means if you didn’t bring it, you don’t have it.

This campground is clean, comfortable and free

We attended a ranger lecture on the history of the Navajo culture tonight. It’s very interesting to see how the various native histories we’ve seen in CO, UT and AZ are related.

Did you know?
A national park is established by an act of Congress; a national monument is usually established by proclamation of the President.

We tour Canyon de Chelly tomorrow.