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Native American land in the Southwest blooms with spectacular scenery and rewards visitors with an understanding of Native American history and culture. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Canyon de Chelly and Taos Pueblo not only put you in the midst of formidable landscapes but also provide the opportunity for a first-hand encounter with Native Americans to hear their history and live their traditions. Take advantage of spring, summer and fall to visit these memorable places.

Some of the most stunning scenery in the Southwest lies on the 27,000 square miles of Navajo Nation land in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. In Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which straddles the border of Arizona and Utah, the sun turns the canyon walls the color of flames, and red rock buttes and mesas rise up from the desert floor. Although the much-photographed vistas appear in movies and commercials, being in the area always dazzles us.

Unescorted visitors can view the formations from the 17-mile loop road, but only Navajo guides can take tourists into the magnificent landscape. On our Jeep and hike tour, our guide told us that the Navajo people consider the area to be sacred. He brought us close to the 1,000-foot-high structures and, eagle-eyed, pointed to rows of glistening blue crystals on petrified logs that line the dry riverbed. In the distance, a lone stallion cantered across the high plateau, framed by the wind-sculpted spires. Jeep tours, horseback rides and stargazing evenings are all available.

Also located on Navajo Nation land near Chinle, Arizona, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, known as Tsegi to the Navajo, is visually impressive and important for its history. Towering sandstone walls ring the 84,000-acre site, and sunlight makes the canyon walls glow. For me, hearing the tales of Canyon de Chelly from a Dine guide -- the term the Navajo use to refer to themselves -- deepened my experience. To book a hike, horseback ride or Jeep outing led by a Dine guide, it is necessary to reserve the tour with a Navajo company.

Our guide told us that the Dine have farmed and raised livestock at the site for more than 5,000 years. He showed us ancient cliff dwellings and petroglyphs of dogs, turkeys and ducks and explained why the Dine revere the area. According to tribal legend, Navajo culture emerged from this canyon. We could imagine a way of life unspooling from the ground and swirling up the 1,000-foot-high sandstone walls.

Tribal stories are handed down from generation to generation. Some of the history was painful to hear. In 1864, Col. Kit Carson attacked the Navajo. Our guide told us how the whine of bullets ricocheted across the canyon. Those who survived set off on the Long Walk -- a forced march of more than 300 miles to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, during which many perished.

The ancestors of the Taos Pueblo people, also known as the People of the Red Willow, have lived in the Taos Valley in New Mexico for more than 1,000 years. Parts of the pueblo were constructed between 1000 and 1450, making the five-story adobe structure the oldest continuously inhabited pueblo in the United States. The pueblo is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. Set against the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the buildings exude a quiet dignity. On a tour we learned a bit of history and viewed the San Geronimo Chapel, constructed in 1850.

A wonderful time to visit is during the annual Taos Pueblo Pow Wow, where we witnessed the dancing, drumming, sharing and sense of community that is so important in Native American culture. Initially a celebration of successful harvests and hunts, pow wows evolved as social events that affirm traditions. During the dance competitions, participants, wearing traditional regalia with feathers, shawls, bells, ribbons and rainbow-colored beads, swirl to the rhythms of drums. The spectacle enchanted us.

From the food booths serving authentic Native fare, we sampled tasty tacos made of fry bread wrapped around meat, beans and grated cheese, often topped with sauce. Sated, we walked back to the main area, tapping our feet to the pulsing beat.

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WHEN YOU GO

The 2025 Taos Pueblo Pow Wow is scheduled for July 7 to 9.

Navajo Nation Park: navajonationparks.org

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park: navajonationparks.org/navajo-tribal-parks/monument-valley

Monument Valley Tribal Tours: monumentvalleytribaltours.com

Canyon de Chelly National Monument: nps.gov/cach/index.htm

Taos Pueblo: taospueblo.com

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Candyce H. Stapen is a writer at www.greatfamilyvacations.com. Follow her on Instagram @candycestapen Twitter @familyitrips (Candyce H. Stapen), www.facebook.com/FamilyiTrips/ and at www.hennyskids.org, her non-profit that brings solar-powered computers and soccer balls to rural schools in Africa.

Copyright 2025 Creators Syndicate, Inc.