Campground Overview:
Buffalo Pass Campground is located along Indian Route 13 high in the Chuska Mountains near the community of Lukachukai, Arizona. The views of the surrounding area and mountainsides are incredible. This is a great area to stop and have a picnic if you every find yourself in this part of the world.
*As with most campgrounds on the Navajo Reservation, nothing is guaranteed. Be prepared to pack in, pack out all gear. Do your research ahead of time. Campgrounds are unverified and the condition is unknown.
From Holbrook, Head west toward Navajo Blvd. Take State Hwy 77, Rte 15, Indian Rte 15, US-191 N and Indian Rte 64 to Indian Rte 13 in Red Valley.
Navajo Nation Camping:
Camping is allowed in designated areas of the Navajo Nation. Permits are required and can be obtained through the Navajo Parks and Recreations Website. You will also be required to abide by the rules when camping and any violation to the rules is considered trespassing on Federal Indian Reservation. Please respect native lands.
Be sure you have a good map of the reservation – one that will show the dirt and gravel roads that lead to the heart of the land. You can use a topographic map or buy a reservation map along the way. Fill up the gas tank… as gas stations are sparse. The Navajo Nation is a large remote area, be prepared and always use common sense. The sale of alcohol on the reservation is prohibited. Dress casually and bring your hiking boots, because trails meander across some of the Navajo and national parks into striking scenery.
Navajo Parks and Recreation Camping Rules and Regulations
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Dispersed |
Season: |
Year-Round |
Nearby City: |
Chinle |
Fishing: |
None |
Campground Website: |
Buffalo Pass Campground |
Campground Map: |
N/A |
Reservations: |
First-come, first-served basisCall the Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation at (928) 871-6647 for any additional information |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
The Navajo Nation has encompasses over 27,000 square miles, extending into the States of Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah. This area has a long history going back as far as pre-historic times & the subsequent arrival of Spanish & European settlers. This is home to the Navajo people with it’s array of more than a dozen national monuments, tribal parks & historical sites, and peppered with a dozen lakes and ponds – Lake Powell alone has 186 miles of Navajoland shoreline.
From the grand sandstone masterpieces of monument valley to the ancient pueblo ruins of Canyon de Chelly there’s plenty to see, do, and learn from on the Arizona side of the Navajo reservation. Be sure to incorporate some smaller treasures during your visit, such as Navajo Nation Window Rock Monument & Veteran Memorial Park, or Hubbell Trading Post and the many other national historic site.
Populating most of the Four Corners area, the native tribes were largely hunters and gatherers. As settlers overtook the Southwest due to manifest destiny, conflict ensued and adaptation to the new America that was forming was necessary. The Navajo Reservation’s expansive boundaries include a wide array of landscapes, formations, and plants that make this area such a distinctive landmark in the Southwest and the world.
Monument Valley’s rock formations tower over the landscape and command attention. The majestic canyons also hold many stories in every erosive grove, mineral color, and ancient ruin clinging to the rock walls. Whether you’re in the flatlands, high mountain meadows, or dry deserts, the rich Southwestern colors of reds, yellows, oranges, and pale greens always saturate your vision against the crystal blue skies.
Navajo National Monument is located within the northwest portion of the Navajo Nation territory in Northern Arizona, which was established to preserve three well-preserved cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan People: Broken Pottery (Kitsʼiil), Ledge House (Bitátʼahkin), and Inscription House (Tsʼah Biiʼ Kin). The monument is high on the Shonto plateau, overlooking the Tsegi Canyon system, west of Kayenta, Arizona. It features a visitor center with a museum, two short self-guided mesa top trails, two small campgrounds, and a picnic area. Rangers guide visitors on free tours of the Keet Seel and Betatakin cliff dwellings. The Inscription House site, further west, is currently closed to public access.
The Puebloan Ancestors built Tsegi Phase villages within the natural sandstone alcoves of our canyons. Betatakin, Keet Seel, and Inscription House are the three cliff dwelling sites that are tucked away in the alcoves. These villages, which date from AD 1250 to 1300, thrill all who visit with original architectural elements such as masonry walls, roof beams, and pictographs. The Sandal Trail is an accessible self-guided walk that provides views of the spectacular canyonlands and rugged topography near the visitor center. Interpretive signs provide information on local flora and other topics. The 1-mile round-trip trail ends at an overlook of the Betatakin ruins across the 560-foot-deep Betatakin Canyon. The National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument was authorized in 1931 by President Herbert Hoover in large measure to preserve the important archeological resources that span more than 4,000 years of human occupation. The monument encompasses approximately 84,000 acres of lands located entirely on the Navajo Nation with roughly 40 families residing within the park boundaries. The National Park Service and the Navajo Nation share resources and continue to work in partnership to manage this special place.
Millions of years of land uplifts and stream cutting created the colorful sheer cliff walls of Canyon de Chelly. Natural water sources and rich soil provided a variety of resources, including plants and animals that have sustained families for thousands of years. The Ancient Puebloans found the canyons an ideal place to plant crops and raise families. The first settlers built pit houses that were then replaced with more sophisticated homes as more families migrated to the area. More homes were built in alcoves to take advantage of the sunlight and natural protection. People thrived until the mid-1300’s when the Puebloans left the canyons to seek better farmlands.
Descendants of the Puebloans, the Hopi migrated into the canyons to plant fields of corn and orchards of peaches. Although the Hopi left this area to permanently settle on the mesa tops to the west, the Hopi still hold on to many of their traditions that are evident from their homes and kivas.
Related to the Athabaskan people of Northern Canada and Alaska, the Navajo settled the Southwest between the four sacred mountains. The Navajo, or Dine’ as they call themselves, continue to raise families and plant crops just as the “Ancient Ones” had. The farms, livestock and hogans of the Dine’ are visible from the canyon rims.
Four Corners Tribal Park is the only unique landmark in the United States where four states intersect at one point. Where the corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet a granite and brass monument sets marking the location. Stand in one spot and have one hand in Colorado, the other in Utah, one foot in New Mexico and the other in Arizona! A must stop photo spot for visitors to the South West! Activities include photography, shopping and sightseeing. Native American artisans are onsite with handmade jewelry, crafts and traditional Navajo foods. Four Corners Monument is 60 miles northwest of Farmington on Hwy. 160. It is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. September – May, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. May – September. Cost: $3.00/person
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park You are experiencing one of the most majestic – and most photographed – points on earth. This great valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet, framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding.
The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size. The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs and trees, and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley. All of this harmoniously combines to make Monument Valley a truly wondrous experience. Enjoy this beautiful land
From the visitor center, you see the world-famous panorama of the Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte. You can also purchase guided tours from Navajo tour operators, who take you down into the valley in Jeeps for a narrated cruise through these mythical formations. Places such as Ear of the Wind and other landmarks can only be accessed via guided tours. During the summer months, the visitor center also features Haskenneini Restaurant, which specializes in both native Navajo and American cuisines, and a film/snack/souvenir shop. There are year-round restroom facilities. One mile before the center, numerous Navajo vendors sell arts, crafts, native food, and souvenirs at roadside stands.
Lake Powell Tribal Park- Antelope Canyon located near Page, Arizona is home to one of nature’s most wondrous creations – the slot canyon. Carved from the red sandstone for millennia by rain and wind, the canyons are narrow passageways that lead several hundred feet away from the mouth. The gorgeous sloping angles of the rocks – coupled with the shifts of light that make their way down from the rim of the canyon – combine for a scene that cannot be fully explained with words. Only 8 to 12 feet wide along the sandy floor, the slot canyons have been featured in Hollywood films and magazine publications around the world. But none of those images can match the one you’ll experience when you step into the canyons and see this wonder for yourself.
Upper Antelope Canyon is called Tsé bighánílíní, ‘the place where water runs through rocks’ by the Navajo. It is the most frequently visited by tourists for two reasons. First, its entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing. Second, beams or shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon are much more common in Upper than in Lower. Beams occur most often in the summer months, as they require the sun to be high in the sky. Winter colors are more muted. Summer months provide two types of lighting. Light beams start to peek into the canyon March 20 and disappear October 7 each year.
Lower Antelope Canyon, is called Hazdistazí, or ‘spiral rock arches’ by the Navajo, is located several miles from Upper Antelope Canyon. Prior to the installation of metal stairways, visiting the canyon required climbing along pre-installed ladders in certain areas. Even following the installation of stairways, it is a more difficult hike than Upper Antelope. It is longer, narrower in spots, and even footing is not available in all areas. Five flights of stairs of varying step widths are currently available to aid in descent and ascent. At the end, the climb out requires flights of stairs. Additionally, visitors should be aware of sand which consistently falls from the above crack as it can make the stairs particularly slippery.
Petrified Forest National Park is in northeastern Arizona. In its south, the Rainbow Forest is full of colorful petrified wood. It’s home to the Rainbow Forest Museum, with its paleontology exhibits and many trail access points. In the park’s center are the petroglyphs of Newspaper Rock and the ruined village of Puerco Pueblo. To the north, the Painted Desert Inn, a 1930s adobe building, is a museum with Hopi murals.
With one of the world’s largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, historic structures, archeological sites, and displays of 225 million year old fossils, this is a surprising land of scenic wonders and fascinating science. Best known for globally significant Late Triassic fossils, the park attracts many researchers. Geologists study the multi-hued Chinle Formation. Archeologists research over 13,000 years of history. Biologists explore one of the best remnants of native Arizona grassland.
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