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WHAT IS IT?Three 13th century cliff dwellings vacated by its Ancestral Puebloan residents after less than 100 years of inhabitation.
BEAUTY (5/10)
A paved sidewalk meanders past a reproduction of a Navajo dwelling, past an overlook of the Tsegi Canyon and eventually leads you to an overlook of the Betatakin ruins. The setting of the Site looks identical to everything we had driven past in the last three days; there is nothing that entices the visitor off the beaten path.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (4/10)
As many as 100 people lived and farmed in the Tsegi Canyon between 1250 and 1300. Betatakin Ruins are some of the largest and most well preserved prehistoric Pueblo villages in the southwest.
There are fossilized dinosaur footprints behind the Visitor Center across from the Navajo dwelling. Look down and to the left; we nearly walked right past them.
CROWDS (4/10)
More than the one distracted Ranger could handle. There were a surprising number of cars in the parking area, lots of people with questions and requests and a loud group of Arizona State Park employees who seemed to be on a field trip to collect ideas from their federally-run neighbor.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (1/5)
Navajo NM is remote even by northern Arizona standards. The Visitor Center is nine miles northeast of U.S. Route 160 via Arizona Route 564. The closest sizable towns are Kayenta (20 miles to the northeast) and Tuba City (50 miles to the southwest). Flagstaff, Arizona is about 180 miles to the south.
Overlooks provide a vista of the Betatakin ruin. The strenuous five-mile round trip hike down the canyon and to the Betatakin ruin must be done with a Ranger. The even more arduous eight-and-a-half-mile hike to the Keet Seel ruin does not require an escort but must be done Memorial Day through Labor Day. The hike requires a permit of which only 20 are issued per day.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
A modest selection of books and nothing you will not find at all other sites in the Four Corners region.
COSTS (5/5)Entrance to the Site is free, as is the daily four-hour tour into the Betatakin ruins.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (2/5)
One frazzled Ranger behind the front desk. It was difficult to get his attention as he tried to answer a stack of phone messages, respond to all of the State Park employees’ questions and start the Site’s two films on request.
At the time of our visit, the Park Superintendent’s wife was leading the morning tours into the Betatakin ruin.
TOURS/CLASSES (5/10)
Options are limited if you arrive after the 10 am tour. The paved walkway combines incongruous pieces of history without providing the context for any. No guide book, no Ranger talk, no nothing.
With so many debates raging over Evolution, Creationism and the age of things in general, it seems irresponsible to place dinosaur tracks next to a Navajo home without any further explanation.
One of the two films available guides the viewer through a tour of Betatakin Ruins and explains some Ancestral Puebloan, beliefs. We found it oversimplified and problematic when the Ranger/narrator called the Anasazi’s First Man and First Woman “Adam and Eve.”
We would have stayed and camped for the following day’s tour had we been assured it was Ranger led. It was not. When we asked for the volunteer guide’s credentials, the response was, “she’s the wife of the Superintendent.” Although we are sure she knows her stuff, that answer wasn’t good enough to make us camp at high altitude in early spring.
FUN (3/10)
We spent more time trying to get the Ranger’s attention than we did viewing the Betatakin Ruins from afar. There were several visitors here and most made the walk down to the viewpoint, even though the ascent back up to the VC was a little difficult for some of the older ones. At the viewpoint, we all shared the same thought. Ok. Is that it? Well, what do you want to do now?
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (3/10)Navajo NM suffers not only because of its own misgivings (extremely remote location, short staff, limited trails and trail access, distance of ruins from VC) but because it is situated amid so many of our nation’s can’t-miss must-see National Park destinations. Navajo NM is our least favorite Site in the Grand Circle Tour of National Parks. Obscure ruin seekers alone need seek refuge here.
TOTAL 35/80
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© 2005