white house ruins trail

This is the only hike in Canyon de Chelly that you can do without a Navajo guide. It's worth it. A nice hike down into the Canyon with the amazing White House Ruins at the end of the trail. These are pretty well-preserved Anasazi Ruins and make for great photos. The hike back up is a bit tougher, but still quite easy, with a rest-stop or two. Be sure to drive up to the Spider Rock overlook for the best overview into the Canyon.

Great hiking trail which is about 2.5 miles round trip of hiking. I recommend it if you want to exercise or just for the beautiful scenery.

As usual, great hike. If you like hiking, this is the spot. It was still cool so bundle up. Met many tourists along the way. If you want a Jeep Tour, there are several in the area to choose from.

it took a group of us to hike down to the ruin in 30 minutes it was very beautiful and a great little hike on the trail, it was very helpful they had little area to sit and rest for those who need it.

I covered the hike in 50 minutes (the sign say to appropriate 2 hours), and the ascent back to the rim was challenging due to its steepness and the canyon's high altitude. But the hike was nice, with phenomenal views, and provided an entirely different perspective of the White House ruins. Nothing beats standing in front of them and looking up the humongous ledge towering over it!

This was a very beautiful trail to the ruins. I am so glad I did it! It was late afternoon so didn't stay long but I will never forget it. I envy the natives who hike the trail everyday, I sure would if I could!

The White House ruins are location along the South Rim drive at Canyon de Chelly. It is the only ruins accessible to visitors without the requirement of a local Navajo guide. Visitors can walk out to the overlook and gaze down at the ruins from the top of the canyon. The more adventurous (and not terribly afraid of heights) folks can hike the 1.2 miles down the steep canyon walls into the valley and get pretty close to it. The ruins are fenced off but you can still get pretty good photo ops by stepping up on the tree stump or the other rocks previous visitors have laid out along the fence.Depending on the time of year, early morning or mid-late afternoon makes for better photos ops.There are public washrooms nearby and lots of local vendors are there selling cold drinks and native jewelry/art. There are no water refill stations.For those wishing to see the ruins but don't feel comfortable hiking down, you can book a jeep tour from the visitor's center and they will drive you down to several sites.It's definitely worth the hike. Set aside 2-2.5hrs for this attraction.

The Canyon de Chelly is a beautiful location that you must discover. Take one of the visit by Jeep and admire what nature did

This is a challenging hike so maybe not for everyone. We enjoyed the switchbacks and the views as you drop down into the canyon. White House ruins are nothing unusual so you really need to hire a guide to see the really great ones. I do however, think this was worth the time to hike this trail!

We went late in afternoon and had a chance to see a beautiful light bathing the ruins. We were told that this light happens in the afternoon only in September and October. Be careful because the way down is very steep, sometimes narrow and so proper shoes are advised.

The White House Ruins trail is the only route down to the floor of Canyon de Chelly that you can take without a guide. You should allow approx 90 mins - 2 hours for the 1.5 mile round trip with approx 600ft descent/ascent.From the rim you'll wind down the cliff face via a series of switchbacks and through several rock tunnels that provide a brief respite from the heat which can be brutal in summer (bring plenty of water). Once on the floor of the canyon you'll cross a small creek on a narrow bridge and nearby trees will provide some shade.Once down here, it's really worthwhile to stop and stand totally still for a minute or two. You'll be hard pressed to find many places as quiet and peaceful as this. Aside from a few birds and the trickle of the water in the creek, it's totally silent and so peaceful down here - easy to see why the Navajo enjoyed settling here.As you approach the ruins you're likely to find a few Navajo locals selling hand made crafts and there are also a couple of vault toilets here. Unfortunately the ruins themselves are fenced off and you can't get closer than about 40ft but I guess this is needed to preserve them in some good condition and you can still get some great pics through the fence with your camera's zoom.Be sure to take some time to sit beneath the trees by the creek, enjoy a bite to eat and hydrate yourself before heading back up the trail to the parking lot.

Spectacular views on the hike! Ruins sort of secondary to the hike itself. And there are bathrooms at the bottom!

There is a moderately strenuous trail (600 ft.) from the rim down to the valley floor to view the ruins. There are switchbacks so it is not too steep. This is the only trail that you can hike without a guide. Highly recommended if you are in reasonably good health.

The walk down into the canyon looks daunting from the top, but it is not difficult at all, is really beautiful to do, and the ruins really worth visiting.

The White House Ruins trail is the only trail into Canyon de Chelly that you can take without a Navajo guide. The trail starts at the White House ruins overlook and goes down a mile and a half to the beautiful White House Ruins. The trail starts with a tunnel and then switches back and forth down the edge of the canyon. It is not very steep, but parts of it are rock ledges with steep drops. I would not recommend taking this walk when the ground is wet. There are clean restrooms at the ruins and local people selling their crafts. However, water is not for sale there so be sure to bring plenty. We walked the trail on a sunny, breezy 70 degree day and we were still polished off a lot of water. If you don't take a horse riding or hiking tour into the canyon, this is your only opportunity to get a sense of the peace of this place that is sacred to the Navajo. Bring water, wear hiking shoes and don't go if the ground is wet. It's a great hike!