Driving Conditions Canyon De Chelly has no conventional roads. Sandy washes that are often the beds of flowing streams serve as major thoroughfares. Un-maintained trails often cut across wooded regions. Private S.U.V.'s should be in excellent mechanical condition and not prone to overheating. High clearance is a plus, since often you will travel through ruts created by another concessionaires two and one-half ton trucks.
Knowledgeable guides are essential.
It is not unusual for a vehicle to be trapped in the wet sand when water is flowing. This is caused when unseen water flowing beneath the surface of the sand is forced up to the surface when it meets an impenetrable rock formation. Extraction is costly. May. Ice may coat the canyon floors from December through February. In past years, the advent of winter often closed the Canyon to tourism.