Canyons and cliff dwellings of the Four Corners

Route description

From Albuquerque, head northwest on US-550 across the high desert to Farmington, then west into Colorado toward Cortez and Mesa Verde National Park. The cliff dwellings sit under canyon overhangs at the end of a long, winding road up the mesa, so allow at least half a day. Cliff Palace can only be visited on a ranger-led tour, which is worth booking in advance.

Southwest of Cortez, the Four Corners Monument lets you stand in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah at once, with Navajo artisans selling crafts around the plaza. US-160 and US-163 lead on to Monument Valley, where the unpaved valley drive is not suitable for motorhomes and Navajo guides run tours into areas closed to private vehicles.

From Monument Valley the road runs southwest through Kayenta toward Page. Antelope Canyon, with its wavy walls lit by shafts of sunlight, can only be visited on a Navajo-guided tour, so book ahead. Horseshoe Bend lies just south of town, with a parking fee and a 1.5-mile round-trip walk to the unfenced rim above the Colorado River.

US-89 takes you south along the Echo Cliffs, and Arizona 64 then runs west past the Little Colorado River gorge to Desert View and along the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Watch sunset from Hopi Point or Mather Point, and even without a room at El Tovar, you can eat in the dining room of the 1905 lodge. The route ends in Flagstaff, about an hour and a half south; much of it crosses Navajo Nation land, which observes daylight saving time while the rest of Arizona does not, so check tour times carefully.