Canyon de Chelly Day Two: Canyon del Muerto and Mummy Cave

On the second day of exploring, our group retraces the tire tracks through Chinle Creek on a four-wheel-drive adventure that brings us to a fork in the road and into Canyon del Muerto.

The Jeep caravan winds its way past more ruins and petroglyphs that grace the walls of Canyon del Muerto. Antelope House Ruin and Mummy Cave are two of the most well known.

About 10 miles in, we make a long stop at my favorite, Mummy Cave. Sitting 300 ft. above the canyon floor, Mummy Cave consists of an eastern and western alcove. According to the National Park Service website, it is the “largest ancient largest ancient Puebloan village preserved in Canyon de Chelly.”

Scholars date the structures in the eastern alcove, which includes an impressive tower, from 300 to 400 A.D. A ledge connects the eastern cave to the western one. All total, 70 rooms and 3 kivas have been discovered at Mummy Cave.

Mummy Cave was occupied until approximately 1300. At that time, the Puebloan people who populated the area abruptly relocated, possibly due to drought conditions.

As we leave Canyon de Chelly, I spot horses running free in Chinlé Wash. The splash from their hooves hovers in the air like crystal jewels lit by a late afternoon sun. It’s the perfect ending to two days of an amazing boomer travel adventure.