Hike to Keet Seel Cliff Dwellings (Broken Pottery), Navajo National Monument

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Keet Seel is one of the best preserved ancestral pueblo villages in the Southwest. The site is located 8.5 miles from the Visitor Center. The hike is rugged, strenuous and begins at elevation 7300 feet (2225.04 m) above sea level. Allow at least 4-6 hours hiking time each way, 30 minutes to rest and have lunch, and about one hour to tour Keet Seel. The trail is marked by white posts approximately every one half to one mile along the route to the site. The trail drops sharply 1000 feet (305 m) from the canyon rim to the canyon floor on rocky switchbacks and sand dunes. Once in the canyon, the route follows shallow streams and gradually rises 400 feet (125 m) over the last 5.5 miles (9 km) of the trail. The trail crosses Keet Seel creek many times. Walking through water is unavoidable and your shoes will get wet. The final 2 miles of the route cross several deep sandy gullies leading up into the Keet Seel area. Site tours normally start around 9:30am and are conducted throughout the day as hikers arrive. Plan your departure accordingly. We recommend that all hikers start on the trail early. Keet Seel Site: Upon arrival at Keet Seel, make contact with the Ranger and give him/her the perforated portion of your permit. The Ranger may be giving a tour or on patrol when you arrive, please wait at the picnic table area for their return. Do not enter Keet Seel without the Ranger. No more than five people can tour Keet Seel at one time; this is to minimize the impact to the fragile site. Wearing shoes with non-aggressive tread while visiting Keet Seel will greatly lessen impacts to the fragile ancestral pueblo village. Larger groups will be split up into smaller parties. As one group tours the site the rest of the group can relax at the picnic table area, eat, or take photographs. Day hikers have first priority for tours so that they may have time to hike back to the Visitor Center before dark. Wandering and exploring beyond monument boundaries onto Navajo Nation lands is prohibited. Remember, local families monitor the area as well and there may be consequences to such behavior upon your return. Keet Seel hikes requires advance reservation and obtaining a backcountry permit at the visitor center. Daily limit is 20 people for this 17-mile round-trip hike on a primitive backcountry trail; elevation loss and regain is 1000 feet (304.8m). The hike will lead down steep switchback trail, and uneven steps that are haphazardly littered with loose rocks, and continue down a sandy slope and once at the bottom, expect to hike across ankle-deep flowing water many times before reaching your Keet Seel. Keet Seel reservations are subject to cancellation during severe weather conditions during the summer monsoon season which last from July to September. Keet Seel is located within the Tsegi Canyon system and severe flooding does occur. Flashflooding creates quicksand which is dangerous for all hikers. It is also advisable to call ahead for weather conditions so that unnecessary trips and disappointments are avoided. Download "2017 Keet Seel hiking information" in a pdf format. During the warmer months, hikers may choose to dayhike or stay overnight in the designated campground near Keet Seel. Open fire is not allowed at the campground. Mandatory orientation begins at 3:00 P.M. DST the day before scheduled tour and 8:15 A.M. DST on the day of scheduled tour (We prefer hikers to arrive the day before to attend the 3:00 P.M. orientation and hike out early the next day due to hot weather conditions). Before receiving a permit hikers and their hiking companions are required to attend the Keet Seel Orientation. Permits should be visible at all times while hiking to and from Keet Seel. All Keet Seel hikers should be on the trail and hiking to Keet Seel before 9:00 A.M. DST local time or earlier. Bring at least 1 gallon of water per person per day, for the stream is shared with livestock. Ranger on site at Keet Seel will guide you through Keet Seel. Keet Seel is close during winter months and also part of spring; call for reservation: 928-672-2700.

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