Tuba City

Travel Guide

#Petroglyphs
#Petroglyphs
The rocks and stratifications near Tuba City, AZ
#Nature Luckily I had the directions to Coal Mine this time, because there is no sign, it’s on private property and you can’t see it from the road. Between mileposts 363 and 364 you turn off onto someone’s property and aim between a two-storey house and a windmill. It’s okay, they’re about half a kilometre apart. I pulled up beside a photogenic ruin and grabbed my gear. As I stood up, the attraction of Coal Mine became clear. It was everything I’d hoped for and more. The reality of it was simply that it was the finest canyon I’d ever seen. Sure, it’s not as deep as the Grand Canyon, doesn’t have as many hoodoos as Bryce, doesn’t quite have the sheerness of Zion and has no more colour than Cottonwood Canyon Road; but, it has everything; all of those features crammed into one of the earth’s most magnificent compact canyons. Why it’s not a major attraction I don’t quite understand; perhaps it’s where it is that causes people to miss it. This would be backed up by the fact that other nearby canyons are rarely visited also. Perhaps it’s because this is distinctly Indian country, as was the Square Butte earlier. All along the main routes you see stalls selling jewellery. I couldn’t help but think if they got a bit entrepreneurial they could make an absolute killing by developing some of the sites. Still, I was more interested in this washed out hole in the ground. It’s on the edge of the 120 mile wide Painted Desert. The colours were the like of which I’d never seen before in one geological place. I moved around to parts where you could get out to; couldn’t stop shaking my head at what was there in front of me. Weird shapes, the layer of coal that used to be mined almost on top, the patterns in the rocks; I didn’t know where to look first. After I’d spent over an hour poking in here and there I worked my way further south until I came across the benches that someone has put there. However, to my despair, I noticed there’s also a rope-supported trail to the bottom just a bit further on. Physically, I hadn’t enough left in me to go down but, know when you go that it’s an option. If you want to get to this point first you should drive to the side where the windmill is. I’ve read another report since on another site that indicates you can drive to two other access points as well, further down the road, but I was unaware of those at the time. Also, you’ll read that you are on Indian land and, from every bit of information I could glean, it’s Navajo up the top and Hopi down the bottom. I’d boldly suggest you do just what myself and most people do; just go there. I tried to contact the Hopi re a trip to Blue Canyon but ran up a dead end, so I gave up after that. So, if you’re looking for a café and accommodation beside a major attraction, you’ve come to the wrong place. However, if it’s solitude and a wonderful natural experience that fits the bill, then look no further.
I'm in love with desert sunrises🌅 Quick Tip: Don't forget to pick up your Navajo Permit to access the canyon rim! If you want to climb down into the canyon, you need to hire a Hopi guide. #Arizona #Adventure
Navajoland Hotel of Tuba City

Navajoland Hotel of Tuba City

3 out of 5
10 North Main Street Tuba City AZ
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is €101 per night from 2 Mar to 3 Mar
€101
2 Mar - 3 Mar
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Tuba City. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour fitness centre. Our guests praise the breakfast and the restaurant ...
9/10 Wonderful! (1,562 reviews)
Way nicer than what i was expecting! I would certainly stay there again.

Reviewed on 1 Feb 2026

Navajoland Hotel of Tuba City
Hopi Cultural Center

Hopi Cultural Center

2 out of 5
Highway 264, Milepost 379 Second Mesa AZ
The price is €115 per night from 8 Feb to 9 Feb
€115
8 Feb - 9 Feb
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this motel in Second Mesa. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a conference centre. Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews.
8.2/10 Very Good! (352 reviews)
very cool place room basic but clean and comfortable staff helpful to get me a guide

Reviewed on 1 Feb 2026

Hopi Cultural Center
Experience our Traditional Navajo Hogan near Grand Canyon

Experience our Traditional Navajo Hogan near Grand Canyon

Cameron AZ
Stay at this B&B in Cameron. Popular attraction Little Colorado River Navajo Tribal Park is located nearby.
Unique Experience
What a refreshing change from touristy cabins/motels. Solitude, wide open vistas, starry skies. Owner was helpful and responsive, but not intrusive. Members of owner’s family who stopped by were kind and informative.

Reviewed on 15 Oct 2024

Get rates
Experience our Traditional Navajo Hogan near Grand Canyon
See all 8 properties in Tuba City
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Tiny HorseShoe Getaway near Flagstaff

Tiny HorseShoe Getaway near Flagstaff

Flagstaff AZ
Stay at this holiday home in Flagstaff. Enjoy a fitness centre, laundry facilities and in-room fireplaces. Popular attraction Wupatki Spirit Totem is located ...
Tiny HorseShoe Getaway near Flagstaff
Tiny Home near Grand Canyon with 2 Lofts, Sleeps 5

Tiny Home near Grand Canyon with 2 Lofts, Sleeps 5

Flagstaff AZ
Stay at this campsite in Flagstaff. Enjoy laundry facilities and air conditioning. Popular attraction Wupatki Spirit Totem is located nearby.
Tiny Home near Grand Canyon with 2 Lofts, Sleeps 5
See all properties in Tuba City
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Stunning view of white striped sandstone hoodoos in Coal Mine Canyon near Tuba city, Arizona, USA.

Coal Mine Canyon

Explore the great outdoors at Coal Mine Canyon, a lovely green space in Tuba City. While in this culturally rich area, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Coal Mine Canyon
For decades the Haskie family has taken tourists to see dinosaur tracks and fossils on their land outside of Tuba City. Now the Navajo Nation plans to preserve them. A paleontologist in St. George, Utah said this site could be one of the biggest in the country, but you need a permit from the Navajo Nation to study it thoroughly. The tracks embedded in the hard sandstone were most likely made by Dilophosaurus about 193 million years ago in a mudflat along a river and filled in and protected by super-fine sediment. Once they put a nice walking pathway you won't be able to walk along the tracks and touch these foot prints and knock on the fossilized dino bones to hear the hollow sound.

Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks

Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks is just one of the places to see in Tuba City, so why not enjoy the other things to explore during your travels? While you're here, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks

Tuba City Trading Post

Learn about the local history of Tuba City when you spend time at Tuba City Trading Post. While in this family-friendly area, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Tuba City Trading Post

Explore Navajo Interactive Museum

You can spend an afternoon studying the exhibits at Explore Navajo Interactive Museum during your trip to Tuba City. While in this family-friendly area, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Explore Navajo Interactive Museum

Tuba City Regional Health Care

If Tuba City Regional Health Care is what brings you to town, hopefully you'll have a chance to explore more of Tuba City.

Tuba City Regional Health Care

Navajo Code Talkers Museum

You can spend time exploring the galleries in Navajo Code Talkers Museum during your trip to Tuba City. While in this culturally rich area, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Navajo Code Talkers Museum

Things to do

From Sedona Flagstaff Small Group Grand Canyon Complete Tour

From Sedona Flagstaff Small Group Grand Canyon Complete Tour

€329
per adult
From Sedona Flagstaff Small Group Grand Canyon Complete Tour
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff

Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff

€174
per adult
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Sedona

Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Sedona

€174
per adult
100% of travellers recommend
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Sedona
The Desert View Tower

Private Grand Canyon Ultimate Day Tour

€354
per adult
Private Grand Canyon Ultimate Day Tour
Grand Canyon Complete Day Tour from Sedona or Flagstaff

Grand Canyon Complete Day Tour from Sedona or Flagstaff

€265
per adult
100% of travellers recommend
Grand Canyon Complete Day Tour from Sedona or Flagstaff
Make memories you will never forget on your private Grand Canyon tour.

Private Grand Canyon Tour From Flagstaff or Sedona

€1,248
per traveller
Private Grand Canyon Tour From Flagstaff or Sedona
See all activities in Tuba City
Northern Arizona showing street scenes

Flagstaff