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

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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 CA $135 per night from Mar 11 to Mar 12
CA $135
CA $164 total
Mar 11 - Mar 12
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Tuba City. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a 24-hour fitness center. Our guests praise the breakfast and ...
9/10 Wonderful! (1,580 reviews)
Ok. A bit dated.

Reviewed on Feb 25, 2026

Navajoland Hotel of Tuba City
Hopi Cultural Center

Hopi Cultural Center

2 out of 5
Highway 264, Milepost 379 Second Mesa AZ
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is CA $172 per night from Mar 11 to Mar 12
CA $172
CA $174 total
Mar 11 - Mar 12
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this motel in Second Mesa. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a conference center. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews.
8.4/10 Very Good! (355 reviews)
Clean staff courteous but t tv had no signal

Reviewed on Feb 16, 2026

Hopi Cultural Center
Tiny HorseShoe Getaway near Flagstaff

Tiny HorseShoe Getaway near Flagstaff

Flagstaff AZ
Stay at this vacation home in Flagstaff. Enjoy a fitness center, laundry facilities, and in-room fireplaces. Popular attraction Wupatki Spirit Totem is located ...
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Tiny HorseShoe Getaway near Flagstaff
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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 vacation home in Flagstaff. Enjoy a fitness center, 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 campground 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
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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 savor 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 savor the top-notch restaurants.

Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks

Tuba City Trading Post

Learn about the local history of Tuba City when you take a trip to Tuba City Trading Post. While in this family-friendly area, you can savor the top-notch restaurants.

Tuba City Trading Post

Explore Navajo Interactive Museum

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

Explore Navajo Interactive Museum

Navajo Code Talkers Museum

You can spend time studying the exhibits at Navajo Code Talkers Museum during your travels in Tuba City. While in this culturally rich area, you can savor the top-notch restaurants.

Navajo Code Talkers Museum

Tuba City Regional Health Care

Though Tuba City Regional Health Care might be what brings you to town, perhaps you'll have a chance to explore more of Tuba City while you are here.

Tuba City Regional Health Care

Things to do

Grand Canyon Complete Day Tour from Sedona or Flagstaff

Grand Canyon Complete Day Tour from Sedona or Flagstaff

CA $435
per adult
100% of travellers recommend
Grand Canyon Complete Day Tour from Sedona or Flagstaff
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff

Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff

CA $285
per adult
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Flagstaff
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Sedona

Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Sedona

CA $285
per adult
100% of travellers recommend
Comprehensive Grand Canyon Tour from Sedona
See all activities in Tuba City

Cities near Tuba City

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Flagstaff

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