Stay In a Hogan

If you are looking for an authentic Navajo experience, visitors can stay in a traditional eight-sided, one room home called a hogan. Many hogans are used primarily for ceremonial purposes, but some Navajo families have begun to use them as lodging to provide tourists with the real Navajo experience. This is a primitive way of life- a traditional way of life. There is no electricity, running water, or luxury when staying in a hogan, only Mother Earth and the beauty of the natural surroundings.

Furnishings are sparse… either a mattress or a sheepskin lying on the dirt floor. The dirt floor represents Mother Earth and is kept very clean. A single door facing east to welcome the morning rays of the sun, and an opening in the center of the roof that represents the sky and serves as a hole for the stovepipe.  In this way, with dirt and the sky as part of the home, the Navajo stays connected to what he holds most dear. A kerosene lamp throws shadows on the log walls where wedding baskets and cradleboards are hung.