Grounded in land, culture, work, and connection.
Preparing a limited number of private and educational experiences for 2027.
Generations
Sheepcamp is personal to us. It is part of our family story and part of the life we keep returning to and sharing. We wanted you to meet us early, because this place is shaped by real family history, real work, and a real relationship to the land. Our family's ties to the Round Rock, Lukachukai, Cove, and Sweetwater country run back through generations of shepherds, healers, veterans, parents, and caretakers.
Our family's life with the sheep follows the seasons. During the colder months, the flock stays at our lower-elevation sheepcamp at roughly 5,400 feet. As the weather warms, we move the sheep into the Lukachukai Mountains, climbing to more than 9,000 feet for summer grazing. Diné families have moved with their livestock and the seasons for generations. Today, grazing permits, federal trust-land boundaries, and modern life shape where and how that movement continues.
Generally September–June
Lower country Approximately 5,400 feet
Our lower camp is where the sheep spend the colder part of the year. This is also where many of our private and educational Sheepcamp experiences begin.
Generally June–September
Lukachukai Mountains More than 9,000 feet
When conditions allow, the sheep move into the mountains for the warmer months. The change in elevation brings different grazing, weather, work, and rhythms of daily life.
Wherever the sheep are that season, time here follows the land, the flock, and the work that needs doing.
Guests join us in the flow of the day. That can mean helping with the sheep, being outside, sharing meals, talking around camp, or learning through the work as it comes.
Tim spent whole summers and school breaks here growing up. Sheepcamp has long been a place where family, friends, and visitors gather. Come ready to listen, help, eat, and spend time with us with respect.
“These lands have been a refuge for generations, teaching us how to care for them while practicing hospitality as a family. Sheepcamp gives us a way to carry our stories forward, along with the lessons the land teaches with each visit. Our hope is to preserve this way of life for the generations who will follow so they always know this place as home.”
Ways to visit
Choose an experience that gives you time to remain with us, participate in daily life, and understand more of the land, sheep, family, and Navajo Nation.
Four days, three nights
Our four-day, three-night signature experiences bring together guests, members of the Benally family, and, on some dates, university groups or other invited partners. These trips offer a more communal way to share meals, spend time with the sheep, learn through daily activities, and experience the Navajo Nation together.
View Signature 2027 Dates
Four days, Friday through Monday
Adults, couples, friends, families, and small groups who want to learn by taking part. Standard private experiences begin in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
See what a visit includes
Designed around your goals and the time you have
University courses, graduate programs, Native student programs, nonprofit, faith-based, alumni, and other organized groups
See what a visit includes
Added before or after your time at Sheepcamp
Tell us how much time you have and what you hope to understand. Drawing from experience across more than 50 historical, cultural, scenic, educational, and civic sites, we can help shape a thoughtful itinerary around Sheepcamp and the broader region.
See what a visit includes2027 dates
Our four-day, three-night signature immersion trips are our most communal Sheepcamp experiences. Guests share portions of the experience with members of the Benally family and may also learn alongside university groups, faculty, returning partners, and other invited participants. Each trip includes a blend of nights camping at Sheepcamp and local hotel accommodations, and the final day generally includes time in Window Rock, Arizona, near the Navajo Nation capital area and government offices.
June 17, 2027 – June 21, 2027
Four-Day/Three-Night Signature Experience · Begins in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Early summer, as the family prepares for and begins the move into the higher summer grazing country.
August 11, 2027 – August 15, 2027
Four-Day/Three-Night Signature Experience · Begins in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Late summer in the mountain country, when monsoon storms move through and the meadows are green.
September 2, 2027 – September 6, 2027
Four-Day/Three-Night Signature Experience · Begins in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Early fall, with steady weather, cool nights, and the season turning back toward the lower country.
Our signature immersion trips are more communal than private experiences and may include family members, university partners, and other invited guests.
Seasonal private experiences are planned for one private party or small group, scheduled around family availability and the group’s needs, and are more individually tailored than our signature immersion trips. Additional private experiences will be available on select dates throughout 2027 based on family availability, season, weather, sheep and land responsibilities, and group needs.
Hosts
These are the people who read your inquiries, help you prepare, and guide each visit.
Founders of Navajo Sheepcamp LLC
Timothy Benally is Béésh Bich’ahii, the German Clan, born for Bit’ahnii, the Folded Arms Clan. Tim grew up on the Navajo Nation in Fort Defiance and Ganado and met Ann at Penn State while completing his master’s studies. Together, they are developing Sheepcamp as a family-led hospitality and educational business rooted in sheep, land, family, and connection to home.
Tim leads program development, guiding, university partnerships, and the broader vision for Sheepcamp. Ann supports guest communication, hospitality, administration, planning, and partnership development.
Lead guide and cultural education lead
Victor grew up in the area surrounding Sheepcamp and brings a lifetime of knowledge about the land, community, language, and responsibilities that shape Diné life. A former school principal, he has worked in Navajo education for more than 50 years and has helped generations of students understand the importance of learning, identity, and service.
Victor speaks Diné Bizaad and carries stories shaped by growing up in the region, working with Navajo students and families, and maintaining a close relationship with the land. During Sheepcamp visits, he helps guests better understand family history, Navajo education, sheep camp life, community responsibility, and contemporary life on the Navajo Nation.
Victor's participation depends on family schedules and availability, but his experience continues to guide the development of every Sheepcamp program.
Fees
Caring for sheep and staying on this land should also support a living. Your fee pays our family and local hosts fairly.
Tell us about your group, preferred dates, and interests.
We will discuss availability, expectations, and possible options.
We will provide the proposed dates, itinerary, pricing, and preparation details.
Complete the required forms, attend a pre-trip conversation, and arrive ready to participate.
Come ready to listen, help, eat, and learn.
