Prepare for Your Visit
This is a working sheep camp in a remote place. Knowing what to expect is the difference between a hard trip and a good one.
Guests generally use their own or a rental vehicle during this early stage of the business. We do not offer airport pickup or passenger transportation as a standard service. [FINAL INSURANCE AND PERMIT LANGUAGE]
Conditions and expectations
Roads are unpaved in places and can change quickly with rain, snow, or mud. Plans may shift for safety, and travel timing may be adjusted on short notice. We recommend a rental vehicle suited for mountain and unpaved-road travel, preferably an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Cell service is limited or absent for parts of the visit. Share your plans with someone at home before arriving and expect to be offline for stretches of the day.
Our standard private and signature experiences begin in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where guests arrive, secure their rental vehicle, and begin the journey toward the Navajo Nation. University and organized groups may coordinate a different starting point through a custom program agreement.
Depending on the experience, nights are spent camping onsite at Sheepcamp or in local hotel accommodations in Chinle, Arizona. Our signature immersion trips include a blend of nights camping at Sheepcamp and local hotel stays. The final lodging plan is outlined before a trip is confirmed.
Some visits include camping or simple shared sleeping arrangements. Tell us honestly how much camping you have done so we can plan well. You do not need any, but preparing matters.
Meals are simple, home-cooked, and shared. Tell us in advance about dietary needs so we can talk through what is realistic in a remote setting.
Expect walking on uneven ground, sun, wind, dust, elevation, and some light physical work. Activities can often be adjusted; tell us what you need.
Layers for hot days and cold nights, sturdy closed-toe shoes, sun protection, hat, refillable water bottle, headlamp, work gloves, personal medications, and any personal camping gear discussed in advance.
Ask before photographing or recording any person. Some places and activities may not be photographed at all. We will be clear about this on site.
Guests are encouraged to carry their own travel or trip insurance. Weather, health, and travel delays can all affect a plan.
Weather, land conditions, and family responsibilities can change a plan. We will communicate as early as possible.
Confirmed guests provide an emergency contact and receive our on-trip contact information and the nearest emergency services details before arrival.
Tell us about accessibility considerations early so we can talk honestly about what the site can and cannot accommodate. We would rather have that conversation than have someone arrive to a situation that does not work.
We do not publish the location of the sheep camp, family homesites, or ancestral sites. Confirmed guests receive directions and meeting information privately.
Planning the rest of your trip
Most people come a long way to get here, so we help you plan the whole trip, not only the days with us. We have helped shape visits across more than 50 sites throughout the Navajo Nation and greater Southwest, so once we start talking we can help you think through where to stay, how to route your driving, and how much time the region really needs. We will also be honest about when the best time to come is, based on the sheep, the weather, and what our family has going on.
Our four-day, three-night experiences generally conclude with time in Window Rock, Arizona, including the Navajo Nation capital area and government offices. While meetings with officials are not guaranteed, this part of the visit helps place Sheepcamp within the broader civic, cultural, and contemporary life of the Navajo Nation.
In addition to time at Sheepcamp, we may help guests visit other places that deepen their understanding of Diné history, landscape, community life, and the Navajo Nation more broadly.
What to Pack
You do not need to buy a pile of outdoor gear to come here. Most of this is what you already own.
Conditions can change quickly between our winter and summer camps. Before every visit, we'll send you a more specific packing recommendation based on the weather forecast and your plans.
Don't worry if you don't own camping gear. We'll talk with you before your visit about what we have available and what, if anything, you need to bring.
Guest and cultural expectations
This is a family place, not a performance. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your own story. As you witness life shaped by hundreds of years on this land, we'll ask you to move gently, listen well, and keep the sheep, the land, and everyone safe.
Every visit is planned around the group that is coming. Before your visit, we will learn more about your group through a short form or conversation. We will ask about food allergies, meal preferences, hiking experience, interests, accessibility needs, and anything else that will help us plan your time well.
At the end of the day, we often make space to sit together, reflect, ask questions, and talk about what the day brought.
Before you arrive, we'll walk you through everything you need to know. Because we live within Navajo Nation law and the meaning of this place, alcohol, illegal substances, firearms, and open fires are not allowed. Fire restrictions vary by season and weather. We also encourage trip insurance, since weather, health, or travel delays can affect plans.
Sheepcamp does not sell ceremonies or provide access to sacred knowledge.
We put the questions we hear most on one page with short answers: travel, sleeping, meals, weather, activity level, cell service, and how group visits work.
