Route 66 crosses the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona near the Painted Desert.
The Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized Native American reservation in the United States by land area. Its territory extends across parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Historic Route 66 passes through the Arizona portion, including the broad landscape east of Flagstaff and near communities such as Holbrook and Winslow.
This section of the highway is associated with desert scenery, trading posts, railroad history, and access to nearby natural attractions. The Painted Desert lies within the wider region, while Petrified Forest National Park preserves a major portion of the historic route farther east in Arizona.
The Hopi Reservation is also located in northeastern Arizona, which can cause confusion on maps of the region. Route 66’s long Arizona alignment, however, is specifically connected with the Navajo Nation in the area described here.