Our community service initiatives have led to the creation of many miles of trails across the reservation and we serve in an oversight capacity, promoting the developments of trails across the Nation. Our summer trails crews focus on trails in the tribal parks, with an ongoing efforts at LCR, 4Corners, Asaayi, Rainbow Trail and Window Rock.
We began offering outdoor adventures for youth in the Shonto community in 1988. Since that time, we have been involved in offering positive programs and activities for youth and communities across the Navajo Nation.
We began offering outdoor adventures for youth in the Shonto community in 1988. Since that time, we have been involved in offering positive programs and activities for youth and communities across the Navajo Nation, with over 300 outings at Navajo Mountain, Chuskas, LCR, Grand Canyon, Carrizo Mountains and Rainbow Bridge.
The Navajo Parks Race Series was initiated in 2015 as a partnership of NavajoYES with Navajo Parks & Rec and the Office of Navajo President & Vice President. The intent of the Series is to promote health and wellness, while exposing folks to the beauty of Dine’ Bikeyah. The 2018 Series will feature events at Navajo Mountain/Rainbow Bridge, Monument Valley, Little Colorado River Gorge, Window Rock, Shiprock, Camp Asaayi and Four Corners.
We love to visit schools and communities to share the message of health and wellness. We also have created a series of posters, trail guides and other resources to promote healthy living in Dine' Bikeyah. Whether it be a health fair, school presentation, chapter meeting, or other event, we'll be glad to be there.
Follow this link to view the latest version of the Navajo Nation Trail Guide. The trail guide features hiking, running, and biking trails around the Navajo Nation.
Learn more about NavajoYES and explore all the great things we do by reading through our annual report. Click on this icon to access the full report.
For information on the NavajoYes non-profit from GuideStar, please follow this link to
Tom Riggenbach has over 30 years experience in the backcountry of the Navajo Nation, having led over 300 youth/family wilderness outings, including backpacking, mountain biking and hiking adventures throughout the region. A Wilderness First Responder, Tom is also the race director for the Navajo Parks Race Series and Tour de Rez Cup series. He has a passion for running and has completed four Bostons and a marathon in all 50 states and on all seven continents.
Our course coordinator for the Navajo Parks Race Series is Rygie Bekay of K’aabizhii nahastl’ah, who oversees race day operations of the nine Navajo Parks Race Series and five Tour de Rez Cup series events across the Nation. He is also a backcountry trip leader and a member of our year-round trail crew. Rygie is Wilderness First Aid-certified, and is also an avid hiker, backpacker and runner.
Laurie is involved with office task as well as events, where she often wears many hats. Laurie is from the Monument Valley area, and loved getting out of the trails of her community.
Chase experienced the great outdoors with NavajoYES as a child backpacking to Rainbow Bridge; the passion for the outdoors and fitness has stayed with him. After returning from a stint with the United States Marine Corps, Chase returned to Kayenta and is now a board member and very active volunteer with NavajoYES. He is an all-around athlete, with a special interest in weights, running and Spartan races.
A nurse and diabetes educator with the Utah Navajo Health System, Bernadine is based in Monument Valley, Utah. She is a board member of NavajoYES, and is a very active volunteer with the Navajo Parks Race Series and other events. She takes part in races and events around the Nation, and won back-to-back Tour de Rez Cup titles in 2019 and 2020. Bern is an avid cyclist and runner.,
Nealsa is an avid runner and has taken part in all of the Navajo Parks Races Series events, as well as trail races across the Southwest. She is a member of the NavajoYES board, where she shares her passion for trails and fitness, and is dedicated volunteer. Originally from Tonalea, she resides with her four children in Page, Arizona.
Klara is an archaeologist who serves as a board member and cultural resource consultant for trail projects across the Navajo Nation. She and her husband David are regular volunteers at NavajoYES events, and have a strong love of the outdoors, climbing and backpacking.
Betty (in lime jacket above, with family, as always), hails from White Mesa, near Chilchinbeto. She has been an active NavajoYES volunteer and board member since the 1990’s. She and her kids – and now grandkids - have grown up with the organization over the past two decades. In recent years, she has assumed a large role with the Navajo Parks Race Series and Tour de Rez Cup Series.
Irene has been a supporter of the Tour de Rez since her first children were part of the Tour experience in 1995. She and her daughters and granddaughters are part of the food team at many NavajoYES events. She lives in the Shonto community near Black Mesa, where she oversees her family’s ranch.
Rue Nelson, RN, FNP worked in Navajo Nation healthcare for eight years at Inscription House, Dennehotso and Chilchinbeto. Ms. Nelson has helped to bring significant growth to NavajoYES during her time at the helm and continues to provide major leadership in program development. Rue currently lives in Duluth, Minnesota, where cold is the new cool.
Troy became familiar with NavajoYES and the Navajo Parks Race Series by taking part in the series, through which he has experienced all the tribal parks. (If you push him, he will admit that Naatsisaan is his favorite!) As an avid runner, Troy appreciates the beauty of Dine’ Bikeyah and offers legal insight and advise for the organization. He is the president of the Navajo Bar Association and is a partner with Greenberg, Traurig, LLP.
The NavajoYES Board President Sharon Sandoval hails from the community to To’ko (also known as Rattlesnake), near Shiprock. Sharon is an active NPRS volunteer and helps to host the Dine’ Bike Project in her home church: Beclabito Baptist Church. She leads an active lifestyle, and takes part in multiple races throughout the year.
Irvina Ellison of T’iis Nazbas has been involved with NavajoYES since her sons became riders on Tour de Rez in their childhood. She is an active volunteer with the Navajo Parks Race Series events, where she serves as registration coordinator. She and her family live in T’iis Nazbas.
The rez-renown flute player has been a part of NavajoYES outings and events for over 20 years. “Jimbo” has been entertainer/cultural educator, support staff, driver and trip leader. Originally from Chilchinbeto, Jimbo was a popular Monument Valley guide for over a decade. Jimbo’s art, jewlery and dreamcatchers are often awards and gifts for runners and riders at NavajoYES events.
The Navajo Nation First Lady has worked with Dine’ College for many years and has served as a board member of NavajoYES since 2010. Phefelia brings a unique perspective to the organization. As the mother of two and wife of President Jonathan Nez, she brings her organizational and grant-writing acumen to the organization. The First Lady also bring a passion for trails and outdoor family recreation. She and her family live in Window Rock.
Jim has been an active participant in NavajoYES programs for over a decade. His first encounter with the organization was through NavajoYES backpacking treks with his students in Grand Canyon. He currently assists the organization with registration and technical support for NPRS and Tour de Rez Cup events.
George is the head of Beclabtio CERT. He and his team are an integral part of the Dine’ Bike Project and the Navajo Parks Race Series, to which they donate hundreds of manhours each year. Beclabito Baptist Church serves as the base of the Dine’ Bike Project, which aids in the distribution of hundreds of bikes across the Nation each year.
Scott Nydam is a former pro cyclist and current coach of the Dine’ Comp high school mountain bike team, which is a part of the Arizona NICA league. Scott served as a NavajoYES board member since 2015 and currently plays an advisory role with the organization. He is the owner of Silver Stallion Bikes & Coffee in Gallup, New Mexico, where he lives with his family.
Kristine has been involved with NavajoYES for nearly two decades and is a dedicated volunteer at many events and backcountry trip leader. Originally from Kayenta, Kristine currently works with Change Labs in Tuba City and serves on the Northland Pioneer College Board.
As the Director of the Division of Natural Resources, Bidtah was instrumental in the creation of the Navajo Parks Race Series, the year-round series that highlights the Navajo tribal parks. Bidtah is now associate attorney for NTUA and lives with her family in Fort Defiance.
A social work major at Dine’ College, Aaron is a Tour de Rez, Rainbow Bridge and Chuska Challenge alumni, and has volunteered at many events in recent years. He has been a key player in our trail initiatives and service projects in the Carrizo and Chuska Mountains and on the Rainbow Trail. Aaron hails from Red Valley, Arizona and brings a strong youth perspective to the organization.
Since 2005, Kimberly Keith of Shonto has been involved in outings and projects of NavajoYES. She currently is a trip leader on Grand Canyon and Rainbow Bridge treks, serves as an aid station volunteer on NPRS events, works on the summer trail team and provides medical/first aid support at events. Kim is Wilderness First Aid-certified and brings to the organization an awesome personality, music skills and passion for Dine’ Bikeyah.
As a five-time Tour de Rez alumni, Myron continues to be involved in the programs and outings of NavajoYES. Myron was a key figure in the development of the Navajo Parks Race Series in the summer of 2015 and was instrumental in plotting the course for the Asaayi Mountain Runs, Rainbow Bridge Ultra and Monument Valley Marathon events. Originally from Shonto, Myron is a student at Northern Arizona University.
Dr. Jesse Crane served as a physician at Grand Canyon and his practice is currently in family and emergency medicine. He is medical adviser of NavajoYES and helps to insure that NavajoYES staff and volunteers are current in their medical knowledge and practice in the field. Jesse has been involved with the programs of NavajoYES for over a decade and is an avid trail runner, mountain biker and winter sports enthusiast.
Honor the legendary Navajo Code Talkers with a run on the final day of the Navajo Nation Fair. Distances are 29K (in honor of the original 29 Code Talkers) or 10K. This race is scheduled Read more…
The annual Shiprock Marathon will once again be virtual in 2021. More details can be found here.
P.O. Box 1487
Teec Nos Pos, AZ 86514
chuskaman@yahoo.com
928.429.0345
http://navajoyes.org/