Massacre Cave

Massacre Cave is the site of a bloody murder between the Spanish and the Navajo in 1805. While the Navajo men were away hunting the Spanish the attacked the remaining Navajo in Del Muerto canyon. Children, old men and women spotted the raiding party and took refuge in what is now known as Massacre Cave, high up in the 1000 ft canyon wall and inaccessible from above. The Spaniards located them from the rim above and began a hail of bullets. Over 115 Navajo were killed. There are still marks on the walls of the cave left by richochetting rifle bullets. Some of the Spaniards made the hard climb up from below. In one of the hand to hand battles which followed, a Navajo woman pushed a Spanish soldier backwards off the ledge and fell with him to death on the rocks below.