Arizona's Historic Trading Post Is A Compelling Cultural Gem With Delicious Eats And Handicraft Shopping

The wondrous state of Arizona was first home to the Navajo Nation, Hopi, Hualapai, Pueblo, and 18 other tribes.Eventually, European settlers and missionaries made their way to its deserts and other landscapes, building small communities centered around trading posts. These were important centers of commerce during the early days of North American settlement, critical oases for survival on the frontier, and bridges to communication across cultures. Fur traders set up general stores across the West and Southwest on tribal lands, where traders and settlers could barter with Indigenous communities, exchanging manufactured items like cloth, guns, and ammunition for food and furs. It's estimated that at least 300 trading posts existed across the American West at their peak.

Today, travelers can still visit a handful of historic trading posts while road tripping through the Southwest's beautiful backcountry. For example, the Cameron Trading Post is a cultural hub built in 1916 on Navajo Nation land in the tiny town of Cameron, Arizona. A combination hotel, gift shop, and restaurant, Cameron Trading Post honors the First People who lived here for generations, many of whom continue to shape the region's culture and contribute much of the tangible food, goods, and crafts sold inside. It's an ideal cultural and historical stop and a wonderful respite from the dusty highway, about 53 miles from Flagstaff and just 43 miles from the South Rim, one of the best places in the Grand Canyon for epic hiking adventures.

If you think a trading post gift shop is just another gas station full of mass-produced T-shirts and shot glasses, think again. While you'll find a few classic trinkets here, the trading post is more akin to a museum — its cabinets and glass cases display carefully curated collections of handmade jewelry, pottery, woven blankets, sand etchings, baskets, and more. Each piece reflects the unique artistry of different Indigenous tribes. For example, the Navajo — who call themselves Diné, meaning "The People" — and the Acoma Pueblo tribes are known for their horsehair pottery, whereas the Hopi are celebrated for their pottery featuring cream-colored backgrounds and earth-toned symbols representing natural elements. The trading post includes thoughtful descriptions of the styles, elements, and cultural context behind many of the items, so while it's all for sale, it also feels like you're strolling through a living museum.

After exploring the shop, order lunch at the on-site restaurant, a former historic apothecary. The restaurant's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but if you're planning to hit the road right away, you can order to go. Try their most popular dish, the Navajo fry-bread taco, which is 1800s-era Navajo fry bread —a fluffy, white flatbread, similar to a pita, fried golden and topped with saucy ground beef and beans, chopped green chiles (a Southwest specialty), lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese. If you dine in, you can gaze out the tall picture windows looking out to the desert scenery and admire the interior's Native American art and stained glass. Prickly pear hot wings, lamb sandwiches with roasted green chile, and chipotle blueberry pork loins are just a few of the menu items that fuse regional flavors with cultural flair.

If you're not in a rush to get back on the road, why not spend the night? The Grand Canyon Motel — located in the same parking lot complex as the trading post — has hosted several famous guests. John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, and Goldie Hawn have all reportedly stayed here while filming on location or passing through, and President Richard Nixon supposedly stayed here as a law student when he got stranded during a snowstorm. Western authors Zane Grey and Tony Hillerman have even written the trading post into some of their novels. 

The motel offers single or double rooms and suites, some with balconies overlooking the Little Colorado River Gorge. Each room is hand-decorated with Southwestern motifs, wood furnishings, and unique touches. Modern amenities like Wi-Fi, heating and air conditioning, and pet-friendly options make it a comfortable retreat for weary road-trippers. As of this writing, single rooms start at $130 per night during the off season, November through February, and $169 per night from March through October. There's also an RV park adjacent to the motel and trading post with electricity and water hookups for just $45 per night.

Thanks to its location, Cameron Trading Post is the perfect spot to recharge before continuing your journey through the American West. Just 53 miles south, Flagstaff is a charming West Arizona town that has been designated the world's first international dark sky city, making it perfect for impeccable stargazing and astrotourism. Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is also the closest commercial airport to Cameron. Outdoors enthusiasts can also stop at the trading post en route to the town of Kayenta, about 100 miles northeast. This town is the gateway to Monument Valley, an otherworldly collection of surreal landscapes and geological wonders that is a must-visit in this part of Arizona.