Have you heard of Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico? You have if you’ve read my article,”The Best Ruins in New Mexico- Chaco Canyon”!
Aztec Ruins is an Ancestral Puebloan site in northwest New Mexico close to the Colorado border. I’ll talk more later about why it’s unique and why you should visit, but first- where is it?
Where Is Aztec Ruins?
Aztec Ruins National Monument is located in Aztec, New Mexico just 14 miles northeast of Farmington, NM and 40 miles south of Durango, CO. (See map above.) It’s a must-see when visiting the Four Corners region of the American southwest. For reference, here is a list of distances and driving times from other popular Four Corners points of interest:
- Mesa Verde National Park – 68 miles (1 hour 15 minutes)
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park- 72 miles (1 hour 30 minutes)
- Hovenweep National Monument- 117 miles (2 hours 10 minutes)
- Canyon de Chelly- 125 miles (2 hours 25 minutes)
Is There a Fee?
No. Entry to Aztec Ruins is FREE!
What Are the Hours?
Every day except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Visitor Center opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 5:00 PM, but the ruins can be accessed by visitors from 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
How Long Does It Take to Visit/
As long as you like. We spent about 2.5 hours touring the ruins and museum, but I could have spent much more time there.
What Activities Are Available?
- Watch the park film (15 minutes) in the Visitor Center
- 1/2-mile self-guided tour of the ruins (printed guide available in the Visitor Center)
- Ranger talks and guided tours (check park calendar)
- Junior Ranger Program
For more information, check out Aztec Ruins National Monument’s website.
What is Aztec Ruins, Exactly?
Well, it ain’t Aztec. I can tell you that.
Aztec Ruins is an Ancestral Puebloan site dating from 1100’s to mid-1200’s due north from Chaco. Yep, Aztec Ruins is on one of those roads the Chacoans built from Chaco Canyon to the “outliers”. How could people back then build these roads by hand, that far, and in almost perfectly straight lines? It’s a mystery. Like I said in my article about Chaco, Ancestral Puebloans were known for mind-boggling acumen in their artistic, scientific, and architectural endeavors.
These so-called “Aztec Ruins” aren’t Aztec at all. The Aztec culture as it is historically recognized today didn’t develop until well after the rise and fall of Chacoan society. The ruins in Aztec, NM would have been vacated by the time Aztec society was in its heyday. It’s believed early European settlers mistakenly named it “Aztec” and the name was never changed.
Some people believe the ruins in Aztec, NM may have gotten their name based upon descriptions written by the Spanish conquistadors who marched through the southwest beginning in the 1500’s. Many conquistadors would have been familiar with the Aztec architecture of Mexico. (They did massacre the people there, after all.)
If it’s not an Aztec Indian site, why is it called “Aztec”? (If you’re offended by a less than savory interpretation of history, don’t read this part.)
Spanish explorers may have seen “Aztec Ruins” and noticed similar elements to Aztec architecture and made the assumption this was an Aztec Indian site. The description of the site as “Aztec” got around, and by the time European settlers came to the area, they dubbed it “Aztec Ruins”. Typically, you’ll only find the name being attributed to the settlers’ mistake, but how do you think they even knew to compare the ruins to Aztec Indian architecture?
I hate to think the conquistador part of the story might be true. Why we would let a place as important as Aztec Ruins continue to be named after conquistadors’ misinterpretations? Those guys were douchebags. (Sorry if that offends anyone, but it’s my blog.)
What’s Unique About Aztec Ruins?
From other Chaco-era ruins? Quite a bit, actually. I heard a Park Ranger describe Aztec Ruins as “over-engineered”. The people were meticulous in building these structures- more so even than they were at Chaco, and that’s astounding. When Chaco’s society was on the decline, many people moved north, and Aztec Ruins became equated to what we would consider today a capital city. It grew into a huge complex of buildings– both residential and communal- with decorative elements not found at Chaco. The stonework is also noticeably different from other Ancestral Puebloan buildings at the time.
Take for instance…
Well, we’ll get to that. First let’s talk about where you should start your tour.
Where Should You Start Your Tour?
Start your tour in the Visitor Center. Watch the park’s 15-minute film, if you like.
There is also a museum inside the Visitor Center. I enjoy walking through visitor center museums before I start touring sites. It helps me know what to look for and puts things in perspective. Aztec Ruins’ museum was definitely worth a 30-minute look-around for me, but I imagine a quicker walk-through would be sufficient for most. One of my favorite things in the museum was this sandal. Isn’t it amazing that it’s lasted for almost a thousand years!
Don’t miss the grinding stone outside the Visitor Center. Staff leaves corn on the stone (called a metate) for visitors to try their hands at grinding corn just like the “old ones” did. Let me tell you, it’s way harder than it looks. I’ll take my cornmeal pre-ground in a bag, thank you very much!
Before you leave the Visitor Center, ask a ranger for a printed guide of the 1/2 mile walk through the ruins. This is the best free tour guide I’ve ever gotten at a National Park. There is a donation box if you want to donate a few bucks to the park, but it isn’t required. The book does make a great souvenir though, so consider a donation. The photo below is an example of what you’ll find inside the guide- very descriptive and helpful.
Note: The public only has access to the Aztec West portion of the park. Aztec East can only be seen on a ranger-led tour and those tours are not offered every day. Check the park calendar for dates.
What You’ll See on the Tour
You will see some similarities between Aztec Ruins and other Ancestral Puebloan sites. You’ll see kivas, a Great House, impressive stonework, and my favorite feature- T-Doors! But who can get enough of those?
Interesting Stonework
Look for the band of green stones on the buildings. Compared to other Ancestral Puebloan structures, this stonework is highly decorative and indicates a commitment to detail. The stone, a sandstone called greywacke, is not found in the immediate vicinity. The greywacke was brought here from at least 3-4 miles away- a pretty long way if you’re carrying this much stone by hand. That’s a dedicated effort! There were no decorative stone elements like this at Chaco. The people at Aztec Ruins were ringing in a new era.
Original Wood Ceilings
Don’t forget to look up! When you walk through Aztec West, notice the wood beams (vigas) and wood slats in the ceiling. Most of these are at least 800 years old!
A Restored Great Kiva
What really draws visitors is the Great Kiva. When this kiva was excavated in 1921, it did not look like what you see today. The Park Service later decided to restore the kiva and invited Earl Morris, the archaeologist who originally excavated it, to return and lead the project. He started in 1933 and with exacting detail put the kiva as close to its original state as possible. The workmanship is incredible.
I felt like I was walking in a sacred space- and I was. Even today, descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans recognize this kiva as an important part of their religious heritage. Everyone touring the kiva spoke in hushed, reverent tones. We all knew how special this place was.
I was impressed with the colors and the openings at the top with the ladders leading to the unusual 14 upper rooms. The construction of these upper rooms is one of the things that sets this kiva apart from kivas found at other Ancestral Puebloan sites.
Seeing the Great Kiva alone was worth the visit for us. Mesmerizing.
And There’s So Much More!
There’s so much more to see at Aztec Ruins. What I’ve touched upon is only the beginning! I hope I’ve inspired you to make Aztec Ruins National Monument a must-see on your next trip to the American southwest. It’s a place you’ll never forget!
Thanks for reading!
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