There is one reason I’d recommend vacationing in Farmington, New Mexico. Location. Location. Location.
Farmington is centrally located to a lot of popular historic and geologic wonders; some you may be planning to see and some you’ll hopefully want to see after reading this post.
Everything we wanted to see – Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, and Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)- was within 1.5 hours from Farmington, New Mexico. The drive time to each site wasn’t ideal but certainly wasn’t a deterrent. Without taking these treks, we would have missed some awesome places along the way.
What You’ll Find in Farmington
Farmington has your standard hotel/motel options, numerous Airbnb rentals, and a variety of restaurants. There are major supermarkets, a farmers market, and shopping centers in addition to specialty stores and art galleries for all of your shopping needs.
I won’t tell you about the Airbnb we chose. It was in the top two worst rentals we’ve ever stayed. This was an Airbnb lesson for us. Take heed of the property reviews. Our consolation was we were there only to eat a few dinners and sleep. The rest of the time we were hard-core sightseeing.
Our Farmington Favorite- The Food
Food wasn’t the only thing we liked about Farmington as you’ll see later, but the food was memorable.
Fry Bread
We were passing a local farmers market on our way to Aztec Ruins National Monument when I spotted a sign advertising fresh fry bread at a roadside farmers market. I told my husband to throw the brakes and back it up. I’d heard the fry bread you find in local roadside stands is better than what you find in restaurants.
A family was making the bread by hand on-site under a simple tent. Every family member had a job including this 4-year-old little girl who was patting dough. She stole my heart!
Fresh hot fry bread was coated in sugar and served piping hot on paper plates. If you’ve never had fry bread, it’s similar to funnel cake and sopapillas. I could have eaten my weight in the stuff! Delicious. When in Farmington, find some fry bread.
For information about the farmers market location and schedule, go the Farmington Growers’ Market Facebook page.
Green Chile Burgers
Hometown Burgers– This little place served a green chilé burger that I could eat on the reg. Green chilé burgers are a New Mexican specialty, so try at least one while you’re in the Land of Enchantment.
The service at Hometown was friendly and quick, and the fact that it’s locally owned made it even better. Don’t pass this place up!
Major Sites We Visited
Chaco Culture National Historical Park – 1.5 hours from Farmington
If you’ve never heard of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, you’ve got to skim my post, The Best Ruins in New Mexico- Chaco Canyon. If you’re determined not to skim it, that’s okay. Here’s the Chaco synopsis.
Chaco is an Ancestral Puebloan site that will blow your mind even if you’ve never been interested in archaeology or Native American history. (To tell the truth I wasn’t interested in either until I began learning about Chaco.)
Chaco is a grand compound of stacked stone buildings unlike any other found in North America. Built between the 800’s CE and 1150 CE, Chaco reached its heyday in about 1050 and was abandoned in the mid-late 1200’s CE.
The significance of Chaco, why it was built in its location and why it was abandoned is still debated among the world’s best archaeological and anthropological experts.
Aztec Ruins National Monument– 25 minutes from Farmington
Aztec Ruins National Monument is located in the city of Aztec, New Mexico approximately 16 miles (26 km) from Farmington. Aztec Ruins is a great option if you don’t want to make the drive to Chaco Canyon but still want to see an incredible Ancestral Puebloan site.
Aztec Ruins has no entry fee, so why not see it? You can read more about my visit to Aztec Ruins National Monument in my post, (Not) Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico.
If you are going to visit both Aztec and Chaco, I suggest you see Aztec first. Chaco sets a high bar. We saw Chaco first and I wished I had waited until after Aztec.
Mesa Verde National Park– 1.5 hours from Farmington
Mesa Verde National Park near Durango, Colorado is famous for its Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. Though we had just one day to spend in Mesa Verde, you could easily spend two to three and still not see and do everything.
Besides the stunning Long House and famous Cliff Palace, you’ll find ancient pithouses, kivas, and towers and miles of trails to explore. We were lucky to score two spots on the ranger-guided Long House tour. All I can say is, “Wow.” You need to take this tour.
Instead of hiking multiple trails, we rode our bikes around Mesa Verde’s Wetherhill Mesa. We enjoyed this ride so much I counted it in my list of top five national park bike rides I’ve taken so far.
Other Farmington Area Attractions
Kutz Canyon Badlands- Angel’s Peak– 34 minutes from Farmington
Angel’s Peak overlook at Kutz Canyon, 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Farmington, is definitely worth a stop on your way to/from Chaco Canyon, but impressive enough to be a destination in itself. Kutz Canyon is a Bureau of Land Management site and has no entry fee. There are a few picnic tables where you can sit and take in the view, as well a short nature trail where you can stretch your legs.
We stopped just before sunset on our way back from Chaco, and the colors of the badlands were gorgeous! Look for Angel’s Peak in the distance.
Kutz Canyon is an oil and gas extraction site, so don’t be disappointed if you see a lot of heavy equipment on your way to the overlook. (Let it be a reminder that we need to protect our natural spaces from over-exploitation by private companies.)
Salmon Ruins– 17 minutes from Farmington
This Chaco-era site is conveniently located in Bloomfield, NM approximately 15 miles (24 km) from Farmington. If you are interested in seeing Ancestral Puebloan ruins and don’t want to make the trip to Chaco, visiting Salmon Ruins in combination with Aztec Ruins National Monument is a good alternative.
The only way you can access the actual ruins is through the museum. There is a $5 admission fee for adults. See the Salmon Ruins website for more details on fees and other available tours.
Bisti Badlands– 45 minutes from Farmington
If I ever return to this area of New Mexico, Bisti Badlands will be at the top of my list of places to visit. Just 40 miles (64 km) south of Farmington lies a magical remote wilderness of rock formations. To see the hoodoos up close requires hiking mostly unmarked trails. The Bureau of Land Management recommends hikers be equipped with GPS units, as it is easy to become disoriented among the rocks. There is no fee to hike here.
Shiprock– 35 minutes from Farmington
Shiprock is an awe-striking 1583 feet (482 m) tall volcanic plug jutting out of the earth in the town of Shiprock, New Mexico. Located on Navajo Nation land just 28 miles (45 km) west of Farmington, Shiprock is a can’t miss drive-by if you are traveling from Farmington to Mesa Verde National Park (CO) by way of U.S. Highways 64 and 491.
Because it is considered sacred to the Diné (Navajo), there is no public access to Shiprock itself. So, if you want to hike to the base- fuhgettaboutit. Taking roadside photos (from a long distance) is allowed, but that’s all you can do.
If you have a long camera lens, this is a good place to use it.
Farmington Public Library
You may have figured out that I’m kind of bookish. Oddly enough, when we were at the farmers market eating fry bread, we were asked by a couple of locals if we’d ever visited the library. Turns out, Farmington Public Library received an award for its culturally significant architectural design.
The entry door faces east like traditional Diné (Navajo) structures, and the lobby is built to reflect the design of a kiva. We were told we should drop by while staying in Farmington, so we did.
The natural light coming through the lobby windows made the space so inviting and created a sundial effect. It was easy to see why the City of Farmington is so proud.
The exterior also had some interesting details including these colorful horse sculptures. If you love libraries, check this one out!
Give Farmington a Go
If you plan to see Chaco Canyon, Salmon Ruins, Kutz Canyon, Bisti Badlands, and Aztec Ruins, no doubt Farmington is a great home base. Throw in Mesa Verde National Park and a drive by Shiprock and I guarantee this will be a trip you won’t forget.
For more information on activities in and around Farmington, New Mexico, visit New Mexico’s tourism website.
What Did My Husband Think?
He isn’t as into Ancestral Puebloan history as I am, but he left New Mexico with a deeper appreciation of the Puebloan culture which made me so happy. What Gary enjoyed most on this trip was the mysterious structures at Chaco, the restored kiva at Aztec Ruins, and the Long House tour at Mesa Verde. He agreed the drive times were worth every minute. For him, this was a one and done trip, but I have a feeling we might be back one day.
From the Library
Shadow of the Solstice by Anne Hillerman is part of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito mystery novel series which inspired the popular Netflix show Dark Winds. The story is set in Shiprock, New Mexico and follows Navajo police lieutenant Jim Chee and his detective wife, Bernadette Manuelito as they investigate a murder on Navajo land and the disappearance of a teenage boy and his grandmother.
*The mystery about the Navajo boy and his grandmother’s disappearance was inspired by the 2019 fake alcohol/drug rehabilitation program investigation that uncovered millions of dollars of insurance fraud in Arizona. These fake clinics exploited over 8,000 Navajo in addition to countless other people of various races. I appreciate Hillerman’s exposure of this issue in her book.
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