When you’re surrounded by incredible archaeological ruins in New Mexico, it’s hard to decide which ones to see. They’re all amazing! Having spent several days touring New Mexico’s Ancestral Puebloan ruins, I can help narrow it down for you. The best ruins in New Mexico are in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. There’s no place better than Chaco for you to spend a day in ruins.
Where is Chaco Canyon?
Chaco Canyon is in northwestern New Mexico between Farmington and Albuquerque near the town of Nageezi. (See map above.) Chaco Canyon National Historical Park is not a park you’ll stumble upon. It’s remote. How remote? Really remote.
How Long Does It Take to Get to Chaco Canyon?
- From Santa Fe, NM- approximately 190 miles- 3.5 hours
- From Albuquerque, NM- approximately 160 miles- 3 hours
- From Farmington, NM- approximately 80 miles- 2 hours
- Grants, NM- approximately 84 miles- 2 hours
- Bloomfield, NM- 63 miles- 1.5 hours
(We chose to make Farmington, New Mexico our home-base for this trip. See more about Farmington on Page 2.)
Best Time to Visit
Spring and fall are ideal times to visit Chaco, but the park can be visited in all seasons if visitors are well-prepared. In fact, Chaco has been rated one of the best national parks to visit in winter. Imagine the snow setting off all that beautiful sandstone! I’m sensing another trip may be in order.
Regardless of the season, the weather in Chaco Canyon can be fickle. Thunderstorms can develop rapidly, temperatures can fluctuate throughout the day, and the sun can be brutal. Make sure you’re prepared for whatever the weather dishes out by packing the following essentials:
- Sunscreen
- Hat (preferably wide-brimmed)
- Rain jacket
- Light jacket (heavy jacket or coat in late fall through early spring)
- Layers of clothing
- Closed-toe shoes or hiking boots
Is There a Fee to Visit Chaco Culture National Historical Park?
Yes. There is a $15 entry fee for vehicles that covers the driver and all passengers. (Price current as of 2024.) Prices vary for commercial tours and large passenger vans. There is no cost if you have the America the Beautiful Pass.
If you are unfamiliar with the America the Beautiful Pass, you can find out all about it on the National Park Service website. If you are visiting multiple sites with entry fees in the next year, you need this pass. It can save you LOTS of money!
Why Visit Chaco?
You have to see it to believe it. I saw Chaco a thousand times in my imagination before I ever saw it in person. Spending hours and hours of watching documentaries, reading books, and listening to lectures about Chaco had me holding it to a standard I was sure no real place could meet. I was wrong. Chaco does more than affect you. It infects you. I still can’t get over it.
“Who were these ancient people and where did they go?” To find out is why you visit. Why you must visit.
Who Were These Ancient People?
The people of Chaco Canyon were Ancestral Puebloans, a culture that thrived between the 800’s-1350 CE in the Four Corners Region of the American Southwest. Revered for their artistic and agricultural ingenuity, scientific acumen, and architectural achievements, Ancestral Puebloans have been described as one of the most influential cultures in North American history.
The ruins in Chaco Canyon tell a silent story of the cultural development and migration of an ancient people with a richer history that we’ll ever fully comprehend.
For more about the people of Chaco, see “8 Interesting Facts About Chaco Culture” below.
Where Did They Go?
Chances are if you’ve heard of Chaco Canyon at all, you’ve heard about its “mystery”– the vanishing of an entire people group around 1250 CE. Billing Chaco as a mystery is great marketing. Mystery naturally piques public fascination. After Chaco’s discovery in the late 1800’s, archaeologists capitalized on that fascination to raise funds for excavation projects. Mystery worked. It still does.
But the truth? Ancestral Puebloan ruins can be compared to the “mystery” of America’s western ghost towns. Those really aren’t mysteries either. People go to a place for a reason. They leave for a reason. They don’t just vanish.
The reality of Chaco is far more fascinating than its romanticized fiction.
The Infamous Road
Now, let’s talk about the road you’ve got to take to get into the park. It’s not a good one. The first 8 miles is totally fine. It’s the next 13 miles that are rough. And “rough” is an understatement. To get from the highway to the visitor center (21 miles) took us an hour. Have you ever heard of a “washboard” road? This is a perfectly awful example.
My husband isn’t quite as “into” these ancient cultural sites as I am, and he wasn’t happy about this drive. I seriously think he would have bailed on Chaco if he hadn’t been warned about this part of the experience.
Be aware that rain can quickly turn this rough road into an impassable one. Make sure you check the weather. As you can see from the video, roadside services are non-existent. For updated road conditions, contact the park by calling (505) 786-7014. Know before you go!
Now That You’re Here
Once you get into the park, you’ll be happy to know you’re on a paved road throughout.
Park gates are open at 7 AM, but the visitor center does not open until 9 AM. Check closing times online or at the visitor center.
If you are planning to arrive prior to 9 AM, I suggest you have a map of the sites downloaded on your phone. You can find the app on the park’s website. Keep in mind you probably won’t have any cell service in the park. (We didn’t.)
At the Visitor Center
Hours of Operation: 9 AM – 5 PM every day
- Pick up a park map and any trail guides you may need.
- Get Junior Ranger books. If you are becoming a Junior Ranger, make sure you get back to the Visitor Center to get your badge before the Visitor Center closes. (You can get a full guide on becoming a Junior Ranger in my post, “Junior Rangers Never Get Old“.)
- Fill your water bottles and take more water than you think you’ll need! I recommend at least a gallon per person to be on the safe side. There is a bottle filling station located outside the Visitor Center.
- Unless you’re sure you’ll be back before the Visitor Center closes, go ahead and get any souvenirs and your National Park Passport stamp.
You won’t need to spend more than 30 minutes in the Visitor Center. There is a museum, but you can see it in no time at all. Literally, none.
The museum is a well-designed space with sleek display cases perfectly suited for showcasing Ancestral Puebloan artifacts. Too bad they are empty.
Over a million artifacts have been recovered from Chaco Canyon over the years, but none of them are here. Why? Two reasons:
A Plan Gone Awry
All of the artifacts are in other museums- mainly the Smithsonian in Washington, DC and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Remember all the “big money” I spoke of earlier that funded early excavation projects? Well, the “big money” got most of Chaco’s treasure for their back East pet projects- museums. However, an agreement was made between the museums and the Park Service for part of the “big money” museums’ collections to be returned (on loan) when the Park opened its own new museum. Sounds good, right? Well…
The park’s museum was set to make its opening splash in 2017, but catastrophe hit. During the costly build-out of the museum, the wrong type of HVAC system was installed. The humidity and temperature fluctuations in the museum put artifacts at increased risk of deterioration. Artifacts could not be transferred, and the forecast for a homecoming appears bleak.
Repatriation
Essentially, Ancestral Puebloans want their stuff back. At the very least, the descendants of Chaco want to have a strong influence on any decisions as to how their ancestors’ artifacts are housed and researched. And they should.
I was selfishly disappointed about not being able to see the artifacts at the Park’s museum- like these beautiful examples of Chaco’s famous black-on-white pottery. However, I am empathetic to the Ancestral Puebloans’ point of view.
Before leaving the Visitor Center, take the short trail to the Una Vida ruins located at the northeast corner of the Visitor Center’s parking lot. Don’t miss the petroglyphs! The Una Vida trail is steep and uneven, so if that’s not your cup of tea, skip it and head out to the 9-mile, one-way scenic loop road leading to the best ruins in New Mexico.
Top 4 of the Best Ruins in New Mexico
If you only have one day to spend in Chaco (and kudos to you if you’re willing to come back a second day and drive The Infamous Road), these are the top 4 best ruins in New Mexico you don’t want to miss!
The ruins I’m featuring do not require any of what I would consider “hiking”. There are access trails from parking areas to the ruins, but all of them are short, easy walks. How long you spend at each site is up to you. We spent five hours exploring Hungo Pavi, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo Bonito, and Pueblo del Arroyo.
Take a quick look at my “Details You Don’t Want to Miss” before you start exploring. These details are just a few of the reasons Chaco Canyon is worthy of its renown.
1. Hungo Pavi
Hungo Pavi is the first ruin you will encounter along the scenic loop road. Look for Hungo Pavi on your right. A short trail leads to the ruin from the parking area. This site is considered “unexcavated”. When you see the other ruins, you’ll see the big difference between “excavated” and “unexcavated” sites.
Facts About Hungo Pavi
Hungo Pavi
- Construction Began: 900’s CE
- Construction Completed: 1100’s CE
- Size of Site: 872 feet in circumference
- Number of Rooms: 150
- Original Number of Stories: 4 (at tallest point)
- Interesting Feature: There is a hand-hewn staircase in the cliff wall behind the ruins.
2. Chetro Ketl
Next on your right, you will come to the Pueblo Bonito parking area which has access to the Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito trailheads. The Chetro Ketl trailhead will be to your right.
Facts About Chetro Ketl
Chetro Ketl
(2nd Largest Chacoan Great House)
- Construction Began: approximately 1040 CE
- Construction Completed: 1100’s CE
- Size of Site: 5.7 acres
- Number of Rooms: 400
- Original Number of Stories: 4 (at tallest point)
- Interesting Features: Multiple kivas including 2 Great Kivas
You can either backtrack to the trailhead and continue to Pueblo Bonito, or you can take the Petroglyph Trail by the cliff-face to access it. I chose to walk the Petroglyph Trail to Pueblo Bonito. Passing up a good petroglyph panel is never an option for me.
3. Pueblo Bonito
Pueblo Bonito is considered the greatest of the Great Houses in the American Southwest. And for good reason. It was a gigantic 800 room building, and the center of Chaco culture. Many archaeologists believe Pueblo Bonito was likely a residence for nobility based upon artifacts found during excavation.
Facts About Pueblo Bonito
Pueblo Bonito
(Largest Chacoan Great House)
- Construction Began: 800’s CE
- Construction Completed: 1100’s CE
- Size of Site: 3 acres
- Number of Rooms: 800
- Original Number of Stories: 4 (at tallest point)
- Interesting Features: 39 kivas, 3 great kivas, 2 middens (trash piles); Threatening Rock (a sandstone slab that fell behind the great house in 1941 and destroyed 30 rooms)
4. Pueblo del Arroyo
Pueblo del Arroyo is notable for its site location. The Great Houses featured above were built against the cliff and facing north. Pueblo del Arroyo was built in the open and facing east. Why? Evidence strongly suggests a correlation with astronomical alignment. A reliance upon astronomy as a guide for life is a hallmark of Ancestral Puebloan culture.
Facts About Pueblo Arroyo
Facts About Pueblo Arroyo
(4th Largest Chacoan Great House)
- Construction Began: 1060 CE
- Construction Completed: 1100’s CE
- Size of Site: over 2 acres
- Number of Rooms: 300
- Original Number of Stories: 4 (at tallest point)
- Interesting Features: 17 kivas with one being tri-walled construction (one of 10 found in the entire southwest); the structure faces east
- There is a shaded picnic area available.
For more information about cultural astronomy and Chaco Canyon, the Crow Canyon Archeological Project is a good place to start.
Depending upon the amount of time you have to spend in the park and how deep your interest is in the ruins will determine how many other sites you’ll want to explore. See all you can!
Visiting Chaco Canyon with Kids
Let’s face it. Kids are curious. They will want to crawl around and see where these enchanting little doorways lead. I wanted to find out myself. I think letting kids explore (accompanied by an adult) is a great way to make the Chaco experience more memorable. But only in Pueblo Bonito! Pueblo Bonito is the only Great House visitors are allowed to walk through.
When I crawled through a doorway in Pueblo Bonito and saw this grinding stone (probably used for grinding corn), I had a flashback to Raiders of the Lost Ark. For a moment, I was Indiana Jones. Finding an artifact like this is not just cool. It’s an opportunity to educate kids about the lifeways of the “old ones”.
Details You Don’t Want to Miss!
If there’s any mystery in Chaco, it’s in the details. You’ll find examples all over the park.
Beams
Notice the beams in the walls of the buildings and then look around this canyon. Do you see any forests? These are some big beams! Where did they come from?
From over 50 miles away according to dendrochronology experts (tree scientists). How did they get here? Nobody knows. Obviously, there weren’t any trucks to haul them. The only conclusion to be made is that the people of Chaco hauled the logs themselves. Amazing, when you consider they didn’t have oxen or horses. A real mystery.
You can read more about the study of Chaco’s beams in “Where Did Chaco Canyon’s Timber Come From“, a very interesting article published by Smithsonian Magazine.
T-Doors
T-Doors are common 11th-12th century Ancestral Puebloan architectural features and are found all over the southwest. If you see a T-Door, you know you are looking at a Chaco-era structure. What was the purpose of T-Doors? Experts do not agree on an answer. Some suggest a religious significance. Some suggest they were status symbols. Others suggest T-Doors were simply for convenience in entering/exiting buildings while carrying bundles on their backs. Who knows? A real mystery.
If you want a deep-dive into T-Doors in the Southwest, you check out Stephen Lekson, Ph.D.’s presentation, “T-Door is an Enigma” on YouTube.
Windows (Doors) and Staircases
There are so many of these “windows” in the walls of the Great Houses. At least, they appear to be windows. Most were actually doors. How could there be doors so high off the ground?
“They were doors on higher floors,” you might say. Yes, these buildings were multi-story, but these doorways were still several feet higher than the floor. Why were they built like this? A real mystery.
The stairs on the cliff-face are just phenomenal. Can you imagine chipping rock away by hand to form this giant staircase? And these aren’t the only steps in the park. There is another staircase by Hungo Pavi and more stairs going to Pueblo Alto. There may be countless others! How many people and how long did it take them to do this? Another real mystery.
Petroglyphs
There are a number of petroglyph sites in Chaco Canyon- and probably many more than are labeled on the map. If you’ve never seen petroglyphs before, definitely walk the Petroglyph Trail at Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito. If you are venturing out further, you can find more petroglyphs on the trails leading to Penasco Blanco and Pueblo Alto.
One of my favorite things to do when traveling in the American Southwest is look for petroglyphs. I love wondering what people were communicating. Were the petroglyphs made by people just passing the time or did they intend to leave a specific message? And for whom? No one knows for certain what ideas or events are depicted by these ancient etchings, so your guess is as good as anyone else’s! Yet another real mystery.
Biking- An Even Better Way to See Chaco Canyon
As of 2024, the bike ride around Chaco’s scenic loop ranks as the third best bike ride I’ve ever done. I’m convinced the ultimate way to experience the best ruins in New Mexico is on two wheels!
The loop is 9 miles of virtually flat paved road surrounded by vast dramatic desert. If we’d had the time, I would have started from the visitor center and toured the whole park by bike. Due to time constraints, we chose to do a shorter ride after driving to all of the ruins we planned to see.
Unfortunately, we didn’t finish the whole bike ride, because I ended up really weak from dehydration. I had to abandon the bike and wait on the side of the road until my husband could come back to pick me up. I was crushed! Still, it was the third best bike ride of my life.
*Note: Make sure you drink plenty of water! Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Dehydration can sneak up on you. Fill water bottles at the visitor center and take more water than you think you will need.
No Better Way to Ruin a Day
Out of all of New Mexico’s Ancestral Puebloan ruins that I’ve been lucky enough to see, the ruins in Chaco Canyon are by far my favorites. I hope I have inspired you to put the best ruins in New Mexico on your bucket list. There’s no better way to ruin a day.
8 Interesting Facts About Chaco Culture
- The inhabitants of Chaco did not disappear. They were absorbed into surrounding southwest tribal cultures including the Hopi, Navajo, and modern Pueblo peoples.
- Chaco cultural influence was not limited to this canyon. The cultural influence of Chaco was extensive and included distant sites referred to as “outliers”. Mesa Verde in Colorado is considered a Chaco outlier.
- The people of Chaco most likely experienced a period of intense violence prior to the settlement’s abandonment. (Drought was most likely not the only reason people left.)
- Many facets of Chaco culture are closely tied to astronomy.
- The people of Chaco built an extensive road system leading to outlying communities which can still be seen using specialized aerial technology called “lidar”.
- Drinking chocolate (cacao) was a part of Chacoan religious rituals.
- Scarlet macaws (a type of parrot) were used in religious ceremonies and were status symbols. They would have been imported from thousands of miles away.
- The people of Chaco may have been in contact with residents of Cahokia in Illinois. Both empires flourished at the same time. Beads and shells proven to be from Cahokia have been found in Chaco’s excavations.
*For an in-depth history of Chaco Canyon, check out Stephen Lekson, Ph.D.’s recorded lecture,
“What is Chaco Really?” on YouTube.
If you want to see more of New Mexico’s amazing ruins, follow the trail to
(Not) Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico
From My Library
Go to page 2 for information about Farmington, NM and other points of interest.
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