Chaco Culture National Historical Park near Farmington, New Mexico, is a place that must be seen to be believed. It’s not easy to get to, but it’s definitely worth the trip. Located in the high desert of Northwest New Mexico, Chaco Culture is the site of the largest buildings built in the United States prior to the 19th century.
In addition to being a national park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the USA’s most important and comprehensive examples of pre-Columbian architecture. Thousands of people lived and worked in these massive pueblos between 850 and 1250 A.D. Chaco Canyon was the center of the ancestral Puebloan world with dozens of great houses connected to roads leading to 150 more throughout the region.
What makes Chaco Culture National Historical Park interesting is the obvious planning that went into building these structures. Several of the sandstone block buildings are aligned to solar and lunar cycles. There are 15 major complexes in the canyon alone with kivas and multiple story greathouses. Visitors can explore these many of these sites, ducking in and out of the warren of rooms. Most of the structures are located right off the nine mile one-way loop road.
Visiting Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Planning Your Visit to Chaco Canyon
Directions
Chaco Canyon seems like it is literally in the middle of nowhere. The road we came in on was a wash-boarded dirt road that seemed to go on forever. If you are coming from Nageezi in the north like we did, there are 13 miles of rough road to traverse; from the south, you could be facing up to 33 miles of roads like this.
From the north
If you are coming from US Route 550, turn off at CR 7900, three miles southeast of Nageezi. The park boundary will be 21 miles from the turn off and there are plenty of signs. The first eight miles will be paved, but the last thirteen are not. The five miles directly before the park boundary are not well-maintained. Make sure to leave extra time–you will be driving slowly.
From the south
The southern routes are not recommended for RVs or trailers. Two different routes come into Chaco Canyon from Highway 9, but both are extremely rough and road signs are often non-existent.
From Highway 9, you can take Highway 57 (13 miles east of Highway 371). This route will be 20 miles of dirt road. Alternatively, you can turn north from Highway 9 on Navajo 46 at Pueblo Pintado. Turn left on County Road 7900 before turning left onto Country Road 7950 and follow the signs 16 miles to the park entrance. This way has the most dirt roads (33 miles).
Hours & Days
The Loop Road at Chaco Culture National Historical Park is open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily during the winter months and from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the summer months. The nine mile long Loop Road provides access to all of the great houses and parking areas. The visitor center’s hours are from 8-4 p.m. in the winter (November 1-April 30) and from 8-5 in the summer (May 1- October 31). There are nice restrooms in a separate building that are accessible even if the visitor’s center is closed. Be aware that access to the loop road closes 30 minutes before park closing.
The park, visitor center, and campground are closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Admission
Park admission is required and can be purchased at the visitor center.
Admission to Chaco Culture National Historical Park is $25 per vehicle (up to 15 passengers), $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per person on foot or bicycle. These passes are good for seven days.
If you live in the western part of the United States or will be visiting many parks, I highly recommend purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass each year which allows access to all of the national parks and federal recreational areas for one year. At $80, it’s well worth the price. Discounts are available for seniors, people with disabilities, and active duty military members. And, if you have a fourth grade student at home, be sure to apply for the Every Kid Outdoors Pass. It’s free and gets your family into all the national parks for the entire year.
Where to Stay
Park Campground
There is one small campground located within Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Gallo Campground has 32 sites, 5 of which are reserved for large RVs. The other 27 sites are suitable for tents, small RVs, or travel trailers. While there are restrooms with toilets that flush, there are no showers or hook ups. There is no convenience store or food service nearby. The campground is very remote; there is no cell phone service.
Reservations are available for Gallo Campground and must be made at least three days in advance. You can reserve a site by visiting www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Sites are $15.00 each. Group camping is also available.
Hotels
The nearest hotels to Chaco Culture National Historical park are not very close by. Any chain hotels are going to be nearly 60 miles away (or more) in Bloomfield, Farmington, or Gallup, New Mexico. Keep in mind that part of that 60 mile drive is on rough, dirt roads; plan to spend an hour and a half driving each way. If you plan to spend more than one day in the canyon, you may want to consider camping.
What to do at Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Visitor Center & Museum
The visitor center is a great place to start your exploration of Chaco Canyon. Normally, the visitor center is opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. in the summer months (May through October) or 4 p.m. in the winter (November through April). As noted above, restrooms are located in a separate building and are available when the vistor’s center is closed.
A small gift shop is available at the visitor’s center with the prerequisite books, posters, and tee-shirts. More importantly, this is the only place where you can buy trail guides for each of the important pueblos in the canyon.
Ranger Programs
All year long, rangers lead walks of Pueblo Bonito, the most important site in the canyon. The graveled round-trip trail through this pueblo is 6/10 of a mile. The park offers additional programming from April to October, even occasional evening astronomy programs. Schedules are available at the visitor’s center.
Canyon Loop Drive Stops and Trails
All of the trails at Chaco Culture National Historical Park are self-guided. Park brochures and information are located at the visitor’s center. Pets are allowed in the campground or on back country trails if they are on a 6 foot or shorter leash. However, pets are not allowed in any of the archaeological sites.
Una Vida
The trail to Una Vida begins in the northeast corner of the visitor center parking lot and is one mile round trip. Plan to spend 45 minutes or more on your walk to this great house, keeping an eye out for petroglyphs on the way. This trail is rocky and steep. If it’s been raining, it can also be slippery.
Hungo Pavi
About two miles into the loop road, you’ll come to Hungo Pavi, an unexcavated great house with over 150 rooms. This short trail is only 1/4 mile round trip.
Chetro Ketl
The next site you will come to is Chetro Kel. It’s about four and a half miles from the visitor center and shares a parking lot with Pueblo Bonito. The trail here is 1/2 mile round trip and visits the second largest Chacoan great house in the canyon. The site covers more than three acres and includes a great kiva, elevated kivas, and even an elevated plaza twelve feet above the canyon floor. The gravel trail includes several steep rises.
Petroglyph Trail
This 1/4 mile trail takes visitors along the cliff face between Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito. Since the two great houses share the same parking lot, it’s easy to make a loop. You’ll see several petroglyphs along the way, including spirals and different animals. If you have binoculars, remember to bring them so that you can spot some of the higher petroglyphs.
Pueblo Bonito
If you don’t stop at any other site, you must stop and explore Pueblo Bonito. The parking area for Pueblo Bonito is just past the one for Chetro Ketl (4 1/2 miles into the loop). The name Pueblo Bonito means beautiful town or village, and it is certainly applicable here.
This archaeological site was built in stages between 850 and 1150 AD. The graveled trail through this pueblo is 0.6 miles and does climb some short, but steep, hills. I highly encourage you to take one of the ranger-led tours through this site or to use a trail guide if no ranger tours are available. The scope is just incredible.
Exploring the buildings at Pueblo Bonito was a lof of fun. This site contains approximately 800 rooms, although not all are excavated, in a 3 acre area. Some of the structures are four and five stories high. The doorways are tiny, though, so make sure to duck your head as you go through.
Casa Rinconada
Casa Rinonada and the nearby villages are located six miles into the loop road. The trail is approximately 1/2 mile and leads to smaller, more typical villages. Once again, the trail is graveled and has several, short, steep rises.
Pueblo de Arroyo
Pueblo del Arroyo is located 5 1/2 miles into the Canyon Loop Drive. This short 1/4 mile trail leads to one of the “newest” construction sites. Built between 1025 and 1125 AD, this great house does not include a kiva or earthen mounds like many of the others.
Other Trails and Sites
Outliers
More archaelogical sites are located outside the canyon. Guests can visit Pueblo Pintado and Kin Klizhin, but other sites, such as Kin Bineola and Kin Ya’a are closed to the public.
Backcountry Trails
There are four backcountry hiking trails in the park ranging from 3 miles to eight miles roundtrip. Backcountry hikers must obtain a free permit from the visitor center or trailhead before departing and carry it with them. Hikers can purchase trail guides at the visitor center.
Pueblo Alto Trail
This trail leaves from the Pueblo del Arroyo parking area. The entire loop trail is 5.4 miles roundtrip; however, you can just visit Pueblo Alto (3.2 mile roundtrip) or the Pueblo Bonito Overlook (2 mile roundrip). If you can only do one backcountry trail, this is the one to do, even if you only have time to go ot the overlook. The views are spectaular.
Peñasco Blanco Trail
This 7.4 mile backcountry trail also leaves from the Pueblo del Arroyo parking area. If you only take it to the the Petroglyph Trail, it will be 3.5 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 200 feet. If you continue on to the Supernova Pictograph before turning back, your trip will be 5.8 miles roundtrip. The entire trail includes the Petroglyph Trail and Supernova pictograph site, as well as Peñasco Blanco, an unexcavated great house with a unique oval design. The trail is sandy which can make it long and difficult.
South Mesa Trail
The South Mesa Trail leaves from Stop 10 on the Casa Rinconada Trail. The entire loop is 4.1 miles roundtrip, although if you stop at the Tsin Kletzin great house, it will be 3 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 450 feet. This trail ends at a high point on South Mesa with amazing landscape views before returning.
Wijiji Trail
Wijiji trail is the shortest of the backcountry trails at 3.0 miles roundtrip. It leaves from the Wijiji parking area or from the Gallo Campground (3.2 miles) and goes to the Wijiji great house built around 1100 A.D.
Know Before You Go
Chaco Canyon seems far from civilization as we know it. Make sure to bring everything you will need for several hours, including food, water, and sunscreen. I would also recommend sturdy hiking shoes (or at least tennis shoes) and a hat for sunny days. There is a shaded picnic area at Pueblo del Arroyo along with pit toilets.
Final Thoughts about Chaco Culture National Historical Park
My tiny taste of Chaco Culture National Historical Park was only enough to whet my appetite. We arrived late in the day and didn’t have much time to explore. I’d love to come back to Chaco Culture National Historical Park and stay a few days. Maybe someday after we retire, Dennis and I will drive a little RV out west, camp at Gallo Campground and explore some of the other trails and structures. I’d love to go on one of the ranger-led tours and spend some time in the visitor center. It almost blows my mind that we learn so much about the ancient peoples of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East in school, yet learn virtually nothing about the ancestral pueblos in our own country.
If you want to learn more about our weekend New Mexico getaway, you can read an overview of our visit to the ancient ruins of the American Southwest here.
This building are something else, I love the view though. Thanks for sharing
This looks so beautiful – those mountains. Would love to visit!
I love mountains, wil surely make a note . Cant wait to atart travelling again.
Thanks for the share 😊
This is fun. I want to visit places like this with mountains and rocks. Maybe one day I will try to go here. I like how you made it easy to know much about it.
That looks like a great place to visit. Indiana Jones style.
, Chaco Culture National Historical Park sounds really amazing. I have to pass this post along to my mom as she would love something like this!
You are so lucky. I would love to visit this place! Yet, your review and pics make me feel like I’m already there.
I love the images and helpful points and suggestions. What a fascinating place
Not easy to get to and available camping…those are both wins for us! We love a challenge indeed and have never been to NM. You did a great job on this!
I would love to explore this national park someday, I’d like to do a U.S. road trip possibly next summer and this would be one of the stops on our journey.
Thank you for sharing this! My husband and I have been talking about planning a big US road trip with the pups, so we’re always on the lookout for places that we should visit. We all love hiking, and the backcountry trails here sound perfect! I’m definitely writing this down on our list of places to include in our travel plans.
WHAT! How have I not heard of this place?! It’s so beautiful and unique looking. Thank you so so much for sharing. I have added this to my bucket list!
I have never heard of this place before. Since it seems like a forever drive (cue scenes from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, driving out into the desert for nefarious reasons) out into nowhere, I wonder how many people really do know about it. Which may be one of the reasons I’m drawn to it. I love places that haven’t become super touristy or have too many people visiting.
I’ve been there before and I really admire how beautiful is that National Park is.
I have lived in Colorado my whole life and never knew about this! Ill have to check it out!
I’ve never heard of this place before. I’ll add it to my national parks bucketlist!
It looks gorgeous. I’d love to go.
This looks like exactly the kind of place my dad would be fascinated by. How cool that you can camp out at their campground! Thanks for sharing!
Stunning photography and description. I look forward to returning to the USA and enjoying these beautiful places in nature.
I did not know about Chaco culture. I love the details and history in here. Great clicks.
Thanks you so much for sharing so detailed info. It has been months I have gone somewhere.
Its amazing place to travel, Thanks for sharing!
Wow, there’s so much history here! Pueblo Bonito from hundreds of years ago sounds absolute stunning.
So fascinating to learn about the buildings built aligned to solar and lunar cycles. As remote as the park is, think it’s well worth the long drive!
hi
Chaco Culture National Historical Park seems like one great outdoor trip to undertake with its dirt roads and seemingly disconnect with outside world I think as you mentioned pueblo Bonito needs to be definitely seen up close
National Parks are a childhood favourite, up to now I can’t plan a holiday without thinking any breathtaking National Park. I haven’t been to the US this is a must one day.
Thank you for sharing the information with details. Although we have been to New Mexico, never been to this place. Will check it out.
PUEBLO DE ARROYO is beautiful and reminds a little of Chichén Itzá in the style of the structures. I would to visit this national park one day.
First, you are always travelling! I love that. This is a very detailed article, and I love love exploring ruins and new mexico is like a gold mine …this one just made it into my bucket list. I hadn’t even heard about it before this. Thank!
That looks like an amazing place to visit – piity I can’t travel that far 😮
This is a place I might have loved to visit if I was still in the US. Great for exploring!
I love your beautiful photos and helpful descriptions. Sounds like there are a lot of trails to explore in the area, which would be just my thing. The landscape is so different to anything you’d get near where I live, so it would be wonderful to visit someday.
How very interesting. I’ve never heard of chaco culture and this has enlightened me; thank you. Interesting point that we don’t learn about ancestral pueblos in school (at least I didn’t).
It is great to know that there are no hotels nearby because as I was reading this , that is what I was thinking about.
I love traveling and the fact that you said that Pueblo Bonito means beautiful town or village then it must be ‘must see’ on the list. Thanks for sharing
I have a great passion for national and natural parks and when I can I love getting lost in their paths.
Love your piccys. I would love to visit here if this was near to us, but it is miles away x
wow! the place looks totally magical, I would love to spend time there so much. awesome for adventures!
I found reading about the Chaco Culture National Historical Park to be really fascinating. The buildings of course are amazing but so is the alignment with the sun and lunar cycles that are also featured in many other ancient cultures. I can well understand why you would feel compelled to return to do this area more justice when you have more time. I would certainly want to visit, explore and learn more as well.
The Chaco Culture Park looks fascinating! The remains of the buildings remind me of some ghost towns that you can find in southern Italy. I would love taking the trails through this site that weaves you through the village to explore the archaeological site!
Thank you for this! I have a goal to visit all the national parks in the USA.