About Chaco Canyon
Escaping the heat once again, we packed up Romin and headed toward New Mexico for the 4th of July week. Our first stop was Taos, one of our favorite mountain towns. We enjoyed great food, local craft beer, and a sky full of fireworks with friends before continuing to Farmington to explore Chaco Canyon.
Chaco Canyon quickly proved to be much more than a scenic stop. From 850 to 1250, it was a thriving center for the ancestral Pueblo people, and by 1050 it had grown into the ceremonial, economic, and administrative heart of the San Juan Basin. People from many communities and clans gathered there to share ceremonies, traditions, and knowledge. At its peak, Pueblo Bonito held 650 rooms and was home to about 1,000 inhabitants.
Getting There
Chaco Canyon sits about 79 miles south of Farmington, New Mexico, but the drive feels like a journey much farther off the grid. Plan on about 1½ to 2 hours each way as the road winds through wide-open, mostly uninhabited country. Cell service quickly disappears. This is not a place to test your luck, so bring plenty of water, snacks, and a little patience. You’ll also be traveling across private tribal lands, so please drive carefully and be respectful of residents, livestock, and the landscape.
The real adventure begins when the pavement ends. From there, it’s 13 miles of dirt road, washboards, rocks, ruts, and potholes. The final 5 miles deliver the roughest stretch before you reach the park. If rain is in the forecast—or if it has rained recently—the road can become impassable, so be sure to check the weather and current conditions before you go.
You’re here!
Once you get inside the park, the pavement returns and the Visitor Center is only about 2 ½ miles ahead. It’s a welcome stop after the long, bumpy drive. There is a small gift shop, helpful National Park Service staff, and passport stamps. Pick up a park map to guide you to Pueblo Bonito and the other stops along the way.
Just be sure to come prepared: there is no restaurant or snack shop in the park. Pack a lunch if you plan to spend the day exploring. You can refill water bottles at the restroom building—but keep your eyes open. Chaco’s wild side showed up right away when I spotted a rattlesnake near the restrooms, and thankfully my guardian angel was on duty.
Pueblo Bonito
About 4 1/2 miles from the Visitor Center along the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive, Pueblo Bonito is the stop that brings Chaco Canyon to life. It is the canyon’s most important site and a must-see for first-time visitors and returning travelers alike. The 0.6-mile roundtrip trail is graveled, with a few short, steep rises. It leads you through one of the most remarkable great houses in the Southwest. As you walk the route, use the trail guide to spot signature features of Chacoan architecture and better understand the lasting legacy of Chacoan culture.
The two images show the settlement as it looks today and a mock-up of how it looked in its day.
Daily Life
The picture on the left is of an original wooden beam ceiling in one of the rooms. It’s about 1200 years old and withstood the test of time. This is a good example of how all the ceilings would have looked in their day.
The round rooms, known as kivas, are some of the most intriguing features at Chaco. These sacred and social spaces served as places for rituals, political discussions, and community gatherings among the men of the village. Rather than entering through a doorway, men climbed down through an opening in the roof, descending by ladder into the center of the room.
Women held their own rituals in other rooms and rarely entered the kivas. Some of the great houses rose as high as five stories, making the ruins even more impressive when you imagine them with complete walls, roofs, and busy rooms filled with daily life.
In Conclusion
By the time we visited, the desert heat had taken the lead. Sadly, Pueblo Bonito became our one big stop for the day—and it was absolutely worth it. Even with a shorter visit, the scale, history, and quiet power of the place left a lasting impression. If Chaco Canyon is on your list, I highly recommend going in the cooler months of spring or fall, when you can take your time and explore more comfortably.
Until next time, Peace and Love
Romin, Pete, & Lori
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