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My fingers tightened on the steering wheel as the gravel faded into a washboard dirt road. Truly an amazing place to visit. Also, forty-eight degrees is much colder than I expected for the middle of June. We have camping reservations but I am nervous about the roads. The visitors center is staffed year round and is a starting place for your adventure here. The Chaco Culture National Park is a UNESCO site. Its a 1.5 hr / 90 mile drive north. Earlier that morning, I was at my friend Seans apartment in Santa Fe, New Mexico planning my route to Page, Arizona. I highly recommend readingHouse of Rain by Greg Childs, In Search of the Old Ones by David Roberts, or Brian Fagans Chaco Canyon to get a deeper understanding of the landscape, culture, archaeology, and ancient Chacoan road system. The further you hike the happier you will be. Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness listed amongst best trips 2019 . Chetro KetlChetro Ketl, a Chacoan great house at Chaco Canyon. The age of curiosity is time to visit Chaco Canyon. Games in the afternoon under a shade capopy. The first six miles are paved, and the last fifteen are unpaved. The best time to see this glowing phenomenon is late at night when the sky is darkest. Places like Mesa Verde come immediately to mind, but the area is scattered with many more out of the way places that can really make an adventure to the southwest something special. Hungo PaviThe ruins of Hungo Pavi at Chaco Canyon National Monument. Be sure to bring (and drink) 1 liter of water for every hour of hiking. It is mind boggling to learn about how and think about why this was constructed a millennium ago. This route is signed from US 550 to the park boundary (21 miles). Make sure you take time to admire the excellent stone craftsmanship. Remnants of Turbulent Streambed #3. A storm started moving in as I was heading to the next set of ruins, Pueblo del Arroyo. It will take about 3 hours if you look at all parts of the buildings, but factor in the time it takes to get here. It was a beautifully PAVED road! There are thirteen miles of dirt roads to drive before getting to Chaco Canyon, and the last four miles are considered by the park service to be very rough. One place that weve enjoyed visiting in the past is Chaco Canyon. For a deeper contact with the canyon that was central to . It didnt take long for first rays of the morning sun to wash out the Big Dipper, as if it never existed. The pavement resumes inside the park. The Hopi and other ethnic groups of New Mexico trace their ancestry directly to the culture and people of Chaco Canyon. Top speed never exceeded 5-15mph for fear of destroying our 44 Pickup. * external links open in new window Mesa Verde, last time I was there, only allowed visitors to actually enter one of the sites. BTW october was a great month for visiting NM. It was nearing the deadline I had set to leave the park (3:30 p.m.) in order to make it to my campground reservation in Page, Arizona before they closed at 9 p.m. (Its a five-hour drive, but the time zone change gave me an extra hour.). The course includes 8 miles of paved road and 13 miles of rough dirt road. We can verify that the roads are indeed rough. The pavement turned into gravel. Anna Sofaer found the now-famous Sun Dagger petroglyph site on a desert butte high above Chaco Culture National Historical Park at Summer Solstice in 1977, leading to 30 years research into the meaning of ancient Chacos astronomical expressions. They are about 1.5 hours away from Chaco. The most common trails within the park are Wijiji Trail, South Mesa Trail, Penasco Blanco Trail, and the Pueblo Alto Trail, ranging from three to eight miles. Chaco Canyon definitely is one of the best places to visit but it takes a lot of time. Sign up for travel tips,location guides, expert interviews and updates frommy adventures. Due to HVAC issues, the artifacts are missing from the lonely museum exhibit. Be prepared to do some walking! Get hold of a trail guide booklet at the Visitor Center before you start your hike, and irrespective of the trail you choose, your walk will give you a chance to experience a unique landscape amid ruins unlike anywhere else in the world. The smaller Pueblo del Arroyo structure was built in two stages between AD 1025 to AD 1125. Yes, I meant Mesa Verde. Some areas havelots of things to do within walking distance, but the hotels may be more expensive. Hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, May through October 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, November through April Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day Entrance Fees: The following fees are current as of October 21st 2018: This trail was 2.5 miles, all average until the last 1/2 mile which feels almost straight up! Several ranger-guided talks are also available. Chaco Canyon contains the most extensive collection of Puebloan ruins in North America. During really wet weather, we might be a little concerned about using a two wheel drive vehicle, and big touring bikes (Harleys, Gold Wings, and so on) are simply out of the question. Please dont take or move rocks, walk on the Kivas or other sites, add to or deface petroglyphs and pictographs, chalk messages into the walls, or pick up anything. If you want to go solo, thats a great option too. Click here to learn more. The pristine environment is wonderful for exploring desert and scrubland flora and fauna. Even if you find an artifact on the ground, it must stay where you found it. Each leading site has parking options, and a few places you can hide are the Hungo Pavi, Pueblo del Arroyo, Casa Rinconada, Pueblo Bonito, and Cheto Ketl. The park offers camping facilities at the Gallo Campground, with 48 individual campsites. The site looks ncludes a 9 mile drive with several stops to get out and see the remains of settlements from 1200AD and earlier. If you like history and can endure bumpy roads, this is for you. Its possible that all sorts of activities centered around trade, culture, religion, and even art could have taken place here and spread its influence all throughout the Colorado Plateau. To most of us, this simply means that its got really, really dark skies. There is also industrial traffic from oil fields in the area. We love to hike, hunt for crystals and minerals, and visit historic sites and ruins scattered throughout the southwest. November through February is on a first come, first served basis. Tori really is a wealth of information about this park and other spots in New Mexico. the dirt road wasn't too bad and the Park wasn't crowded so you can enjoy walking around the site and appreciate all of its wonder. Unplug and explore the Yampa River Canyon, one of the last rare wildernesses left to explore in the country. (Betty is my Kia Spectra and faithful travel companion.) . cmoiramagatos@gmail.com. Being completely different cultures in different periods in different parts of the word, I wouldn't expect too many similarities. The best time to visit Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico is during the spring and fall when the temperature is milder. Save CC for a trip when you have plenty of time to enjoy it as a main attraction. It not only covers admission to per vehicle attractions, but up to 4 people at per person sites. All sites and trails are open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (May 1-October 31), 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Nov 1-Feb 28), and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Mar 1-Apr 30). Also, as the previous poster stated, the road there can be challenging on the best days and impassable on bad ones, so making the most of your time there is key. 13.Tse Bitai (Shiprock) New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment. (There are only two exits, and apparently, that horrible road I took is the best.) Last Updated on: 6th February 2023, 03:17 pm Before you visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, here's a list of everything you need to know - from access to biking to hiking to camping to soaking in the essence of Ancestral Puebloan culture on a journey into a canyon sacred for thousands of people between AD 850 and AD 1250. Take a guided night tour through the caves of Dismals Canyon to see thousands of glowworms! And of course, you never know which one it will be until you get there. Chaco Canyon definitely is one of the best places to visit but it takes a lot of time. It is the only tributary left in the Colorado River . United States - Best month for NW New Mexico - We are planning a girls trip to NW New Mexico and are wondering if Mid May would be a good time. Gallo Campground, Chaco Canyon is one of my absolute favorite places to camp in New Mexico. Badlands are by definition landscapes that are unsuitable for human habitation. I think the original poster means Mesa Verde when he/she typed MV, not Monument Valley. 505-786-7014. I instantly felt like I was back at Machu Picchu walking through elaborately built Inca ruins. Specialties: Red Roof Inn Gallup is 100% smoke-free and conveniently located near Historical Downtown, the Gallup Convention Center, the Mural Art Center and the Gallup Cultural Center. The choice is yours! Fajada Butte Overlook the place of the famous sun dagger. Baby Travel Gear Must-Haves: Best Travel Car Seats for 2023 [Show] The backcountry hikes are free, but you must fill out a permit at the trailhead or the visitors center. Free shipping for many products! It would seem to be not quite true to claim that Chaco Canyon is near anything at all, and that for us is the point. Sign up for my adventure updates, tips, location guides & expert interviews! Some of the roads in the area (including the CR7500 near Bisti Wilderness area) are improving due to the oil companies working in the area. From there, a 9-mile loop road accesses five major Chacoan sites, including Pueblo Bonito. A journey that continues today. The park itself included a nine-mile paved loop linking the main ruins and several hiking trails to other sites. A visit to the Homestead Crater in Heber Valley, Utah, makes for a fantastic experience. One thing to consider aside from the heat is the humidity, or lack thereof. Lets take a look at all the things to do and places to visit on Canyon Loop Drive! Helping you travel longer for less since 2016! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Covering 76,679 acres, Arches National Park in eastern Utah is located alongside the Colorado River. Campitos turquoise creates the crescent shape drop of these earrings, crowned by flowers for a sweet look. Pueblo BonitoOne of the standing walls of Pueblo Bonito with windows. Check the weather, and call the visitors center (505-786-7014) for route recommendations before your trip. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Stay on the trail. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. This could be an entirely separate blog post. When kids in the family reach the age of curiosity, a visit to the national historical park near Nageezi, New Mexico, U.S., should be in the cards. So best will be from 550. Without any slight intended to it, I would say give it a miss this time since you're going to Mesa Verde. The drive from the North is supposed to be better because it has fewer miles of dirt road. Center of the Chacoan world and occupied from the mid-800s to 1200s, it was a. You may notice that we keep calling the folks who lived here the Ancient Pueblo Peoples, and not Anasazi as they have been called in the past. If it's still wet, it may be impassable. Farmington is your best bet for a place to stay and still allow most of a day in Chaco. Turn left on county road 7900, follow this road for 5 miles. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. They are about $1-$2 each. Getting there is another story. Come well-equipped. Located off Route 70 in New Mexico, the White Sands National Monument is at an elevation of 4235 feet in the Tularosa Basin. The turnoff is 3 miles southeast of Nageezi. One advantage to Chaco vs. Mesa Verde is that at Chaco you will have the opportunity to walk through all of the ruins, whereas in Mesa Verde, most of the ruins can only be viewed from above or below. Opt for bicycling around the sites if you want to cover more ground. The first one-hundred people (not cars) proceeded to Casa Rinconada to watch the summer solstice alignment. Google Maps said the journey would take about 75 minutes, but it ended up taking closer . Pueblo BonitoRuins of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon. Preferably something small like a VW Westphalia or small class B RV. The best part about camping at Chaco? Chaco has very few camp spots which are reserved well inadvance. Budget travelers can try staying with alocal on Couchsurfing since there are no hostels in Farmington. When you return to the parking lot, head over to Pueblo del Arroyo for one last glimpse of a Chacoan great house before calling it a day. I think the turn-off is about 10 miles down and is on the left. However, its better than driving out and back to a hotel in Aztec an hour away. Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park.The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World.The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 4,926.08 km 2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave . Chaco Canyon is very dry. Know what you mean Amber. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. The altitude combined with the heat, constant wind and dry climate is fatiguing if you're not accustomed to it. Doorways inside the Pueblo Bonito. If you take your time and go slow, will a regular car do ok? The elevation is over 6,200 feet so plan on warm camping gear, especially in the winter. How much time should be allocated for drive from Alb to Chaco and days at Chaco? Its about3 hours (161 miles) northwest of Albuquerque, or 90 minutes (75 miles) southeast from Farmington. The big Pueblo Bonito was partially destroyed by a rock in the '40's, but it's still very obvious how things were laid out, and there are many other sites. I found the whole site quite atmospheric and it's remoteness adds to that.