This information is to assist you and your school group in planning your upcoming visit to the park. We recommend that teachers visit the park in advance of their class visit, if possible, in order to plan group activities. Please read all the information, and plan your visit carefully.

Chaco

Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of America's most significant and fascinating cultural and historic areas. Chaco Canyon was a major center of ascestral Puebloan culture between AD 850 and 1250. It was a hub of ceremoney, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area--unlike anything before or since.

Chaco is remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings, and its distinctive architecture. To construct the buildings, along with the associated Chacoan roads, ramps, dams, and mounds, required a great deal of well organized and skillful planning, designing, resource gathering, and construction. The Chacoan people combined pre-planned architectural design, astronomical alignments, geometry, landscaping, and engineering to create an ancient ceremonial center of spectacular public architecture--one that still amazes and inspires us a thousand years later.

The Chacoan cultural sites are fragile and irreplaceable and represent a significant part of America's cultural heritage. The sites are part of the sacred homeland of Pueblo Indian peoples of New Mexico, the Hopi Indians of Arizona, and the Navajo Indians of the Southwest, all of whom continue to respect and honor them.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a very special place. Remote and isolated, it offers few amenities, so come prepared. You will find that the rewards are unlimited.

Directions To Chaco Culture NHP:

Chaco Canyon is located in northwestern New Mexico. The preferred and recommended access route to the park is from the north, via US 550 (formerly NM 44) and CR 7900, and CR 7950. (area road map)

From the north, turn off US 550 at Country Road 7900—3 miles southeast of Nageezi and approximately 50 miles west of Cuba (at mile 112.5). This route is clearly signed from US 550 to the park boundary (21 miles). The route includes 5 miles of paved road (CR 7900) and 16 miles of rough dirt road (CR 7950).

From the south, two routes access Chaco from Highway 9, which runs between Crownpoint, Pueblo Pintado, and Cuba. Both routes can vary from very rough to impassable. If you are traveling from the south, please call ahead for the latest conditions.

Via Hwy 57: Highway 57 turns north from Highway 9 at the former Seven Lakes Trading Post. This turnoff is 3.5 miles north of Crownpoint and 13 miles east on Hwy 9. (20 miles of dirt)

Via Pueblo Pintado:At the community of Pueblo Pintado, turn north on Navajo 46 for 10 miles (rough dirt). Turn left on County Road 7900 for 7 miles (rough dirt). Turn left on County Road 7950, and follow the signs for 16 miles (dirt) to the park entrance. (33 miles of dirt)

The northern and southern routes include 16, 20, and 33 miles of dirt roads, respectively. These sections of road are infrequently maintained, and they can become impassable during inclement weather. Call the park (505-786-7014 ext. 221) for current road conditions.

Entrance Fee

If you are part of a non-profit educational institution on an educational field trip, you may qualify for a waiver of the park entrance fee. If you qualify, please complete and mail or fax an educational fee waiver form (pdf file) and the required documentation to the Superintendent at least two weeks prior to your visit. On-the-spot fee waivers (on the day of your visit) will not be approved. Please check in with the staff at the Visitor Center information desk upon your arrival.

Reserving a Group Campsite

You must make separate arrangements for Reserving a Group Campsite and forEducational Fee Waivers (pdf file).

Two group camping sites (10 to 30 people in each) are available. The maximum capacity of the group campground is 60 people. Group campground reservations must be made in advance by calling the park at (505) 786-7014 ext. 221. The cost for group camping is $2.00 per person, per night with a minimum fee of $25.00.

The group campsites are designed for tent camping, and can not accommodate RVs, pop-up trailers, etc. There is sufficient parking for 4-5 vehicles in each group site. Picnic tables and fire ring (with a grill) are provided at each site. There are restrooms in the campground with flush toilets. However, there are no showers. Firewood and charcoal are not available in the park, so bring your own. Wood gathering is not permitted. Drinking water is available at the Visitor Center.

Upon your arrival and before setting up camp, please check in at the Visitor Center or with the campground host. You will be directed to the site reserved for your group. You must stay in the assigned site. The Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

The group leader should pay the group camping fee. Please bring cash, credit card (or a check made out to DOI-NPS) in the full amount to the visitor center.

Your reservation will be held until 5:00pm on the day of your scheduled arrival. If your group cannot arrive by that time, please call (505) 786-7014 ext 221 before 5:00pm and inform park staff when you will be arriving. If we do not hear from you by 5:00pm, your site(s) will be reassigned. If you need to cancel your reservations, please do so ASAP so that other campers may use your site.

Self-Guided tours along the Canyon Loop Drive

The majority of the park and cultural sites are self-guided. Six major sites are located along the 9-mile long Canyon Loop Drive. These sites include: Una Vida, Hungo Pavi, Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo del Arroyo, and Casa Rinconada. You may purchase self-guided trail guides at the visitor center bookstore or at the trailheads for these sites. Due to limited staffing, rangers are not available to offer school groups special ranger-guided tours.

Sites to Visit within the Park

Visitor Center and Museum: (allow about 1 to ½ hours)

Begin your visit here. Obtain your park permit, orientation to the park, free backcountry hiking permits (required for all day-hikes), and check our posted schedules of programs and films. Here, you will find exhibits illustrating many aspects of Chacoan culture, including exhibits of artifacts and other items related to the park. In addition to the exhibits, several films are scheduled daily. These films offer excellent overviews of Chacoan culture, the history of the ancestral Pueblo people, and the archaeological projects of the past. Restrooms are located in the Visitor Center parking lot. Drinking water is available at the Visitor Center and in the parking lot.

The Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Una Vida & Petroglyphs(pdf file) (1 mile roundtrip, allow 45 minutes)

Una Vida is a Chacoan “great house,” a monumental public building with distinctive masonry, formal earthen architecture, and a great kiva. Una Vida exists today in a near-natural state of preservation, free from major vandalism, and with only minor excavations and preservation repairs. A one-mile roundtrip (including petroglyphs) trail begins at the NE corner of the Visitor Center parking lot. Portions are rocky, steep, and slippery when wet. Take water and travel in small groups to lessen our impacts on this fragile site.

The Canyon Loop Road (9-mile drive & one-way traffic)

On this 9 mile Canyon Loop Drive, your group can visit the largest cultural sites in Chaco Canyon, including: Una Vida, Hungo Pavi, Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo del Arroyo, and Casa Rinconada. Self-guiding trails are available at each site. Trail guides are available at the parking lots of the sites, or in the bookstore. Each site usually takes 45 minutes to one hour to complete.

Hungo Pavi (1/4 mile roundtrip, allow ½ hour)

Located 2 miles from the visitor on the 9-mile loop drive. Hungo Pavi is an unexcavated Chacoan great house (monumental public building) containing over 150 rooms, a great kiva, and an enclosed plaza. It is a good example of what Chacoan sites look like without excavations—covered with a protective blanket of wind-blown sand and native vegetation. Travel in small groups, and stay on the trail to lessen our impacts to this fragile site.

Pueblo Bonito(pdf file) (1/2 mile, allow about 45 minutes to an hour)

Located 4 ½ miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. This is the most important site in the canyon and a must for all visitors. The trail through Pueblo Bonito is 0.6 mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises, so assistance is recommended for people using wheel chairs. Diring your visit, you can use the trail guide to recognize several unique characteristics of Chacoan great house architecture and learn about the enduring legacy of Chacoan culture.

Pueblo Bonito is the most thoroughly investigated and celebrated cultural site in Chaco Canyon. Planned and constructed in stages between AD 850 to AD 1150 by ancestral Puebloan peoples, this was the center of the Chacoan world. That world eventually covered a vast area of the present-day Southwest , including the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, and portions of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. For over 300 years, Chacoan Culture united many diverse peoples within its sphere of influence.

Chetro Ketl(pdf file) (1/2 mile, allow about 45 minutes)

Located 4 ½ miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. The trail through Chetro Ketl is ½ mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises, so assistance is recommended for people using wheel chairs. When you visit Chetro Ketl, you can use the trail guide to help you recognize characteristics of Chacoan architecture—features that are both typical and unique. Chetro Ketl is the second largest Chacoan great house. It covers more than 3 acres, and contains a great kiva and elevated kivas. As builders constructed second and third stories, they created an elevated plaza that stands 12 feet above the valley floor.

Petroglyph Trail (1/4 mile, allow 30-45 minutes)

If you are planning on visiting both Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl, you may consider walking along the cliff face between the sites on the Petroglyph Trail. Trail guides are available at both ends of the trail. Take water and travel in small groups to lessen our impacts to this fragile area. Bring binoculars to better view the high petroglyphs. Please stay on the designated trail, and do not climb the rocks.

Pueblo del Arroyo (1/4 mile, allow 30-45 minutes)

Located 5 ½ miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. The trail through Pueblo del Arroyo is ¼ mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises. Assistance is recommended for persons using wheelchairs. During your visit, you may use the guide to recognize several unique characteristics of Chacoan great house architecture and about the enduring legacy of Chacoan culture. Pueblo del Arroyo was planned and constructed in two short stages from about AD 1025 to AD 1125. Situated in the center of the Chacoan world, Pueblo del Arroyo typifies the great pueblo architecture found throughout the Chacoan world, although it lacks a great kiva and earthen mounds. You can see many of these great house elements along this trail.

Casa Rinconada and Small Villages(pdf file) (1/2 mile, allow 45 minutes-1 hour)

Located 6 miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. The trail through Casa Rinconada and the nearby villages is ½ mile long, round trip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises, so assistance is recommended for people using wheelchairs. When you visit Casa Rinconada, you may use the trail guide to learn about the diverse types of Chacoan architecture and building styles, and the placement of these buildings in the Chacoan world. While the grand public buildings like Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl were in use, smaller, more typical villages existed alongside. This trail will introduce you to the diversity of architecture that existed at the Chacoan culture.

Backcountry Trails:

Permits are required for all backcountry trails. They are free, and are available at the Visitor Center, at trailheads, or from a ranger.

The trails are open from sunrise to sunset. Hikers must be back at their vehicles by sunset. There is no overnight camping, except in Gallo Campground.

The trails are marked by cairns (stacked piles of rocks), and, in some areas, by upright wooden posts. If you lose the trail, go back to the previous cairn or post and scan the landscape for the next one.

Walk on established trails to avoid damaging the cultural sites, fragile plant cover, soft desert soils, and microbiotic crusts (communities of algae, mosses, lichens, etc.).

Pueblo Alto Trail(pdf file) (5.4 miles roundtrip, 3 ½-4 ½ hour hike)

This trail provides overlook views of Pueblo Bonito and the other canyon great houses, passes by Chacoan stairs and roads, affords panoramic views of the San Juan Basin, and provides an introduction to the scope of the Chaco world(pdf file). Please take sufficient water and snacks, and travel in small groups to lessen our impacts to the fragile sites. Many hikers take a portion of this trail to the Pueblo Bonito Overlook to see the geometry, symmetry, and massive size of Pueblo Bonito, which is apparent from the overlook (1.5 miles roundtrip). The trail passes several sheer canyon drop-offs. Please be careful. (Link to Chaco World wayside image)

Peñasco Blanco Trail: (6.4 miles, 4 ½-6 hour hike)

This, the longest backcountry trail, is relatively level and provides many opportunities to view how several cultures have used the canyon and left their marks upon it. Numerous Chacoan and Navajo petroglyph symbols and historic European-American messages are found along the way. The route also includes a spur trail to the “Supernova” pictograph site. Peñasco Blanco is an unexcavated great house, built concurrently with Pueblo Bonito and Una Vida, unique in design (oval), and connected to several Chacoan roads to the west. Soaring summer temperatures and soft sand can make this Chaco’s most difficult and strenuous trail. Take water and snacks, and travel in small groups to lessen our impacts to these fragile sites.

South Mesa Trail: (4.1 miles, 3-4 hour hike)

This trail leaves from Casa Rinconada at Stop 10, climbs to a high point on South Mesa, and leads to the great house Tsin Kletzin (Navajo for “black wood” or “charcoal house”). Spectacular views of the surrounding landscape are visible at the site. The loop trail descends into South Gap, follows the Chacoan South Road, re-entering the canyon at Casa Rinconada. Take water and snacks, and travel in small groups to lessen our impacts to these fragile sites.

Wijiji Trail: (3 miles, 1 ½-2 hour hike)

This trail leads to Wijiji (Navajo for “greasewood”, from Dewoozhii), a later-period Chacoan great house built around AD 1100. Wijiji differs from sites like Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl in that it appears to have been built one construction sequence rather than several. Evidence of this single sequence can be seen in the exceptional symmetry of the building plan and the uniformity of the masonry. Take water and snacks, and travel in small groups to lessen our impacts to these fragile sites.

Food, Gifts, Postcards, Books, T-shirts, etc.

Where to Picnic

There are eight picnic tables and five shade shelters in the Visitor Center area.

There are two picnic tables and two shade shelters near Pueblo del Arroyo.

Restrooms (Open all year):

Visitor Center parking lot (handicap access)

Gallo Campground (two with handicap access)

Pueblo Bonito/Chetro Ketl Packing lot (vault toilet with handicap access)

Casa Rinconada (vault toilet with handicap access)

Kin Kletso (vault toilet for permitted hikers on the Pueblo Alto and Penasco Blanco Trails)

What Students Should Bring

A small backpack

Bag lunch with drink, no glass

Plastic water bottle

Comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes or hiking boots

Socks and long pants to protect against scrapes

Sunscreen and hat

Notebook or sketchbook

Pen or pencil

Rain gear or jacket depending on the weather

Good attitude and interest in the Chacoan culture

Respect for all cultures and a commitment to preserve the past

Please do not bring:

Headsets, electronic games, boomboxes, or sports equipment

Take Care of Our Past and Be Safe:

-Prehistoric walls are fragile and crumble easily if walked upon. Please stay on the established trails and keep off the walls. Never write on the canyon walls or rocks.

-All artifacts, plants, rocks, and animals should be left undisturbed. Collecting is not permitted.

-Wear sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots

-Be aware of low doorways, drop-offs into open and unroofed kivas, uneven walking surfaces, and ice or snow.

-Temperatures can reach 100 degrees F in the summer. Hot, arid weather conditions sap energy and commonly lead to dehydration and heat exhaustion, so drink lots of water. Use sunscreen, wear a hat, and remember to eat snacks with carbohydrates.

-Be prepared for high-desert elevations of 6,200 to 6,600 feet. If you are coming from a lower elevation, give yourself time to adjust. Take it easy and don’t overdue.

-Sudden summer thunderstorms can bring soaking rain and drastically falling temperatures. Come prepared with proper clothing and bad weather gear (rain ponchos).

-Bubonic plague and Hantavirus exist in northern New Mexico. Rodents are the most common carriers. Keep yourself and your pets away from their burrows and nests as a reasonable precaution. Keep your camp or picnic area clean. Food crumbs will attract wildlife.

-Never throw rocks, sticks or other objects from the mesa tops.

Park contacts

Email
CHCU_Interpretation@nps.gov

Write to
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
PO Box 220
Nageezi, NM 87037-0220

Fax
505-786-7061

Phone
Headquarters
505-786-7014 ext. 221

Western National Parks Association (Chaco bookstore)
Evelyn Johnson, Area Manager
PO Box 220 Nageezi, NM 87037
Telephone: 505-786-7014 ext. 239
Email: chcu@wnpa.org

Last Updated:08-Jun-04