Before the days of interstates and automobiles, a journey from Albuquerque to Zuni (about 150 miles) typically took 9 or 10 days. Imagine the relief travelers must have felt when they reached this shady little oasis after walking or riding a horse for days across mountains, desert and lava rocks. Hundreds of years before Spanish conquistadores passed by here, the pool’s dependable water supply encouraged the settlement of Puebloan people on top of the bluff. After centuries of continuous human use, the pool today is used only by local wildlife taking advantage of its refreshing waters.