Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureBisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
FreeHike off trail through 45,000 acres of eroded badlands, colorful hoodoos and petrified wood.
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
SightseeingHistory BuffOutdoor Adventure
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
End of County Road 7950, off US-550 via CR 7900 · Nageezi, NM
Why you should go…
Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves a major center of Ancestral Puebloan culture from 850 to 1250 CE. From the Canyon Loop Drive you walk into great houses such as Pueblo Bonito, the largest, along with Chetro Ketl and Casa Rinconada. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park with night sky programs. It is remote, and the usual northern route includes 13 miles of rough dirt road that can become impassable when wet.
- #ancestral puebloan ruins
- #world heritage site
- #dark sky park
- #national historical park
Good to know
General sightseeing guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
The forecast is part of the ticket
Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.
Golden hour sells out first
Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.
Dress a layer warmer
It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.
Timed entry is common
Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Chaco Culture National Historical Park, ordered by straight-line distance.
19 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor