Kin Ya-ah

Kin Ya-ah is an archaeological site near Crownpoint featuring a central structure with thirty-five rooms and four kivas arranged around ceremonial spaces. A four-story tower kiva rises from the complex and can be seen across the landscape from considerable distances.

The site was built between 1080 and 1100 during the height of the Chacoan period, when Ancestral Puebloan architecture reached its peak development. It was connected to Chaco Canyon through a network of roads, serving as an outlying community within a larger system.

This settlement was part of a vast network of connected communities that shaped how Ancestral Puebloan peoples organized their world. The arrangement of rooms and ceremonial spaces reflects shared beliefs and practices that held these societies together.

The location is extremely remote and GPS signals are unreliable, so visiting requires careful preparation before departure. Stop at the Chaco visitor center first to gather information and consider how season and weather might affect trail conditions.

The four-story tower kiva stands out as one of very few surviving elevated ceremonial structures of its kind in the region. Its height and visibility across the landscape make it a rare example among the outlier settlements linked to Chaco Canyon.

GPS coordinates: 35.67602,-108.11382

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:41