Cuarenta Casas

Cuarenta Casas is an archaeological site featuring dwelling structures made of adobe and stone built into natural caves along the Huapoca Canyon walls. The buildings contain multiple interconnected rooms with varying sizes and purposes organized throughout the rock shelters.

The site was built between 1205 and 1260, during the peak of the Paquimé settlement and the late Mogollon culture period. This era saw strong population growth and cultural development across the northern region.

The T-shaped doorways and stuccoed floors show how the people who lived here built and used their homes. These building methods were typical of those who inhabited the region and left their mark in the canyon walls.

The site sits in Huapoca Canyon and is accessed by mountain trails that take several hours to complete over a significant distance. Come prepared with adequate water and gear, as the terrain is steep and exposed to sun.

The site includes ten separate rock shelters with archaeological structures, among them the Cave of Windows, Cat Cave, and Bridge Cave. Each of these locations has distinctive features that reveal different aspects of the daily life of former inhabitants.

Location: Casas Grandes Municipality

Inception: 13 century

Website: http://gobiernodigital.inah.gob.mx/ZonasArqueologicas/todas/htme/za00501.html#

GPS coordinates: 29.55349,-108.16926

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:25