Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico, US.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a historical park in northwestern New Mexico preserving ancient stone complexes in the desert. The ruins reveal multi-story residential blocks, round ceremonial chambers called kivas, and connecting pathways extending across the dry terrain.
Between the 9th and 12th centuries, the ancestors of Pueblo peoples erected sprawling structures from local sandstone here. The complex lost its central function after a drought period around 1150 and was abandoned by its inhabitants.
The name Chaco comes from the Navajo language and refers to the dry river bed running through this area. Visitors today witness the ongoing connection of descendant communities through ceremonies and pilgrimages to these grounds.
Access requires unpaved roads that become impassable during rain. Most walking routes begin at the canyon floor and lead between the stone ruins, making sturdy footwear necessary.
The walls of some chambers still show traces of mineral pigments applied to the plaster back then. Some large rooms possess acoustics that make whispers audible across several meters.
Location: San Juan County
Location: McKinley County
Inception: December 19, 1980
Operator: National Park Service
Website: https://nps.gov/chcu
GPS coordinates: 36.06000,-107.97000
Latest update: December 15, 2025 00:51
The western United States protects some of North America's most diverse natural landscapes. From the layered canyons of Canyonlands in Utah to the white gypsum dunes of White Sands in New Mexico, this region spans multiple climate zones and geological formations. Visitors find national parks, Pueblo...
The southwestern United States encompasses desert landscapes, sandstone formations and archaeological sites from several pre-Columbian cultures. The region spans Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, featuring geological structures shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion. National...
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Pueblo Bonito
723 m
Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway
0 m
Fajada Butte
7.1 km
Casa Rinconada
1.1 km
Una Vida
6 km
Pueblo Alto
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Pueblo del Arroyo
384 m
Kin Kletso
579 m
Kin Ya-ah
44.7 km
Kin Bineola
16.6 km
Valley of Dreams Trailhead
8.2 km
Chaco Culture National Historical Park - Contiguous unit
429 mChaco Culture National Historical Park Visitor Center
6.3 kmGumbo Point
46.3 kmChacoan Stairway
1.5 kmMushroom Seat
9.1 kmThree Wise Men
9.1 kmValley of Dreams East
9.7 kmChocolate Mushroom Hoodoos
10.9 kmJackson Stairway
2.5 kmScenic viewpoint
1.5 kmPueblo Bonito Overlook
746 mChaco Canyon
1.1 kmRamp View
1.7 kmRoad Alignment
1.7 kmShrimp Burrows
672 mTerrace View
700 mChao Wall
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