El Quartelejo Ruins

El Quartelejo Ruins is an archaeological site in Scott City containing the remains of a stone structure with multiple rooms and plastered walls. The site is located near natural springs within Lake Scott State Park and reveals how people built and lived in this location.

The site was inhabited by Plains Apache people between 1450 and 1650, and later occupied by Pueblo groups from New Mexico who escaped Spanish rule. This succession of inhabitants reflects the movement and adaptation of these communities in response to changing conditions.

The site shows how different Native American groups lived and worked in this region, leaving traces of their daily activities in the structures and artifacts found here. The presence of irrigation systems near the springs reveals how people adapted their farming practices to the available water.

The ruins are located within a state park and marked with signs to help visitors understand what they are viewing. The park provides natural areas with water sources and pathways for exploring the site.

These ruins represent the northernmost pueblo structure ever built by Native American groups in this region. This makes the site especially valuable for understanding how far these settlement patterns extended across the continent.

Location: Scott County

GPS coordinates: 38.67806,-100.91417

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:09