Overview:
Roughly 1200 years ago the Ancestral Puebloans raised monumental rock structures along Chaco Wash. This hike follows the Wash past several enormous structures, turns back at the Peñasco Blanco ruin and finishes by ascending a narrow cleft to a pair of the high pueblos. Go! There is no better way of introducing newcomers to hiking in the desert southwest.
Driving Directions:
- From I-25 near Bernalillo (just north of Albuquerque) take exit 142 for US-550 North.
- At the end of the ramp turn onto the north-bound lanes of US-550. If you are coming from the south then the ramp will be 0.2 miles long and you will want to follow it as it follows an extensive bend to the driver’s left.
- After 112.6 miles on US-550, after a National Park sign for Chaco Canyon Culture Nation Park and after mile marker 112, turn left onto Indian Service Road 7061. There is no sign naming this road, but about 100 feet down the road is a large NP sign for Chaco Canyon National Historic Park.
- After 5.0 miles on ISR 7061 turn right onto County Road 7950 (signed). This road is initially paved, but turns to gravel in 2.9 miles.
- After 12.4 on CR 7950 miles veer sharply left onto CR-7900 (not signed). The turn is obvious – there is a “straight ahead” option but that alternative sees very much less traffic.
- After 5.8 miles on CR7950 (which becomes paved as you enter the park) come to the Vistor’s Center. Registration is required, see below, so stop in. On exiting turn right to continue on the Park’s Loop Road. You will pass several ancient pueblos on the Loop Road and each is worth a substantial visit.
- After 3.4 miles on the Loop Road come to a junction where an extension road (not named) continues straight down the wash towards the trailhead. (The Loop Road goes left at the junction). Go straight ahead. Note: there is a parking lot just before this junction for the Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl complexes. Both are amazing.
- After 0.4 miles, in the parking lot at end of the extension, park your car.
It is also possible to come into Chaco Canyon from the south, on NM-57. On this date I drove that way while leaving the park and the experience cannot be recommended. It was perfectly passable for high-clearance vehicles but it is a dusty, bumpy, long, slow drive. Deep ruts could be found mid-road in all the low spots, frequently accompanied by tall piles of displaced dirt. A low-slung sedan would not be happy with this experience. There are numerous cattle guards in the road. Sometimes the initial ridge on the cattle guard can be exposed several inches above the roadbed. It is tire hell. Definitely stay away from NM-57 if the conditions are wet.
Trailhead:
A park fee is charged at the Visitor’s Center. Each car is $25. If you come in by some other means then it is $15 per person. National Park and military passes are accepted in lieu of payment. Ranger guided tours are available. I briefly overlapped with a guided group and it seems like a good option. The restrooms are currently closed although port-a-potties are available. There are trash receptacles. There is quite a museum and drinking water is said to be available in the Visitors Center.
At the trailhead you might want to leave your pack in the car and go get the paperwork out of the trail register. The paperwork records the date on which you start your hike and the make and model of your car. This paperwork just gives the rangers an edge at finding the lost hikers. You will need to return to your car to leave part of the registration ticket on your dashboard. Now pick up your pack and off you go!
Data:
The altitude gained and lost is small, although acrophobes may want to stay off the steep climb up to Pueblo Alto.
Distance: 10.8 miles
Hike Description:
Follow the broad gravel road as it heads northwest, past the trail register. A relatively small ruin know as Kin Kletso (Yellow House) is well-preserved and very much worth exploring. This construction makes use of relatively large and uniform sandstone blocks that resemble bricks. Evidently this style of construction arose later than the style found in other complexes such as Chetro Ketl. Behind the ruins a trail leads steeply onto the canyon rim, as described below.
The roadbed bends sharply into a side canyon but swings right back, reaching Casa Chiquita in1.2 miles. The centuries have been less kind to the “Small House” (although it anything still standing after 1000 years gets good marks for ruggedness). With 50 rectangular rooms and two large round-rooms it tells a story of enormous public commitment, even while distaining to name what aroused that commitment. It is reported that this ruin has not been excavated, so some of the rooms hide beneath wind-deposited sand and silt.
At this point the road narrows into a single track, but one that obviously receives a great deal of expert care and attention. You won’t get lost. At 1.7 miles take a fork to the right (signed as Petroglyph Trail) to follow a side loop that keeps close to the north-eastern canyon wall. At scattered points along the wall the ancestral puebloans pecked images and geometric shapes that have survived the ensuing millennium. Spirals are a very common motif, although it is not obvious what this meant to the artists. The Una Vida trail (near the Visitor’s Center) has at least one glyph depicting a person holding a spiral like a shield.
This is parched terrain. Four-wing saltbush, apache plume, and claret cactus all dwell here, competing for water but not for sunlight. Signs warn of the danger where the trail crosses the Wash bottom. That is probably true, but on this date the key element (water) just wasn’t present. Looking further down canyon (northwest) you will see a wall. This is not a dam, but rather the confluence where the Chaco Wash joins the Chaco River. At 3.2 miles come to a puzzling sign saying “Supernova Pictograph”. Look directly above the sign for rock art showing a hand, a moon, and an image often interpreted as the supernova of 1054 (bright enough to remain visible during the day for 23 days)
The trail gently switchbacks up onto the southwest rim of the canyon, bringing you to the site of the Peñasco Blanco complex at 4.1 miles. This site, like Casa Chiquita seems to be preserved for future excavation. The visible walls, unprotected by the canyon, have taken a beating by frost and sun. The remaining walls show extraordinary artfulness, with alternating rows of larger and smaller rock panels. Evidently this work was either meant for the amusement of wall-builders or as offerings to the supernatural since these rocks were usually covered with adobe and hidden from sight.
Return the way you came. Energetic hikers can then take the trail leading from behind the Kin Kietso site to the northeast rim. The tread leaps up the northeast wall, using a cleft behind a fin of rock to bring you to the top. From the rim you have many options, including a spectacular overlook of Pueblo Bonito and a loop trail that will take you past the Pueblo Alto complex.
Recommendations:
Standard desert hiking advice holds, including:
- Your car can fail out here. Bring gear. You want to have extra clothing (adequate for waiting out a cold night), extra water in the car, jumper cables, a well-greased jack and an inflated spare tire. Check your gear before leaving home.
- There might be a cell tower in the park, but that is line-of-sight transmission and there are long miles in the surrounding canyon land where you will have no cell coverage. As always, it is a good idea to have someone outside of your hiking group who knows your travel and hiking itinerary.
- There are long stretches of trail where there is no protection from the sun. Even in October that can be draining. Water, sunscreen, sunglasses are necessities. If you have a larger group then it would be a great idea to have a couple umbrellas to provide shade if someone gets too roasted.
The park’s campground is very popular and currently is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you do want to camp then you will also want to come with backup plans.
Links:
The Hiking and Walking site has a nice description of the Peñasco Blanco hike, which includes a chart of elevation change (and obligatory warnings about the quality of the roadbed leading into the park!).
The folks at Explore New Mexico give the loop route to Pueblo Alto a big thumbs up. Their post includes some photos of people ascending up the slot that leads to the rim of the canyon.
Taos News also has a writeup, which includes some of the history and a warning about the changeable weather in the desert.
There is a detailed description of this hike at the Hiking Arizona site (a great general resource for southwest hiking).
New Mexico Meanders 