Location: Chaco Culture National Historical Park
About:  Located in remote northwestern New Mexico, Chaco Canyon offers access to an array of Native American dwellings that were abandoned approx 1200 AD.
Time of year visited: March 2004
Official National Park Service URL: http://www.nps.gov/chcu/
Map: http://www.nps.gov/chcu/pphtml/maps.html
Elevation:  ~6623 ft/2019m - 7000ft/2120m
Locations photographed:  Chetro Ketl, Pueblo Bonito, Kin Kletso, Pueblo Alto loop trail
Distance traveled: 5.4 mi/3.4km on Pueblo Alto loop trail
Route map:

 

Travelogue:

Chaco Canyon is the one of many sites in the southwestern US that is home impressive complexes of ancient Native American ruins.  Both the photographer and his wife have minors in Anthropology, and Chaco was one of the places they learned about in college.  In 1997, we had made our first trip to Chaco Canyon in mid October.  That trip was cold and wet, but well worth it. 

In March 2004 we decided to go back to Chaco to revisit and photograph the areas we had seen before and areas we did not have the time to visit the first time.  Since Chaco is very remote, we camped at the Gallo campground both times we visited the park.  The campground has 48 campsites and includes toilets but no drinking water, which is available at the visitor center.  All sites are in the open and there are no significant shade trees except for one or two trees in the campground.  Also, there is no food/vending machine/ice or firewood in the park, so come prepared.

Access to the park is limited to north and south entrances.  Both are dirt roads, and cars and RVs are recommended to avoid the south entrance due to rough road conditions.  Rain can also make the roads impassable, so inquire about road conditions if it has rained recently.

We arrived in Chaco late in the morning after staying in Holbrook AZ the night before.  We left early from Holbrook and drove to Chaco, entering through the south entrance.

After we setup camp we went to the visitor center to get a map of the park and inquire about back country permits.  All backcountry access requires a free permit available at the visitor center.  We decided that the next day we would go up to Pueblo Alto Complex and hike the entire loop trail.  We also picked up a back country trail guide that was helpful describing some of the features we encountered on the trail.

Once we had our permit, we drove the loop road stopping at the ruins of Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito.  These are two of the most impressive ruins we've ever seen, and Pueblo Bonito is certainly the largest.

The ruins themselves are on the canyon floor, so the trails to the ruins along the road are short and pretty level.  However, like the campground, there are no trees or shade in the rest of the canyon, so wear a hat and bring plenty of water, especially in the summer.

According to National Park Service literature, Pueblo Bonito once was about 4 stories high and had approximately 600 rooms.  What is left today is just a small fraction of the complex when it was at its peak.  Remnants of small and large rooms are mostly inaccessible, however a few rooms can be entered on the south eastern corner of the ruin.  In the room pictured here, a peculiar window in the corner was created that lets light shine into the room during the winter months.  At the winter solstice, the sun shines on a spot in the room marked to indicate the solstice had arrive.

You can walk through these rooms, ducking very low to get through the narrow doors.  I'm of average height, and with my camera gear on, it was a little difficult to make it through these small 4.5ft/1.4m doors.  The larger rooms were about 20 ft wide, and would have been only about 6ft/2m high if the floors were in tact.

Several round rooms called kivas (kee-vuh) are also prominent in these ruins.  The kivas are set into the ground, some 10-15 ft/3-5m deep, however there is no access to the bottom. These beautiful structures were used as ceremonial rooms and were once covered with only a small hole in the roof to allow light in and smoke to escape.

That evening, as the sun began to set, I setup to shoot a panorama from inside Pueblo Bonito.  As I was setting up, a large group of college students slowly began to converge around me, one by one. I had been talking to one of them, and they joined me in a friendly conversation about the ruins, our travels and my panorama shooting technique.  My panorama setup is 'odd' looking, and they seemed interested in how I take panoramas.  After shooting the scene, I took a picture of the group in front of the ruins as a souvenir for their trip.

A point of interest about Pueblo Bonito, and an indication of the advanced knowledge of astronomy the ancient natives had, is that the south edge of Pueblo Bonito lines up perfectly with the rising sun on the spring equinox.  This and other features in the park show how complete they understood the cycles of the earth, sun and moon.

Day Two:  Pueblo Alto trail

The next day was the spring equinox, so I got up early to be ready for hopefully a spectacular sunrise. I drove to the ruins, and setup for my sunrise shot from the view point above the ruins.  On the equinox a ranger leads a special sunrise tour to talk about the features of Pueblo Bonito and other ruins that are tied to astronomical events.  So, as the tour was being held, I shot a full 360 degree panorama from the overlook point just above the ruins.

Later that morning, we started the hike up to Pueblo Alto.  Beginning from the Pueblo Arroyo parking lot, we walked up the road to Kin Kletso ruin.  Behind this ruin is the trailhead and probably the most difficult part of the trail.  The trail zigzags quickly up 20-30 ft before entering into a slot formed by a large piece of rock that has separated from the cliff wall.  Climbing between the canyon wall and this rock, you come out in a natural break high above the ruins and can then get a view of Kin Kletso below.

Once you reach the top, the trail skirts the cliffs edge before turning north toward the ruins.  It's along this first part of the trail that you can get a good look of Pueblo Bonito from above.  A small spur trail leads to a closer overlook of Pueblo Bonito.

The trail is marked by rock cairns (small piles of rocks).  Follow the cairns until the trail becomes clearly marked. Along the trail, you will encounter several man made features, the guide book describes the obvious and not so obvious ones.

The hike up to Pueblo Alto is also without shade.  The trail climbs up about 350 feet from the canyon floor.  About a mile from the canyon edge, you will come upon the Pueblo Alto complex.  You can walk through the ruins, which are still mostly underground.  A few walls jut out of the ground, and offer a scant amount of shade.

After a break at Pueblo Alto, we checked out the other ruins and moved on toward Jackson Staircase.  As we approached the staircase we could see other hikers walking on the ridge above the stairs.  One hiker seemed to stop and look several times down at the stairs, getting closer and closer as he looked.  It almost seemed that he was going to attempt climbing down these stairs, but in the end decided not.

Once we got to the stairs it was clear that it is extremely dangerous to try to climb these stairs.  They are no more than a few inches deep and a couple of feet wide.  The park service warns people not to try climbing the stairs because of the danger.

After about 4 miles, we reached the point in the trail where we start our descent.  This part of the canyon is more terraced so, we had to pass through a tight split in between two rocks to get to the lower levels. The trail then heads back toward Chetro Ketl.  About a mile further, you reach an area overlooking Chetro Ketl. 

Many spots of the trail are on slick rock and are again marked with rock cairns.  Follow the cairns and the trail up above Chetro Ketl and back again toward Pueblo Bonito overlook. 

After about 5 miles, you complete the loop and begin the descent down to Kin Kletso.

After completing the trail, and a quick snack and change of shoes, we walked over to Pueblo del Arroyo to check out this set of ruins.  Pueblo del Arroyo has the remains of a very large kiva on it's western side.  The setting sun lit the concentric circles that are set against the back drop of the ruins and canyon walls.   

Day Three:  Chetro Ketl

The next morning I went out for one last shoot at Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito.  The trail from the road to Chetro Ketl passes several locations with petroglyphs carved into the rock.  Some of them are difficult to spot without the assistance of the small guide book available at the trailhead, so be sure to pick up the guidebook when you make your visit.

That morning, I spent most of my time exploring Chetro Ketl, looking for patterns that become apparent only during the early morning daylight.   Parts of Chetro Ketl are still very much intact.  These areas are sealed off from public access but there is one place where you can look inside one of the sealed rooms, if you use a flashlight to view in.  Another spot allows you to peer down to the original ground level of the canyon when the ruins were built.  It's clear from this spot that much of Chetro Ketl still may be under ground.

After the Chetro Ketl shoot, I returned to the campground and helped my family pack up the vehicle to begin our long drive home.  We will definitely return to Chaco Canyon again, hopefully sometime in the spring when the canyon plant life is in full bloom and even more beautiful and photographic.

For more photos from this trip, browse the complete Chaco Canyon gallery