Chaco canyon located in the north western corner of New Mexico is a UNESCO Heritage Site. Inhabited from around 800CE to 1100. Very impressive North American ancient peoples ruins. Proves ancient Pue… Full review by Jjones1918
Oct 25, 2023
The archaeological ruins are a mesmerizing window into the culture of the Ancestral Puebloans. The massive kivas and intricate masonry left me in awe of the craftsmanship of people who lived here a m… Full review by stockgr
Oct 21, 2023
We visited the park from the Sputh entrance and exited through the North. As previously mentioned, the roads leading to the park are rough, but were dry and passable in October. Great, informative vi… Full review by Relevart68
We are planning a family visit the end of June (I know it will be hot). We were going to stay four nights, which gives us three full days since the first and last won't count. Is this too much time? We thought one full day doing the loop and two mornings hiking. Games in the afternoon under a shade capopy. Should we shorten it???
A:
It might be a day too long. But the road to get there is bad enough that I'd be tempted to spend that much time to squeeze everything possible from the park. Games to break up the …
It might be a day too long. But the road to get there is bad enough that I'd be tempted to spend that much time to squeeze everything possible from the park. Games to break up the sites are a great idea so you don't get overloaded on the sites
Hi all, We want to go into Chaco Canyon with a truck and 19' camping trailer that has average ground clearance. I saw that Belinda took the roads with a small RV. Did you come from the north from Nageezi as suggested? We have camping reservations but I am nervous about the roads. Thanks! Terri
A:
Call ahead for road conditions if there has been any rain in the previous 48 hours. If it's still wet, it may be impassable. That said, the paved segment is no problem. The gravel …
Call ahead for road conditions if there has been any rain in the previous 48 hours. If it's still wet, it may be impassable. That said, the paved segment is no problem. The gravel section isn't too bad but very dusty when it's dry. The segment just past the ford is by far the worst. Expect bumps and a lot of torquing along the length of the vehicle as you navigate the ruts. It would be a good idea to check your plumbing as best you can to make sure no connections came loose before using it. Be aware that the area is open range, so livestock crossing the road is likely. The good news, the water at the visitor center fill point is really good.
I am confused as to the most reasonable place to base ourselves in simple lodging for a couple of night/ one full day in Chaco Cyn. Any suggestions for a town? We’ll be driving to/from Sedona.
A:
Farmington and Bloomfield are the closest towns with motels. They are about 1.5 hours away from Chaco. If you are camping, you can stay at the park campground when it reopens.
A lot of people have stated they took the north road to Chaco because it was "the recommended route", but everything else my family is planning to do is south of Grants, and it doesn't make a lot of sense with the rest of the trip to both enter and leave via US 550. Has anyone driven the southern route from Seven Lakes lately, that can tell me about it or compare it to the north road?
A:
Hey, I don’t know the best answer except to say that the ranger suggested we take the road we came in on back out. We took 550 south from Farmington. When you are driving the last …
Hey, I don’t know the best answer except to say that the ranger suggested we take the road we came in on back out. We took 550 south from Farmington. When you are driving the last 10 miles or so on deeply rutted dirt roads and the park ranger says the other route is worse, we could only assume he knew what he was talking about. If and when they regrade the road it may be different. If you are in 4wd trucks you may not care I hope this helps.
Oops! Something went wrong, Please try again after a few minutes
Frequently asked questions
Q:
What were the buildings used for?
A:
There are many theories which attempt to answer this question, but none are fully agreed upon. Our ideas of what the buildings were used for have changed over time...
Save
Share
More
