Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in the American Southwest hosting a concentration of …
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Tripadvisor
4.5/5 · 773 reviews
5-star
83%
4-star
10%
3-star
3%
2-star
3%
1-star
1%
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Oct 7, 2024
First of all, the road conditions are not as horrific as some indicate. It's a rough dirt road, bumpy with lots of potholes. If you drive according to the condition of the road, it'll be fine. I wou… Full review by carmelprice54
Oct 2, 2024
My 4 stars rating instead of 5 has nothing to do with the amazing, enthralling site. The park website is fantastic and it lead us to believe there would be ranger guided tours to each of the ruins, … Full review by Anna R
Sep 29, 2024
Chaco Canyon is a must-visit historic site in the U.S., offering a glimpse of the genius of the Ancient Puebloans. Ideally, those interested in the Chaco Culture should visit this New Mexico site fir… Full review by MJ C
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:
One thing to consider aside from the heat is the humidity, or lack thereof. Chaco Canyon is very dry. It's also very windy and 6,200 ft (+/-) above sea level. The altitude combined with …
One thing to consider aside from the heat is the humidity, or lack thereof. Chaco Canyon is very dry. It's also very windy and 6,200 ft (+/-) above sea level. The altitude combined with the heat, constant wind and dry climate is fatiguing if you're not accustomed to it. Also, as the previous poster stated, the road there can be challenging on the best days and impassable on bad ones, so making the most of your time there is key. My opinion, 4 nights, if you plan to break up your activities and spend the mid-day hours sheltered from the sun and wind, would be the absolute longest I'd want to be there unless it was in a really nice (overland capable) RV. Remember, you have to bring EVERYTHING you're going to need for the trip with you or make the drive back to Nageezi or Bloomfield at some point to resupply. FYI: the water at the water point next to the visitor center is excellent.
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.
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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...
Oct 2, 2024
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