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The Chaco Culture National Historical Park is located in Northwestern New Mexico south of Farmington. Access is by county roads that branch off of U.S. Highway 550/44. Sixteen miles of the roads are dirt/gravel and can be very rough to impassable depending on weather and maintenance. (It is always best to check road conditions with the Visitor Center at the park before making your trip.)
Humans occupied the Chaco Canyon area for at least 10,000 years. Chaco culture developed over a period of three centuries from the middle of the ninth century A.D. to the twelfth century A.D. At first it was believed that the great buildings that were located there were inhabited by thousands of people, but today scholars are more inclined to the belief that Chaco was primarily a ceremonial center that also served economic and administrative purposes. Descendants of the people who built Chaco are thought to be the Native American people now living in the American Southwest.
Chaco is one of the very most important Native American
sites in the United States. It should be on your must-visit list.
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