Chaco Culture National Historical Park Visitor Center

"Once in a lifetime place to visit in America. If only the Smithsonian & ivory league universities would give back the indigenous people their artifacts; It'd be even better. Because they're supposed to be displayed in this center. Even without artifacts worth the drive. Also, I've never not ran into wild horses while driving around the area so slow down on those dirt roads"

"Chaco Canyon is a beautiful and interesting park. It is about an hour and a half drive from Farmington. The road into the park is partially paved then dirt and gravel. It is pretty bumpy so be ready. Once in the park the road is paved again. The visitors center is full of wonderful displays and the employees are pretty knowledgeable. There are several hiking trails, we hiked up the bluffs to more ruins on top that have not been excavated so you can see the state the ruins were likely originally found in. That is a pretty advanced trail as there is some climbing involved but if you're in shape to hike it, definitely worth it. The biggest thing to stress is dress comfortably, wear good hiking boots or shoes and bring plenty of water. This is the desert and in the summer temps can get into the triple digits with very little shade available. They do have nice, clean facilities and water at the visitors center."

"Chaco is an amazing collection of ancient Indian dwellings filling a.remote valley in north western New Mexico. There are several villages that you can walk through on short trails. All of the village trails are relatively flat. Be sure to bring water and sunscreen as there is very little shade. Kids will love exploring the ruins. There are picnic shelters and pit toilets at some of the sites, and we were fortunate to have a nice breeze when we visited in mid-June. If you go, take the highway to Negeezi, not the interstate or the dirt road recommended by Google. The area is so remote that Google Maps didn't show the road we were on, and we lost GPS. Take highway 550 to 7900. The last few miles of road are dirt washboard, but if you keep your speed at about 35, it minimizes the jolting. The visitors center has a nice exhibit, but all of the artifacts have been in storage for nearly ten years while the display cases are upgraded to provide a safer environment. Unfortunately, the project was done poorly, and there is no timeline for when the artifacts will return. Skip the movie, unless you want to hear vague narrations about Indian spirituality that provide almost no information about the history or discovery of the ruins."

"You made it! Probably after the most turbulent ride of your life. At least it was on the ground. The remaining 2.5 miles to the Visitor Center is a nice, smooth road."