Chaco Culture National Historic Park

Chaco Culture National Historic Park encompasses a total area of almost 34,000 acres of land that is located in San Juan County and McKinley County, of northwestern New Mexico. The best route used to access the park is to use Highway 44/550 from the north. At CR 7900, which is about three miles southeast of Nageezi, New Mexico (a census-designated place in San Juan County) visitors should then drive about 20 miles to the park boundary. About five miles of the CR 7900 is paved road, and the rest is a dirt road. 

The national monument was established on and named Chaco Canyon National Monument on March 11, 1907, but later re-designated and renamed Chaco Culture National Historic Park on December 19, 1980. The historic park has also been designated the status of a World Heritage Site (since December 8, 1987). The attractions that make the Chaco Culture National Historic Park an excellent place for most people to visit is the fact that site has both historic attractions to tickle the mental muscle as well as other recreational activities to quench the need for physical activity. 

As for the mental lures, the park has 13 major prehistoric sites and hundreds of smaller ones that were built by the Ancestral Puebloan People between the 9th and 12th centuries. The museum at the park also contains about one million artifacts from over 120 sites in the Chaco Canyon and the surrounding areas. As for the physical activities, visitors can get to enjoy bicycling, hiking, camping, and ranger-led walks in the park. 

Some of the conveniences in the park that visitors can enjoy include a picnic area, restrooms, campgrounds, museum, bicycle trail, visitor center, and self-guided tours. Visitors with dogs can bring them into Chaco Culture National Historic Park, but basic national park rules must be followed including ensuring that dogs are well-behaved and that dogs are restrained from wandering aimlessly in the park.