Prowl'n America: Chaco Canyon

April 25, 2019

About 15 years ago I watched a documentary on PBS, The Mystery of Chaco Canyon, that described the Chaco culture which dominated a 60 to 70,000 square mile area known today as the 4 corners. I never imagined I’d ever get to visit the site.

Over the last few years I noticed a spot on the New Mexico map identifying the Chaco Culture NHP along with a note that the site was no longer accessible via NM57. Well, I dismissed it as not accessible! While doing some research for places to see in northwest New Mexico I learned more about Chaco Culture National Historic Park including there’s a campground that can handle a rig our size. I also learned that due to construction in the campground all the sites were first come first serve until June.

There’s 2 ways to get to Chaco Canyon, a North route and a South route. From our location just outside of Grants, NM. we were only about 70 miles away via the southern route. However, the literature on visiting Chaco recommends RV’s NOT use the southern route. While the northern route would add over 100 miles I later learned there’s a 20 mile section of poorly maintained clay road that has trapped RV’s in the past. So, after an overnight stop at the Farmington, NM Walmart for groceries, we headed toward the northern entrance to Chaco Canyon.

While the northern entrance is better, there's still about 16 miles of unpaved road. The first section wasn't bad, gravel with a little washboard, the last 5 miles was rutted clay. In some places 1 to 5 mph was all we could do.

Unfortunately the pictures don't convey the true condition of the road. It took us 35 minutes to do the first 11 miles of gravel another 35 minutes for the last 5 miles of clay.

Like a mirage in the desert, pavement appeared on the horizon. I had to blink a few times to be sure of what I was seeing, we'd made it to the park.

Now the other unknown, we called ahead and learned the campground was full the night before and our best bet was to arrived around check out time, 11 AM. We’d seen a number of campers pass us going the other way, but how many were already ahead of us coming in?

We found a spot that would work, albeit a little tight, then I saw a large class C pulling out. The site was plenty long enough and level to boot, what luck. After a big sigh of relief we settled in for an early lunch.

View from dinette window.

Panoramic views from the roof.

Artist rendition of Pueblo Bonito at the height of the Chacoan era.

Here's a description of the Chaco Culture as found in the park brochure...

Pueblo Bonito is the center piece of the park. Here's how the building evolved over 300 years of construction.

1890's picture before major excavation began. All but the tallest remaining walls were covered by a 1000 years of blowing sand. Notice wagon in the lower center for scale.