Colorful sandstone walls with two open sections in the middle that look like doorways.

← New Mexico guide · National Historical Park

Arrive with patience and leave with perspective.

Chaco Canyon · A day that begins with one good stop.

04 / NEW MEXICO

Why this place matters

Chaco Canyon

Explore the monumental structures and breathtaking landscape at Chaco, a thriving regional center for the ancestral Pueblo people from 850 to 1250 CE (Common Era), through hiking & biking trails, ranger guided tours & programs, and more. Chaco Canyon is a sacred and deeply personal place for many Indigenous peoples throughout the Southwest.

Read the full NPS story ↗

A series of 4 Chacoan jars replicated in the same black on white style that was excavated long ago. — Photo: NPS. · NPS source ↗

A flexible first day

Start here. See where it takes you.

These are ways to explore, not a timed itinerary. Check conditions before you set out.

01 · ARRIVE

Read the park’s road conditions before the long drive.

02 · GO DEEPER

Explore the great houses with time to absorb their meaning and descendant connections.

03 · BEFORE YOU GO

Unpaved access roads and weather demand advance checks.

Check current Chaco Canyon access with the National Park Service ↗

Find your bearings

Explore nearby chapters.

Switch stops to see where this chapter sits in the wider state.

Outline: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic boundary files. Points show guide starting areas and NOAA stations.

NOAA 1991–2020 · monthly normals

A little weather context.

These stations show two parts of the state; neither is a forecast or necessarily local to this site.

Los Alamos · average temperatureMonthly mean °F

NOAA station data ↗

Jan30.4°Feb34.1°Mar41.5°Apr48.2°May57.2°Jun67.2°Jul69.6°Aug67.3°Sep61.5°Oct50.6°Nov39.1°Dec30.5°

Show all 12 monthly values

Los Alamos · monthly mean temperature (°F)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Value	30.4	34.1	41.5	48.2	57.2	67.2	69.6	67.3	61.5	50.6	39.1	30.5

Normal = 1991–2020 average at the named NOAA station. Snowfall is new snow over a month, not snow currently on the ground. A blank NOAA snow series is shown as unavailable, never as zero. See current NOAA snow depth ↗

Weather changes the trip

Let the season shape the day.

Unpaved access roads and weather demand advance checks. The graph above uses a named NOAA station; conditions at this place may differ with elevation and weather. Check the local NWS forecast ↗

Keep exploring New Mexico

Where next?

White SandsThe light writes a new landscape every hour.Explore →Carlsbad CavernsThe deeper story is underground.Explore →BandelierTrace a story through the canyon walls.Explore →

Include a Santa Fe gallery and food day, or explore Albuquerque neighborhoods between park chapters. See current events ↗

Make the trip yours

Build around what you want to remember.

Tell WTDO your dates, where you start and how you travel. The first plan is free.

Plan this trip free