Explore Chaco Seq - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.
Easy hike with slight incline in the latter half. Very hot in summer months, bring plenty of water as there is little shade for most of the journey. Petroglyphs were cool to see along the route. Absolute silence if alone.
Great place to look down on Pueblo Bonito complex
My wife and I hit the trail just before 8:00 am on July 12, so it was hot. Trail is flat and very easy for the first 3 miles or so. If you finish the hike to Penasco Blanco, it gets steep and passes over bedrock, so be sure to watch for the cairns. The petroglyphs and pictographs are awesome. All told, it took us about 4 hrs of actual hiking, with about 1 hr of picture taking and breaks. Did I say it was hot? Bring lots of water, use sunscreen, and wear a hat.
Lengthy hike to Supernova Pictograph site near the end of the trail. Trail is generally sand and dirt without much elevation gain until near the end of the trail. It is out and back. Hardly any traffic after the first two miles. I went in the early afternoon and it was quite warm, even in early May. You will want to take plenty of water and some trail food, of course. There is no cell service generally anywhere within the Park so you must take care of yourself out there. The trail is well marked and easy to follow. Not much wildlife but I did see some coyote scat, some birds, a couple of lizards and one large snake.
This was beautiful! It is definitely worth it to see the Crab Nebula petrographs and making it to the top was cool!!
Easy gravel trail leading to pueblo ruins. Be respectful, ALL of Chaco is a sacred place.
I love Chaco culture in general! The history is amazing (they found jars full of cacao beans-chocolate) and the hikes are absolutely beautiful!
Great place to take kids
The road getting to Chaco Canyon is rough, but well worth it, although I'd avoid it after any sort of significant rain. The road becomes 23 miles of very slippery mud. There are all sorts of trails once you get into the Chaco Canyon site. The one I highly suggest is the one that takes you up the side of the cliff. It can be a bit tight and tricky getting up there, so not easy. See my pictures of the crevice you have to climb through. Once you are up there you get a bird's eye view of Pueblo Bonito and other places. They do have camp grounds. It is very hot during the summer, very cold during the winter. It is well worth it. I'd go again in a heart beat. There are so many more ruins to be explored in the Chaco Canyon Basin area.
Great hike to oversee Pueblo Bonito. Different perspective, helps to understand the size of the various pueblos. Fun climb up a crevasse to the cliff top from the valley floor.
Its amazing to see what the enormity of the structure up close, it kind of feels like the US' Colosseum. Easy to walk around, some tight spaces but still manageable. There is one room that shows the original roof/floor above you and its quite amazing that it's still there. The pictographs are also very interesting and worth a glance.
Easy walk around one of the bigger structures. You can really appreciate the stonework/masonry up close.
Other than climbing a narrow passage, there is not much needed for this trail than walking. The overlook of Pueblo Bonito is stunning and if there are people walking through it, you can really appreciate the size of it.
An out & back trail to another ruin. It is best to combine with the ruins trail and make it a loop
a short route to another ruin. This one is a little more intimate as you can get closer.
A minor site at Chaco.
One of the minor sites at chaco.
Chaco is remote with blacktop being about 30 miles away. The route in is a rough gravel road. Your speed will be about 20 mph. Scenic in that you see barren dessert, Chaco is well worth the drive in.
Desert drive through a variety of scenery. Several places to get out of the car and take some small hikes.
Loved it!! Hiking to the top was awesome and absolutely breathtaking!!
Amazing hikes in the middle of nowhere.
great history, one of many ruins at Chaco.
One of the easier trails to the ruins in the park. But, also very significant. Doable by only most anyone, great for kids.
Chaco historic sites has great trails, ruins very significant, great for whole family. Do the more remote hikes to really take advantage of the site.
As all the Pueblos at Chaco, very interesting. Recommend to all
Nice walk through some very ancient ruins. Found some petroglyphs high up on one trail.
Don't miss this! The best views to really appreciate the size of this ruin and number of kivas is from the Pueblo Alto Loop trail.