Chaco Culture National Historic Park

Hike the Pueblo Alto Trail:
On top of the mesa due north of Chaco's most famous ruin, Pueblo Bonito, is Pueblo Alto, an important crossroad for trade among the Anasazi. Hike the 5.4-mile loop trail to explore Pueblo Alto and New Alto, a multi-story ruin with 28 rooms and one kiva. Look out over the canyon floor and at the surrounding mesa as your feet travel the same paths walked by the Anasazi a millennium ago. The route also includes jaw-dropping overlooks of Pueblo Bonito, which reached five stories high and may have had as many as 600 rooms at one point.

Note: The Pueblo Alto Trail is a backcountry hike. Hiking permits are required for these trails. The trails are open from sunrise to sunset—there are no overnight hiking trails in Chaco Canyon.

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Bike the Wijiji Trail
The great house of Wijiji, one of the last pueblos built in Chaco Canyon, provides an excellent observation station for winter solstice and is notable for its precise symmetry. While all of this may be impressive, more recent history of the trail leading up to Wijiji makes it a must-see. The three-mile Wijiji Trail, which follows Sargent Road up the north side of Chaco Wash, set the scene for a battle over grazing rights, complete with livestock rustling and violence that—100-year-old records indicate—eventually ended in murder. Wijiji is one of two backcountry trails open to bikes in the park, and the best way to travel this trail is on two wheels. As with hiking, permits are required for all backcountry trails.

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Stargaze in the High Desert
Nothing attaches us to the past like gazing upon the same stars as our ancestors. Chaco's stars seem near enough to touch and constellations were never so easy to make out. From April to October, the Chaco Night Sky Program presents astronomy programs, solar viewing, and telescope viewing of the spectacular dark night sky. Check the schedule at the visitor center. In early August, Chaco is a great place to watch the Perseids meteor shower.