Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: May 2024
Aztec Ruins National Monument is located in southwestern New Mexico. Don’t be fooled by its name as this community was not actually built by the Aztecs of Mexico. The ancestral Pueblo people constructed these multi-story great houses over a thousand years ago, which remained in use for about two hundred years. The park contains more information about the history of the area and a single trail that weaves through the ruins.
After spending the morning at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, we continued our drive to Durango. Along the way we made another stop to stretch our legs at Aztec Ruins since it was on the way. We arrived about an hour before closing and decided to hit up the trail first and then circle back to check out the visitor centre if we had enough time afterwards.
The Aztec West Great House Loop (800m) is a self-guided trail that starts behind the visitor centre. The path is mostly paved and weaves through the ruins of Aztec West. There are other ruins in the park, including Aztec East, but they are unexcavated and closed to the public.
This site was chosen for a community due to its close proximity to the Animas River. The first inhabitants were thought to have been influenced by Chaco, including their culture, ceramics, building techniques and architecture. However, archaeologists believe that Aztec may have become an economic, social and political centre once Chaco’s regional influence began to fade.
Aztec was occupied by the ancestral Pueblo people between 1060 and 1290. The layout of the Aztec West community was extensively planned prior to building. It consisted of several multi-story buildings known as great houses, each with a great kiva, a circular chamber for ceremonial purposes, roads and smaller residential structures. The great houses were large public buildings with many connected rooms that surrounded the central plaza.
The trail weaves through the ruins of the great houses and central plaza, including doorways to pass through.
There is also a great kiva that’s been reconstructed to give a sense of what it might have looked like.
There’s a short detour to the Hubbard Site, which features a tri-walled structure. It consists of three concentric walls and is divided into 22 rooms that surround a kiva. It’s unclear what it was used for.
By about 1300 the ancestral Pueblo people left this region. It’s not clear why, but it is thought to have been due to climate change, prolonged droughts, depletion of natural resources or cultural or social changes.
Once we looped back to the trailhead, we still had some time to check out the visitor centre. There’s a series of exhibits that explain more about the history of the Aztec Ruins and a few pieces of ceramics and pottery on display.
From there we had just under an one-hour drive to get to our accommodations in Durango, Colorado.
L
My brother in law works at Mass Verde and we have been to the Ruins in the area.
Oh nice! We actually went to Mesa Verde the next day. We were a bit too early in the season and the tours weren’t up and running yet. I’m not sure we’d have been able to do any of them with the baby and all those ladders. Oh well, we’ll just have to come back when she’s a bit older as there’s a few other ruins and dwellings in the Four Corners area that we didn’t have enough time to visit anyway.
Yet another fascinating place to visit, Linda 🙂 I love how the remains of a great culture are well-preserved for visitors to enjoy and help understand how the community developed and changed over its 200-year history, from stone and wood tools to pottery to turquoise and obsidian jewellery. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva x
For sure. It’s pretty amazing how much they were able to uncover and figure out about this settlement. I wish I took a few pictures of the pottery and ceramics as they were really quite neat. Thanks for reading. Linda
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Once again, I am amazed at the people’s building skills of centuries ago! And that it is in such good condition to convey the history of the ancestral Pueblo people.
It’s pretty impressive how they managed to build all those structures using materials found in the area and that they are still around today. It speaks highly of their craftmanship. And it provides a glimpse of what life was like for them.
I’m amazed by how preserved the structures appear. It’s always so interesting to see how people lived back in the day. Looks like a nice spot to visit!
Oh I know! Goes to show how well-designed and well-built these structures were, which is pretty amazing considering they only used supplies from the area and their tools weren’t very sophisticated.
What an interesting place to visit and explore! Everything looks well preserved considering its age.
Definitely. And there’s a few areas within the park that they haven’t even excavated. It’s quite impressive that everything was planned prior to construction, which is something that doesn’t really happen nowadays. It seems like we’re always playing catch-up with services and infrastructure.
This civilization is fascinating. It must have been difficult for them to leave behind everything they had worked for and built, but that’s frequently the story of human occupation through the ages, too. Great picture of you two!
Thanks! You’re absolutely right about how difficult it must have been to leave these communities especially considering how long it must have taken to build everything. The fact that so many of these dwellings still exist speaks volumes of their craftsmanship. It’s really quite amazing.
It is good that these sites are preserved and that there is an explanation, despite the misnomer. Let’s hope it is a long time before such tours are given for the societies that succeed us. Have a great day Linda. Allan
It does make you wonder what future generations will think of us and whether any of our current infrastructure will still be around a thousand years from now. Somehow I don’t think it’ll be in as great shape as what the ancestral Pueblo people built.
The buildings are in remarkable condition. Having just visited so many pre-colonial sites in Mexico that are mostly pyraamids but no homes, it’s interesting to see places with clay/mud homes but no pyramids. Maggie
Oh I know. It’s pretty incredible how they are in such great shape and that they were built using materials found in the area. After visiting a few of the ancestral Pueblo sites we’re curious to see how they compare to the Aztec and Mayan ruins.
The ruins are beautiful in their own way! 😊
Definitely. It was neat to wander through the ruins and try to imagine what this place looked like during its heyday.
These places are so fascinating. Love studying the history and imagining these great cities as they once were.
Oh I know. It’s amazing how sophisticated their buildings are and that so much planning and detail went into designing everything. It was neat to wander through the ruins and learn more about their history and purpose of some of the structures.
Fascinating! A great stop. So much to see and do in that area.
Most definitely! We were there for about a week, which wasn’t nearly enough time. This just means we’ll have to come back!
Although I first I did think these ruins were built by the Aztecs of Mexico, they look fascinating nonetheless. I love the fact that so much of the original structures are still intact, allowing us to understand a bit more of the ancient Pueblo people.
Even though there’s no connection with the Aztecs, we’d love to visit Mexico now to see how these sites of the Ancestral Pueblo people compare to those of the Aztecs and Mayans. I find places like this so fascinating.
This was such a wonderful Share. Thank you for taking us along in this journey with you.
Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. It’s always fun to use our imagination and try to imagine what the ruins must have looked like back in the day. It’s pretty impressive that they’re still in such great shape.
I agree. It’s definitely wonderful to see but it’s even more amazing if we seen it in it’s time. Thank you again for sharing.
Oh absolutely! A picture is hard to capture the full scale and details of everything. Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank You for Sharing your Journey with us.
Have a Wonderful and Blessed Weekend
My pleasure. You as well.
Amazing place, looks very interesting, nice photo of
your lovely family. Thank’s for share Linda.
Have a wonderful day.
Thanks for your lovely comment. Even though it was late in the day, I’m glad we decided to stop here and check it out. Enjoy the rest of your day. Linda
The ruins at Aztec look amazingly well preserved. They must have been master builders to have created these structures that have stood for centuries. Thanks for sharing!
No doubt. It’s pretty incredible how they were able to build such intricate structures using materials found in the area and with such primitive tools … and that they’re still around today. Somehow I don’t think our modern day buildings would fare so well a thousand years from now. Thanks for reading 🙂
Really incredible, isn’t it! Love the row of doors. Thank you for your photos and details, enhanced by having firsthand experience in similar locations and feeling the spirits that still exist in these sacred places. You mentioned traveling to Durango – gorgeous location! 🌳
I felt like a giant walking through some of the low doorways. The ancestral Pueblo were actually quite short. The average man was 5’5” and the average woman was 5’. Agreed, Durango is very beautiful. We were there for two nights and could have easily stayed longer.
As a petite person, I would have felt at home. 😄
Ha! I’m sure you would have had no problems exploring the cliff dwellings in some of the other sites then. It was a bit tough to go inside some of them while being hunched over and having the baby carrier on.
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Oh, you guys found the triple-walled kiva! I knew it was there somewhere, but somehow we missed that detour and didn’t end up seeing it. Now I can see it vicariously, at least.
The only reason we found the detour was because we saw some people walking back from that area and decided to check it out. I’m glad we did as the triple-walled kiva was pretty cool, but it also provided fantastic views of Aztec West from afar.
Another great post from your southwest adventure. You got some great pictures of the remains of the buildings- it’s amazing how well preserved they are. It was really interesting to read more on the Pueblo people. 🙂
Thanks for your kind words. The nice thing about visiting late in the day close to closing was that we had the ruins practically all to ourselves. It was great. Agreed, it’s pretty amazing how much has survived from the ancestral Pueblo people.
What a fascinating trail. The more I read about New Mexico the more I want to go there!
I honestly can’t believe we haven’t visited New Mexico sooner. The history of the ancestral Pueblo people is so fascinating. Plus the landscape is also very beautiful. Hopefully you’re able to visit at some point.
Very interesting tour of the ruins, Linda! I notice a lot of circular formation, wondered what that signified.
Also interested to imagine that these places were likely very cool inside, despite the lack of AC back then.
The people back then must’ve been very short based on the narrow and low entryways.
Many of the circular shaped structures were kivas which were often used for spiritual or ceremonial purposes. I’m not sure why they were designed that way, perhaps because arcs are sturdier and more structurally sound or maybe it had something to do with their beliefs?
You’re right, I would imagine these places would be cool inside despite the heat. The walls were surprisingly quite thick and everything was made using natural materials found in the area. It’s quite impressive how sophisticated their building techniques were. And yes, I think they were pretty short as I had to duck every time I went through one of the doorways (and I’m 5’7”)!
Hope you’re enjoying your time on the east coast. We’re heading to Halifax in a week.
Thanks for taking us on this tour! I’m itchin’ to go to New Mexico again… I’ve only been to Santa Fe and the Taos Pueblo. I know there is much more to see!
Thanks for your lovely comment. I know what you mean, all this reminiscing about our trip makes me want to return to New Mexico as there’s so many places we didn’t have enough time to visit, such as Taos Pueblo, Carlsbad Caverns and Gila Cliff Dwellings. Next time!
Another fascinating site. It’s amazing how much of the site is still standing and that the ruins are in such good condition.
Totally! It’s pretty incredible considering that they only used materials in the area along with such basic tools. I doubt our modern day buildings would stand up so well after a thousand years!
Your detailed descriptions and beautiful photos really bring the history and significance of the site to life.
Thanks for your lovely comment. The nice thing about visiting late in the afternoon during a weekday was that we had the place pretty much all to ourselves, which made the experience even more special.
What a curious (and misleading) name for the park. This is yet another spot that makes this region of the U.S. so fascinating. These structures really have stood the test of time, love the selfie!
Oh I know! Early settlers initially thought the ruins were created by the Aztecs in Mexico. Somehow despite the mistake, the name stuck. And the best part is that the city around the ruins has also been named Aztec!
Wow, these historic sites are fascinating. It’s hard to imagine them as dwellings all those hundreds of years ago, and the ruins look well preserved and great to explore.
It does make you wonder what this place would have looked like during its heyday. It’s pretty fascinating how sophisticated their building techniques were and how much is still standing. Somehow I don’t think our modern day buildings would be in such good shape a thousand years from now.
Wow this is amazing! Added to my bucketlist!
It’s definitely worth visiting and there’s so much to see in Southwestern United States. You will not be disappointed!!
It’s an interesting site, this alternation between square and round structures is quite strange, it’s part of the beliefs that impose themselves on a community.
The way they planned and built their communities is all very interesting. The circular structures were used for ceremonial purposes so maybe that’s why they then used another shape for other buildings.
Wow, great article and photos.
Thanks so much for your kind words and for leaving a comment. The Aztec Ruins aren’t too extensive, especially in comparison to Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon, but they were still fun to explore and learn more about the ancestral Pueblo people.
It’s wild that these were built over 1,000 years sgo and still standing at all! They must have built these sturdy. I like that they built a replica, too. That’s really neat
Oh I know! And it’s fascinating how they were built using resources found in the area and without any of our modern day technologies. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to leave it all behind.
It’s so incredible. I can’t imagine the time it must’ve taken
Totally. And the amount of labour as well. But the fact that so much is still standing is a testament of their craftsmanship and quality of their work. Somehow I don’t think our modern day buildings would fare so well a few hundred years from now.
I agree with the idea that our buildings wouldn’t quite cut it. Taking the long way tends to be what builds more sturdy architecture. It would be so beautiful of everybody could slow down a bit. Beautiful post Linda
Oh absolutely! It’s something I need to remind myself of every so often. It’s good to just slow down and enjoy the moment. It’s something I hope to do a bit of today as it’s our Canadian Thanksgiving. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Awww that sounds cool!! I didn’t know there was Canadian Thanksgiving!! That’s fun. Thanksgiving is one of my most enjoyed holidays. 😍❤️ I hope you enjoy it with your loved ones.
Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays as well. I love anything and everything pumpkin flavoured! And this time of the year is just so beautiful with all the leaves changing colour. We had a busy weekend and there’s always way too much food, but it was nice to spend time with family.
Aw that’s exciting. I love all different dishes and I am the same with pumpkin flavored things. They’re so tasty. I love earthy flavors like pumpkin, beets and all those kinds of things. I’m happy you got to enjoy your time with family. That’s great when you get to relax and take more time to enjoy good company
I’m actually drinking a cup of pumpkin chai at the moment. It’s my favourite way to start the day this time of the year. Holidays are always a lot of work with all the food prep and decorations, but I enjoy it. And it’s nice to have all the family together. It’s something we don’t do as often as we should.
Yes! Exactly!!! Ooo pumokin chai sounds delicious!!
It’s my favourite!