Aztec Ruins National Monument
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.
Bandelier National Monument
Visited: April 2024
Bandelier National Monument is located in northern New Mexico. Its landscape has been shaped by two massive volcanoes that erupted more than a million years ago. It features mesas, canyons and several ancestral Pueblo dwellings. While most of the park is wilderness, there are a few hiking trails in the Frijoles Canyon where many of the dwellings are found.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Visited: May 2024
Chaco Canyon was once a thriving centre of the ancestral Pueblo people between the mid 800s to 1150. It was characterized for its grand architectural design, unique masonry techniques and complexity of its community life, which then had an extensive influence in other places in the southwest including Mesa Verde and Aztec. The monumental stone buildings, known as great houses, are among some of the largest, most complex and best preserved buildings constructed in North America until the late 19th century. The Chaco Culture National Historical Park provides access to five of these major archaeological sites within the canyon.
Pecos National Historical Park
Visited: April 2024
Pecos National Historical Park is located southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Situated in the mountain valley, it was once the thriving village of the Pecos people. It was also the site of the Battle of Glorieta Pass during the Civil War. Today the park contains a few trails to learn more about the history of the area.
Petroglyph National Monument
Visited: May 2024
Petroglyph National Monument is located on the west side of Albuquerque. It protects one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in North America. These rock carvings have been etched onto the volcanic rocks, mainly by the Ancestral Pueblo people, hundreds of years ago. There are four sections within the park, but only three contain trail systems to view some of the petroglyphs.
Santa Fe
Visited: May 2024
Santa Fe lies at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southern end of the Rocky Mountains. It is one of the oldest cities in North America and has a rich history and culture. Santa Fe is known for its unique architecture, art and food, which have been influenced from the mingling of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American culture and traditions.