Chaco Culture NHP--Pueblo Alto Trail

About this Location

Distance – Entire loop trail – 5.4 mi roundtrip (3-4 hours) Trailhead – Pueblo del Arroyo parking area Pueblo Alto – 3.2 mi roundtrip (2 hours) Elevation Gain – 250 feet Pueblo Bonito Overlook – 2.0 mi roundtrip (1 hr) This trail provides spectacular overlook views of Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, and Kin Kletso, enters Pueblo Alto and New Alto, passes by Chacoan stairways, ramps, and roads, and affords panoramic views of the San Juan Basin. This trail is an excellent introduction to the Chacoan world. Add time to explore the sites.

About Chaco Culture National Historical Park

See all hotspots at Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Today the massive buildings of the Ancestral Puebloan people still testify to the organizational and engineering abilities not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest. For deeper contact with the canyon that was central to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A.D., come and explore Chaco through guided tours, hiking & biking trails, evening campfire talks, and night sky programs.

In addition to its spectacular archaeological resources, the park is naturally significant as one of the few protected areas in the San Juan Basin. It is an island of biodiversity, home to plants and wildlife that have been significantly affected by grazing, mineral extraction, and other land-use activities in the surrounding area.

The fauna found here includes elk, deer, bobcats, rabbits, badgers, porcupines, bats, snakes, lizards and other amphibians, and diverse bird populations. A number of ecosystems comprise the canyon vegetation, including pinyon-juniper woodlands, riparian with cottonwood and willow, and other numerous scrub and wildflower communities.

Notable Trails

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike on the Pueblo Alto Trail.

Content from Chaco Culture National Historical Park Official Website