NPS Unit Count: 82/430
Hey there Adventurers! After departing Mesa Verde early in the morning, I was off, headed back in the direction of Albuquerque. I had 2 more full days left to this southwest adventure and I had plenty more to see! The first stop up: Aztec Ruins National Monument, about 2 hours away from Mesa Verde, back in New Mexico.
First, one thing to get out immediately is that there is nothing “Aztec” to do with the site. In the 19th century explorers believed the Aztecs had migrated to this part of the continent and so named many sites accordingly. Though there is no Aztec history here, the site is notable for many reasons. It is considered part of the Chaco Culture World Heritage Site. It is a very sacred site to the indigenous southwest peoples. Originally, the structure included over 400 rooms and was 3 stories tall, and much of the structure still remains. And, lastly, the site is easily accessible as it sits on the Animas River near downtown Aztec, New Mexico. The town of Aztec may not be a thriving city (6,000 or so population), but it does lie on a US Highway. It should be noted that you are probably a local, or doing what I was doing, to actually be in this neck of the woods in New Mexico. There isn’t a lot going on in this area, but the history is certainly amazing!
This site was built between 1000 and late the 1200s CE to support the Chacoan Culture in Chaco Canyon, only 50 miles away. However, Aztec may have become the primary center of importance as Chaco Canyon declined. The entire site itself is pretty small, not atypical for many of the “smaller” NPS units. The visitor center is standard: gift shop and interpretive museum. You will want to pick up your trail map at the visitor center and download the audio tour app to accompany you on the self guided tour of the site. You can pretty much wander through the entire site, the big rule being to stay off the walls. Most of the site is original, however there is a nicely reconstructed great kiva that allows visitors to enter and see what such a structure might have look like from the inside. This was the only reconstructed kiva I saw, and it was quite informative!
Although Aztec Ruins National Monument is not nearly on par with what I had already seen on this trip, it was a worthwhile stop! You would not want to make an entire cross country trip to visit this site, but if you are visiting other sites in the area, or live near enough, you will want to spend an hour or two here learning about this site’s history!
The Parks Adventurer 