The Trail of the Ancients is a New Mexico Scenic Byway to prehistoric archaeological and geological sites of northwestern New Mexico. It provides insight into the lives of the

Ancestral Puebloans The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...

and the

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

Ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute (band), an Australian jazz group * Ute (given name) * ''Ute'' (sponge), a sponge genus * Ute (vehicle), an Australian and New Zealand term for certain utility vehicles * Ute, Iowa, a city in Monona County along ...

, and

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

peoples. Geological features include canyons, volcanic rock features, and sandstone buttes. Several of the sites are scenic and wilderness areas with recreational opportunities.

Route description

The Trail of the Ancients captures the archaeological evidence of hunter and gatherers who lived in the area since 10,000 B.C. or earlier, in the northwestern portion of the state. The Ancient Puebloans that lived in the area between about 850 and 1250 A.D. are the ancestors of the modern Hopi, Zuni and Rio Grande Pueblo tribes.

Navajos The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

, from the

Athabascan Athabaskan (also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific C ...

tribal areas in northwestern Canada, migrated into the area about 500 years ago.Trail of the Ancients.
Sangres.com Retrieved August 14, 2014. Other Native Americans include the Utes and

s.Trail of the Ancients.
Aztec National Monument. Retrieved August 14, 2014. Native peoples left evidence of their lives in ruins of agricultural communities, broken pieces of pottery, tools,

pictograph A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and g ...

s, and petroglyphs. The landscape includes large sandstone formations, desolate deserts, interesting views, and geologic formations.Overview.
Trail of the Ancients. Navajo Nation Scenic Byways. Retrieved August 14, 2014. A key site on the byway are the ruins at

Chaco Canyon Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in the American Southwest hosting a concentration of pueblos. The park is located in northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, in a remote c ...

, which was the "ceremonial center" for puebloan people at that and outlying pueblos between 850 and 1250 A.D. Other key sites are the

El Morro National Monument El Morro National Monument is a U.S. national monument in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. Located on an ancient east–west trail in the western part of the state, the monument preserves the remains of a large prehistoric pueblo atop a ...

and

El Malpais National Monument El Malpais National Monument is a National Monument located in western New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States. The name El Malpais is from the Spanish term '' Malpaís'', meaning ''badlands'', due to the extremely barren and dramatic volc ...

. Navajo National Scenic Byways brochure.
U.S. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 14, 2014. A great portion of the land in northwestern New Mexico belongs to the Navajo Nation. The route traverses multiple roads, including U.S. Route 64, U.S. Route 550, NM 57, NM 122 and other state, county and Navajo Nation roads.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park

Chaco Culture National Historical Park Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in the American Southwest hosting a concentration of pueblos. The park is located in northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, in a remote ca ...

, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

that was inhabited in the canyon between 850 and 1250 A.D., is the center and starting point for the byway. It is located in a remote location on a rugged road. To reach the Chaco Culture site, follow National Park Service signs from U.S. Route 550, turning first onto County Road 7900.
U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved September 16, 2017. There are a visitor center, six monumental sites, and a trail to other sites.Trail of the Ancients.
New Mexico Tourism Department. Retrieved August 14, 2014.

Crownpoint

On NM 57 drive south of the park to New Mexico State Road 371, NM 371 and drive south to

Crownpoint Crownpoint ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Navajo Nation in McKinley County, New Mexico. The population was 2,500 at the time of the 2010 census. It is located along the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New ...

, known for its monthly auction of

rugs.

Casamero Pueblo

Continue south on NM 371 to Navajo Road 48. Turn right on McKinley County Road 19 and continue on the road to the Casamero Pueblo, which was an outlier of the Chacoan site between about A.D. 1000 and 1125.

Grants volcanic sites

Travel south on McKinley County Road 19 to NM 122, turn left and travel the road to

Grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places * Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, ...

, where there is the New Mexico Mining Museum. Continue on NM 122 to NM 117 and drive south to the

, made about 3,000 years ago by lava flows.Grants to El Malpais National Monument.
Google maps. Retrieved August 14, 2014. Return to Grants and from NM 122, take NM 53 south to the

Ice Cave An ice cave is any type of natural cave (most commonly lava tubes or limestone caves) that contains significant amounts of perennial (year-round) ice. At least a portion of the cave must have a temperature below 0 °C (32 °F) all ...

and

Zuni-Bandera volcanic field Zuni-Bandera volcanic field (also known as Bandera lava field, Grants Badlands, Malpais and Malpais volcanic field) is a volcanic field located in the state of New Mexico, United States. The volcanic field has been considered for Geothermal powe ...

, where there is the "Chain of Craters" of cinder cones.

El Morro

Drive west on NM 53 to

, a large butte that appears "like a huge ocean liner" on the horizon.

Zuni Pueblo

Continuing west on NM 53, the

Zuni Pueblo Zuni Pueblo (also Zuñi Pueblo, Zuni: ''Halona Idiwan’a'' meaning ‘Middle Place’) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,302 as of the 2010 Census. It is inhabited largely b ...

with six original sites was the goal of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in his search for the "Seven Cities of Gold."

Gallup

Gallup is located north on NM 602, where there is a mural to the

Navajo Code Talkers A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is now usually associated with United States service members during the world wars who used their k ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, Indian crafts for sale, a Visitor's Center, the Rex Mining Museum, and the historic

El Rancho Hotel & Motel El Rancho Hotel, Gallup, New Mexico, is a historic hotel built by R.E. “Griff” Griffith, the brother of film director D.W. Griffith. The pair encouraged early film production in the surrounding area. It is located on old U.S. Route 66 and b ...

Trading posts

Two Grey Hills and Toadlena are two trading posts located north of Gallup in Newcomb on U.S. Route 491. There are about 1,500 Navajo people living near the trading posts, some of whom who sell their woven rugs at the trading posts.

Farmington

Farmington Farmington may refer to: Places Canada *Farmington, British Columbia * Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation) United States *Farmington, Arkansas *Farmington, California *Farmington, Connecticut *Farmington, Delaware * Farmington, Georgia * ...

, where two thirds of the surface water in New Mexico flows through area rivers, is north on U.S. Route 64. Recreational trails and the Farmington Museum are key sites.

Aztec Ruins National Monument

Two pueblo ruins at the

Aztec Ruins National Monument The Aztec Ruins National Monument in northwestern New Mexico, USA consists of preserved structures constructed by the Pueblo Indians. The national monument lies on the western bank of the Animas River in Aztec, New Mexico, about northeast of ...

, an outlier of the Chacoan Canyon site, are near Bloomfield, which is east of Farmington off of U.S. 64.

Badlands recreation areas

South of Bloomfield off of NM 371, in the badlands of New Mexico, are the Bisti Wilderness Area, De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area, and Angel Peak Scenic Areas.Bloomfield to Bisti.
Google maps. Retrieved August 14, 2014.

Beklabito

Beklabito (also spelled Beclabito), a

community, is located west on U.S. 64. The scenery includes Navajo

hogan A hogan ( or ; from Navajo ' ) is the primary, traditional dwelling of the Navajo people. Other traditional structures include the summer shelter, the underground home, and the sweat house. A hogan can be round, cone-shaped, multi-sided, or squ ...

s, red sandstone formations and yellow and gray-striped hills.

History

The Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway was made one of the

New Mexico Scenic Byways Scenic and Historic Byways are highways in New Mexico known for their scenic beauty or historic significance. The New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department Scenic and Historic Byways Program was made effective July 31, 1998 to establi ...

after July 31, 199818 NMAC 31.2 New Mexico Scenic and Historic Byways Program.
Transportation and Highways. New Mexico Legislation. Filed February 27, 1998. Effective July 31, 1998. Retrieved August 10, 2014. and by 2013.New Mexico Designated Unique or Valuable Scenic Landscapes
United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Issued in 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2014. Note: Not the best source as not an official list, but it wouldn't have made it onto the list if it wasn't a byway; conversely there is one scenic drive (Dry Cimmaron) that is no longer a scenic byway It was designated a National Scenic Byway by the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...

on January 19, 2021.

Gallery

File:Navajo rugs for sale.jpg, Examples of

Navajo rug Navajo rugs and blankets ( nv, ) are textiles produced by Navajo people of the Four Corners area of the United States. Navajo textiles are highly regarded and have been sought after as trade items for over 150 years. Commercial production of han ...

s File:THE HOGAN IS THE TRADITIONAL DWELLING OF THE NAVAJO INDIANS - NARA - 544396.tif, Examples of Navajo

s File:Zuni-Bandera LeeSiebert 033087.jpg, Bandera Volcano File:Aztec Ruins National Monument AZRU0919.jpg,

File:Bisti Wilderness Area.jpg, Bisti and De-Na-Zin Wilderness Areas

References

External links

Trail of the Ancients
New Mexico Tourism

Aztec Ruins National Monument
Navajo Nation Scenic Byways - Travel Guidelines
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trail of the Ancients, New Mexico New Mexico Scenic and Historic Byways Tourist attractions in New Mexico Pre-statehood history of New Mexico U.S. Route 64