Pueblo Bonito

Doorways at Pueblo Bonito

Tanya Ortega de Chamberlain

Pueblo Bonito

(1/2 mile, allow about 45 minutes to an hour)

Located 4 1/2 miles from the Visitor Center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. This is the most important site in the canyon and a must for all visitors. The trail through Pueblo Bonito is 0.6 mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises. During your visit, you can use the trail guide to recognize several unique characteristics of Chacoan great house architecture and learn about the enduring legacy of Chacoan culture.

Pueblo Bonito is the most thoroughly investigated and celebrated cultural site in Chaco Canyon. Planned and constructed in stages between AD 850 to AD 1150 by ancestral Puebloan peoples, this was the center of the Chacoan world. That world eventually covered a vast area of the present-day Southwest, including the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, and portions of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. For over 300 years, Chacoan Culture united many diverse peoples within its sphere of influence.

Trail guides are available for purchase at the Visitor Center bookstore.

Bring water and carry protection from the sun.

 

Rainbow over Pueblo Bonito

Jim Spadaccini, IDEUM

 

Aerial photo of Pueblo Bonito

Brad Shattuck