New Mexico has been a state for a little over a century now but its history dates back millennia with evidence of its past peppered around the state. Ancestral Puebloan dwellings are among those surviving relics of its human history, slowly fading back into the landscape.
Due to their size and longevity, many of these locations are impressive feats that document life hundreds of years ago and you can easily visit them. Here are a few of our favorites to get you started.
- Aztec Ruins National Monument
Kyle Fisher/Google
Ian Duckles/Google Don’t let the name of this national monument fool you. Misattributed to Aztecs in the 1800s, the name stuck and later served as the basis for the town that is home to ancestral dwellings. Located about 12 miles northeast of Farmington, this national monument preserves multiple dwellings that date back to the 1100s. This includes the massive West Ruin which had around 400 rooms for living and ceremonial purposes.
- Bandelier National Monument
Devon Smith/Google
Mike Harper/Google Nestled within towering sandstone cliffs near Los Alamos are the dwellings at Bandelier National Monument. This site documents the settlements of humans up to 11,000 years ago, with tools, pictographs, and dwelling remnants scattered around the site. Among the sites to visit at the national monument are the multistory cave dwellings carved into the canyon walls that you can climb into via ladders. There is also the circular Tyuoni pueblo, which is estimated to have stood up to three stories tall and had approximately 400 rooms.
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Vinod Kalathil/Google
John Fowler/Flickr Perhaps New Mexico’s best known ancestral site, this historical park is located within an isolated canyon about 72 miles south of Farmington. Evidence of people occupying the area dates back to 10,000 BC but the most popular dwelling here is Pueblo Bonito. Construction of this massive house began around 850 AD. At its height, the building had approximately 800 rooms and probably stood about five stories tall.
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Michael Stevenson/Google
Tom Blackwell/Flickr Located in southwestern New Mexico, these cliff dwellings were built and inhabited by the Mogollon people, who are considered ancestors of modern-day Hopi and Zuni peoples. The site includes homes constructed from natural caves and alcoves around 1260 AD and were inhabited for approximately two decades.
- Jemez Historic Site
I am New Mexico/Flickr
Larry Lamsa/Flickr This site is just a little bit different from the others we’ve seen on this list so far since it has both the remains of a more modern pueblo and a 17th-century Spanish mission. Gisewa Pueblo is an ancestral site for the local Jemez peoples and construction on it began in the late 1400s. It was occupied for about two centuries until the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. Also on-site is a Spanish mission built around 1621 and was only partially used since the Spaniards were unable to successfully convert the Jemez people. It was eventually abandoned in 1639 and began to deteriorate from lack of use.
- Pecos National Historical Park
Owen and Aki/Flickr
Owen and Aki/Flickr This historical park is home to an Ancestral Puebloan dwelling, a 17th-century Spanish mission, and even a Civil War battlefield. Our emphasis here is on the Pecos Pueblo built around 1100 AD. It stood approximately five stories tall and could house up to 2,000 people, an impressive feat for a building made of adobe and clay.
- Petroglyph National Monument
Vanya Karouna/Google
Mobilus In Mobili/Flickr This park appears to be an ordinary grouping of boulders just outside Albuquerque but is actually hiding a treasure trove of centuries-old petroglyphs. Here, you can find thousands upon thousands of images carved into the volcanic rock, some dating back over 3,000 years ago.
How many of these New Mexican ancient wonders have you had the opportunity to visit? What was your experience like?
Kyle Fisher/Google
Ian Duckles/Google
Don’t let the name of this national monument fool you. Misattributed to Aztecs in the 1800s, the name stuck and later served as the basis for the town that is home to ancestral dwellings. Located about 12 miles northeast of Farmington, this national monument preserves multiple dwellings that date back to the 1100s. This includes the massive West Ruin which had around 400 rooms for living and ceremonial purposes.
Devon Smith/Google
Mike Harper/Google
Nestled within towering sandstone cliffs near Los Alamos are the dwellings at Bandelier National Monument. This site documents the settlements of humans up to 11,000 years ago, with tools, pictographs, and dwelling remnants scattered around the site. Among the sites to visit at the national monument are the multistory cave dwellings carved into the canyon walls that you can climb into via ladders. There is also the circular Tyuoni pueblo, which is estimated to have stood up to three stories tall and had approximately 400 rooms.
Vinod Kalathil/Google
John Fowler/Flickr
Perhaps New Mexico’s best known ancestral site, this historical park is located within an isolated canyon about 72 miles south of Farmington. Evidence of people occupying the area dates back to 10,000 BC but the most popular dwelling here is Pueblo Bonito. Construction of this massive house began around 850 AD. At its height, the building had approximately 800 rooms and probably stood about five stories tall.
Michael Stevenson/Google
Tom Blackwell/Flickr
Located in southwestern New Mexico, these cliff dwellings were built and inhabited by the Mogollon people, who are considered ancestors of modern-day Hopi and Zuni peoples. The site includes homes constructed from natural caves and alcoves around 1260 AD and were inhabited for approximately two decades.
I am New Mexico/Flickr
Larry Lamsa/Flickr
This site is just a little bit different from the others we’ve seen on this list so far since it has both the remains of a more modern pueblo and a 17th-century Spanish mission. Gisewa Pueblo is an ancestral site for the local Jemez peoples and construction on it began in the late 1400s. It was occupied for about two centuries until the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. Also on-site is a Spanish mission built around 1621 and was only partially used since the Spaniards were unable to successfully convert the Jemez people. It was eventually abandoned in 1639 and began to deteriorate from lack of use.
Owen and Aki/Flickr
This historical park is home to an Ancestral Puebloan dwelling, a 17th-century Spanish mission, and even a Civil War battlefield. Our emphasis here is on the Pecos Pueblo built around 1100 AD. It stood approximately five stories tall and could house up to 2,000 people, an impressive feat for a building made of adobe and clay.
Vanya Karouna/Google
Mobilus In Mobili/Flickr
This park appears to be an ordinary grouping of boulders just outside Albuquerque but is actually hiding a treasure trove of centuries-old petroglyphs. Here, you can find thousands upon thousands of images carved into the volcanic rock, some dating back over 3,000 years ago.
Are you looking for additional places to add to your vacation bucket list? If you love exploring New Mexico’s alluring landscape, then you will want to read some of our suggestions in Here’s The Ultimate Bucket List For New Mexicans Who Are Obsessed With Nature.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Rd, Aztec, NM 87410, USAAddress: NM-4, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USAAddress: Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USAAddress: Gila Cliff Dwelling Visitor Center Rd, Mogollon, NM, USAAddress: 18160 NM-4, Jemez Springs, NM 87025, USAAddress: Pecos National Historical Park, 1 NM-63, Pecos, NM 87552, USAAddress: Petroglyph National Monument, Western Trail NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, USA
