Issues: Wildlands

America's National Parks

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Photo of Chaco

Situated in northwestern New Mexico, CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK encompasses thirteen major Indian ruins representing the highest point of pre-Columbian Pueblo civilization. The park's 34,000 acres also include hundreds of smaller ruins.

By A.D. 1000, the Anasazi who lived in Chaco Canyon and its surrounding area had developed a civilization characterized by highly sophisticated architecture, social organization, and community life. The pueblos at Chaco Canyon were the center of a far-reaching system of prehistoric roads that led to numerous outlying communities. The park's extensive archeological ruins, combined with its stark desert beauty, offer a unique connection to both the ancient and the natural worlds.

Photo: Charles Clusen


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