The Center of an Ancient World.

Today the massive buildings of the Ancestral Puebloan people still testify to the organizational and engineering abilities not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest. For a deeper contact with the canyon that was central to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A.D., come and explore Chaco through guided tours, hiking and biking trails, evening campfire talks, and night sky programs. Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

This was the first half of a week-long trip which culminated in a permitted river rafting run through the Rio Chama Wilderness. Mark Foster took the lead as guide as he had been to the park at least a couple of times and knew some history. As a first timer, was stunned at the size, complexity, number of kivas, and the craftmanship. Made the stonemasons at River House Ruin seem like 8th graders in shop class. There is a lot to see here and a person could easily spend some time here. Much more than we had.