After Four Corners, we hopped on US 160 and looped back up into Colorado. On our way, we stopped at the Aztec Ruins National Monument near Farmington, New Mexico, another Ancestral Pueblo community. This site is quite small, and you can walk around the whole structure and property. At the center is a large, circular building (called a kiva), believed to be of ceremonial significance. The living quarters were built in a U-shape behind the circular building and expanded over the years. While it’s not a huge site, it’s easy to cross off if you’re near Four Corners or Mesa Verde National Park.
Address and Location
You’ll find Aztec Ruins National Monument at 725 Ruins Road in Aztec, New Mexico.
Cost
There is no charge.
What to do
Start in the Visitors’ Center. While it is small, it does have some interesting exhibits and artifacts from the ruins. Then head out to explore the actual site. You can go inside the Great Kiva and walk through the other ruins. I would recommend hoping on a Ranger-led tour if you can while you’re there. A lot about the ancestral Pueblo is unknown, but they can provide some good insight about how the buildings were used. I really enjoyed walking through the different buildings, rooms, and doorways. It’s interesting to try and imagine how the Ancestral Pueblo lived in this community.
Our Southwest Colorado road trip: Mesa Verde National Park | Canyon of the Ancients National Monument | Four Corners Monument | Great Sand Dunes National Park
You have definitely been to some interesting places!