Chaco Canyon & Pueblo Bonito Gallery

These images were captured at Chaco Culture National Historic Park in northwestern New Mexico, in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. Spending several days in the canyon is a little like taking a trip back in time. When I visited, there were very few other visitors, and many of the ruins I explored and photographed had no other people in them.

The heart of the park is Chaco Canyon, where you can explore numerous well-preserved great house ruins of the Chacoan culture. The Chacoans abandoned Chaco Canyon and eventually formed the Pueblo, Zuni, Hopi, Navajo, and other tribes throughout the Southwest.

If you visit, prepare yourself for a 20 or 30 mile drive on corduroy road, once you leave the main highway. Depending on the season and your luck, the road may be flooded and impassable in places. Once you enter the park, it's smooth going.