Near Nageezi in San Juan County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Pueblo Alto Trail

Photographed by James Hulse, March 26, 2025

1. Pueblo Alto Trail Marker

Inscription. From the cliff above, you gain a different perspective of the central core of Chaco Canyon. The geometry of the buildings, the interrelationship of the great houses, and the extent of the Chacoan world become clearer.

This trail follows an ancient route, climbs to the rim, and follows cairns (rock-pile markers) to overlooks above Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl. Atop the mesa is Pueblo Alto, where aerial photography and excavations have shed more light on Chaco's connections throughout the San Juan Basin.

For your safety, carry lots of water and snacks, wear hiking boots and protection from the sun, and watch your footing. Backcountry registration is required, and is available free of charge at the Visitor Center. Collecting pottery sherds or any artifacts robs us all of our history - please do not remove, move, or damage anything along the trail or in the sites.

Captions
(Photo #1) View at Pueblo Bonito Overlook on the Pueblo Alto Trail
(Photo #2) Pueblo Bonito from the canyon rim, as it may have appeared in the early A.D. 1100s

Erected by Chaco Culture National Historical Park, National Park Service and

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U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 36° 3.918′ N, 107° 58.195′ W. Marker is near Nageezi, New Mexico, in San Juan County. It is on Navajo Service Route 14 (Pueblo Alto Trail) ¾ mile west of North Side Loop. The marker is located on the north side of the Kin Kletso archeological site at the start of the trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Nageezi NM 87037, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in New Mexico’s Navajo Nation

and in the San Juan Basin.

It is also in the American Southwest,

in the Mountain West,

in Colorado Plateau,

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Kin Kletso (within shouting distance of

The Pueblo Alto Trail and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 26, 2025

2. The Pueblo Alto Trail and Marker

The historic trail runs along the crack up the canyon wall.

this marker); Wetherill Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Chaco Culture (approx. 0.6 miles away); Pueblo Bonito (approx. ¾ mile away); Chetro Ketl (approx. ¾ mile away); Casa Rinconada Community (approx. 0.9 miles away); Chacoan Stairway (approx. 1.1 miles away); Chaco: A World Heritage Site (approx. 4.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nageezi.

Also see . . . The Center of an Ancient World. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Explore the monumental structures and breathtaking landscape at Chaco, a thriving regional center for the ancestral Pueblo people from 850 to 1250 CE (Common Era), through guided tours, hiking & biking trails, evening campfire talks, night sky programs, and more. Chaco Canyon is a sacred and deeply personal place for many Indigenous peoples throughout the Southwest. Please visit with respect.

(Submitted on April 17, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Kin Kletso archaeological site image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 26, 2025

3. Kin Kletso archaeological site

Credits. This page was last revised on April 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 16, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 126 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.