Archaeology Road Trip: The Four Corners Region

For your second day, start out with a ranger-assisted tour of Long House on Wetherill Mesa. Tour tickets can be purchased at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777 and can be purchased 14 days in advance. These tours sell out quickly, so we recommend planning ahead. Long House will show you the quieter side of Mesa Verde. It will also showcase spectacular architectural features that are not often found in other Mesa Verde archaeological sites. This tour is 60 minutes long and involves hiking 2.25 miles roundtrip and climbing two 15-foot ladders within the site. After your tour, it’s time to head to Mancos for some delicious food and drinks and great spots to spend the evening.

Bonus Archaeology Road Trip Stop: Self-Guided Tour at Step House on Wetherill Mesa

Must-Try Refreshing Beverages: Fenceline Cider

Best Americana Motel: Mesa Verde Motel

Explore Local Art: Artisans of Mancos

Best Dinner Spot: Chavolo’s Mexican Restaurant

From Mancos, you are going to head south on this southwestern archaeology road trip to Aztec Ruins National Monument in northwestern New Mexico. Puebloan people describe this site as part of their migration journey. Today you can explore 900-year old archaeological sites, hear diverse perspectives from Puebloan people, and walk through the Heritage Garden. Wild plants that people in the Southwest have used for thousands of years are still grown here. Make sure to walk along the Aztec West Self-Guided Trail to see the ancestral Pueblo “Great House” and “Great Kiva”. You can walk into these structures, and see the original mortar and wooden roofing for yourself. After exploring Aztec Ruins, head to Farmington, NM to stay for the evening. 

Stay in a Cave: Kokopelli’s Cave

Experience New Mexican Cuisine: The Chile Pod

Best Photo Op: The Bisti Badlands

Grab a Beer: Rambler Taproom

For your fourth day, visit the remote Chaco Culture National Historical Park, also referred to as Chaco Canyon. This stop on your archaeology road trip is isolated and offers few amenities. Come prepared with a picnic lunch, lots of snacks, water, sunscreen, good shoes for walking, and layers. Chaco Canyon is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s no surprise, as its significance is based on its 4,000 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, representing more than 10,000 years of human cultural history.

We suggest stopping by the Visitor Center first to pick up a map and then driving the nine-mile loop. The Loop Road will give you access to five major Chacoan sites, including Pueblo Bonito (the most celebrated site in the canyon). Each of these sites do require some walking but are wheelchair accessible with assistance. Get ready to be wowed by the peaceful and serene scenery and mind-blowing dwellings, structures, and astronomical pictographs and petroglyphs. Remember that these environments and sites are fragile and need to be treated with care. Please stay on the trail and don’t climb on any of the rocks. After you’ve spent the day exploring Chaco, head back to Farmington for the evening.

Go for a Hike and Spot Rock Art: Petroglyph Trail

Shop for Diné Goods, Textiles and Crafts: Local Trading Posts

Best Coffee in Farmington: Oso Grande Coffee Company

Tse Bit’ a’i or Shiprock, NM

Leave Farmington early in the morning on your fifth day and head west toward Shiprock, New Mexico. This towering volcanic formation has been sacred to the Navajo people for hundreds of years and is referred to as Tse Bit’ a’i. There is no hiking, camping, or climbing allowed on the peak or the surrounding rock formations. Because driving the dirt road that leads to the pinnacle is also not allowed, visitors are asked to view and photograph Shiprock from either Indian Service Route 13 or from U.S. Highway 491. Please respect the local Navajo community and enjoy this majestic site from afar. 

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, AZ

After spending some time taking photos of the peak, head southwest to Canyon de Chelly National Monument just outside of Chinle, Arizona. This canyon system is a very special place; for nearly 5,000 years, people have lived in these canyons (longer than anyone has lived uninterrupted anywhere on the Colorado Plateau). The Ancestral Puebloans, followed by Hopi and then Navajo, have called Canyon de Chelly their homes. Today more than 40 families live at the bottom of the canyon.

We recommend visiting the Welcome Center for the most up-to-date information on activities in the canyon, and taking a scenic drive along the North or South Rim. You won’t be allowed into Canyon de Chelly without a guide, so plan ahead or enjoy the views from the rim. Keep an eye out for Spider Rock—an 800-foot sandstorm spire. After you’ve had your fill of red canyon views, head to Chinle for the evening or stay at the Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly.

Indigenous Guide: Canyon de Chelly Tours

Learn About the Legend: Spider Rock

Must-Try Local Food: Navajo Fry Bread

On your sixth day, head north toward the border of Arizona and Utah. Your first stop will be Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. This awe-inspiring landscape was first settled in by the Ancestral Puebloans around 12,000 BCE. They were followed by the Navajo people who still live here today. Take a self-guided tour of the valley on the 17-mile Valley Drive, or take a hike on Wildcat Trail, a four-mile loop that wraps around the West Mitten Butte with great views of East Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte as well. These are the only two self-guided options for Monument Valley. If you’d like something more adventurous or in-depth, we recommend you hire a tour operator.   

After your morning in Monument Valley, continue north to Blanding, Utah. There are plenty of incredible archaeological sites around Blanding to visit. One of our favorite spots is right downtown! Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum has the largest collection of Ancestral Puebloan pottery on display in the Four Corners region, and the museum was built at the site of an ancient village. The restored kiva and several other structures are right behind the museum and allow for self-guided exploration. Spend the evening relaxing in Blanding after an action packed day.

Best Photo Op: Forrest Gump Point

Private Tour with One of the Last Navajo Code Talkers: Storytelling with Peter MacDonald

Stay in a Cozy Cabin: Abajo Haven Guest Cabins

Butler Wash Ruins is just a short drive from Blanding. This cliff dwelling village was built by the Ancestral Puebloans around 1,200 BCE and has four kivas, living quarters, and storage structures. The hike is one mile round trip and shouldn’t take more than an hour. Please be aware, there is no water at this site, so make sure to come prepared with water, snacks, and sunscreen!

Bonus Archaeology Road Trip Stop: Natural Bridges National Monument

After your hike to Butler Wash Ruins, head east back over the border to Cortez, Colorado. Spend the afternoon wandering through galleries and trading posts in town, enjoying the local art scene.

Best Place to Stay: Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch

Learn More About the History & Diversity of the Area: Cortez Cultural Center.

Visit a Local Vineyard: Sutcliffe Vineyards

On your eighth day, head to Hovenweep National Monument just outside of Cortez. This National Monument shows human habitation dating back over 10,000 years to when nomadic Paleoindians came to gather food and hunt game. The towers of Hovenweep (one of the many characteristics that makes this site unique) were built by Ancestral Puebloans by the late 12,000’s. We recommend hiking the Square Tower loop trail to see Square Tower, Hovenweep Castle, and Hovenweep House. The trail starts at the visitor center, and is about two miles roundtrip. 

Once you’ve had your fill of winding desert hikes and stunning ancient structures for the day, head back to Cortez. Just west of downtown, stop by the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and participate in an immersive workshop or to just visit the research facility.

Longer Hike at Hovenweep: Holly Group

Indulge with a Pastry: The Pie Maker Bakery

Stop for a Pint: Wildedge Brewing Collective

For your second to last day in the Four Corners region and on your archaeology road trip, head to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park. Just south of Cortez, visit for an Indigenous perspective on the area. Tours in this history-rich landscape are guided by Ute Indians. They have a broad knowledge of Ute and Ancestral Puebloan cultures. The tours include Ute history and rock art, surface sites, and cliff dwellings. The full day tour (which we highly recommend) visits four magnificent cliff dwellings. It requires a three-mile walk on unpaved trails and scaling ladders. In order to protect the fragile resources, self-guided tours are not permitted. Visit www.utemountaintribalpark.info or call 970-565-9653 for tour information.

Note: The guided tours in Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park require physical activity for extended periods of time, and are not handicap accessible. Please be sure to bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and sturdy hiking shoes. Above all, come prepared for an adventure!

After a day spent absorbing the Indigenous heritage of Ute Mountain, it will be time for a delicious dinner. Cortez, Dolores, and Mancos have an amazing selection of dining experiences with a cornucopia of flavors in every direction. From the original indigenous crops grown here to Southwestern flavors, to the influx of renowned chefs who have made the area home, to the return to farm-to-table tradition, the taste of southwest Colorado will have something for everyone.

Farm to Table: The Farm Bistro

Beer and a Great Patio: Dolores River Brewery

On the last day of your whirlwind archaeology road trip, close out your trip with Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. This amazing stop contains the highest known archaeological site density in the United States. Stop by the Visitor Center and Museum before you head into the Monument for a map of the area and some direction from a ranger. We recommend you visit the impressive Lowry Pueblo, as this site has 40 rooms, eight kivas, and a Great Kiva. If you want to spend the full day at Canyons of the Ancients, we suggest you also visit Painted Hand Pueblo—a beautiful standing tower perched on a boulder. The pictographs at this site are well worth the trip. As always, these paintings and structures are incredibly fragile, so look but never touch.

Mountain Bike Through the Monument: Canyons of the Ancients Loop

Enjoy the Night Skies: Stargaze Among Ancient Dwellings