Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Review

Spread across 171,000 acres of arid mesa and canyon country, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument holds more than 20,000 archaeological sites, the greatest concentration anywhere in the United States. Some sites, like apartment-style cliff dwellings and hewn-rock towers, are impossible to miss. Others are as subtle as evidence of agricultural fields, springs, and water systems. They are powerful evidence of the complex civilization of the Ancestral Puebloan people.

The monument includes several interesting sites: Hovenweep National Monument, straddling the Colorado-Utah border, is known for distinctive square, oval, round, and D-shape towers that were engineering marvels when they were built around AD 1200. Lowry Pueblo, in the northern part of the monument, is a 40-room pueblo with eight kivas (round chambers used for sacred rituals). Its Great Kiva is one of the largest known in the Southwest.

In the vast and rugged backcountry area west of Mesa Verde National Park, the monument is a must if you're fascinated by the culture of the Ancestral Puebloans. The going may be rough, however. Roads are few, hiking trails are sparse, and visitor services are all but nonexistent. The Anasazi Heritage Center, 3 mi west of Dolores on Highway 184, serves as the visitor center. A brochure, which details the self-guided tour, is available at the entrance to the site.