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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Review
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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
- Address: From Dolores, take Hwy. 184 west to U.S. 491, then head west onto County Rd. CC for 9 mi, Dolores, CO | Map It
- Phone: 970/562-4282
- www.co.blm.gov/canm
- Category: Native American Sites
- Location: Dolores
Fodor's Review:
Spread across 164,000 acres of arid mesa-and-canyon country, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monumentholds more than 20,000 known archaeological sites, the greatest concentration anywhere in the United States. There are 40, 60, or sometimes even 100 sites per square mile. Some, 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 and mystical civilization of the Ancestral Puebloan people (also known as the Anasazi, "the ancient ones") who inhabited the area between AD 450 and 1300 and are believed to have been the ancestors of today's Pueblo peoples.
The national monument includes several sites previously under federal protection: 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. It features eight kivas (round chambers thought to have been used for sacred rituals). Its Great Kiva is one of the largest yet discovered in the Southwest. Also look for the Painted Kiva, which provides insight into Ancestral Puebloan decorative techniques.
Located 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 at Lowry Pueblo serves as the visitor center for the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. A brochure, which details the self-guided tour, is available at the entrance to the site.
- Cost: $3
- Open: Daily 8-4
Get Advice From Other Travelers
- Southwest Colorado
8 responses; most recent on 07/29/2008, 10:20 pm - Southwest Colorado trip report
5 responses; most recent on 07/24/2008, 07:20 am - Telluride July 2008
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