trisha

I want to visit both these places but, time won't allow. Has anyone been to both that can help me rule one of them out? Also, in Mesa Verde can you explore the actual ruins without a tour? I won't be able to schedule a tour ahead of time and I wonder if you have to have a tour to actually go in the ruins. Thankyou Trisha

travellyn

I've been to both and like MV better. However, you are freer to explore on your own at Chaco.

At MV, you don't need to book the one-hour ranger tours of Cliff Palace, Long House or Balcony House days in advance; you buy tickets for a couple of dollars when you get to MV at the visitors' center. Spruce Tree House is a ruin that can usually be visited for free without a tour. There's always a ranger there. It has a kiva you can climb into - fun for adults as well as kids.

MV requires tours for the first three places in order to safeguard the resource. My husband and I tend to be do-it-yourself types, but we like these tours. There are other, smaller ruins that you can visit on your own. Some of the ruins are closed except in summer.

Chaco is spread out, dusty, and windy, somewhat far from highway 550 on a dirt road. There are several ruins, but I'm not sure you can go into all of them. There is an interesting movie in the visitors' center about a small spiral painted on a rock that turned out to be a calender.

q

Chaco is a do it on your own experience. Dirt Roads, wind and not so good for the Car.
Mesa Verde has minor ruins you can visit on your own. To visit the major ruins at the Chapin and WEtherill mesas requires going on a ranger guided tour for which you can sign up at the Visitors Center.

Trisha

Thanks so much for your information . It really helped.

Bob Brown

I was at Chaco and Mesa Verde in April, and I cannot add anything that will help you decide between the two.
First of all, the road to Chaco is a breeze to drive. For a guy like me who grew up on dirt roads, it is a boulevard. Anyone who says it is not never had much experience with dirt roads.

As for the two sets of ruins, Mesa Verde is better preserved because of its location. Chaco is a mystifying place to visit. To get the most out of it, you must be prepared to visit Chaco.
Pueblo Bonito is the ruin of the largest of the pueblos. Present thinking is that the ruins of Chaco were never used for large scale habitation. It was possibly a religious center because of the relatively large number of very big kivas. The fact that the walls of the buildings are aligned with extreme positions of the sun and moon add to the fascination.

Yes, you can explore Pueblo Bonito without a tour, but taking one is informative. I would not want to be there in July and August however because it is hot and the canyon is without shade.

I personally want to go back to Chaco, but only after I study quite a bit more.
Next time, I want to be prepared; last time I thought I was, but that turned out not to be the case.

Cuauhtehmoc

I've been to both...several times. My favorite remains Chaco. I minored in archaeology and can stare at a bunch of rocks for hours. Mesa Verde is a much more complete set of ruins; with Chaco you have to let your imagination roam. I like the solitary atmosphere at Chaco; Mesa Verde can sometimes be a circus. You have to do both.

Howard

When we were at Mesa Verde a few years ago and inquired about Chaco, we were told by the rangers that the government was not publicizing Chaco in the hopes that it would not become a big tourist haven with the resulting damage to the ruins. The unpaved road is intentional, we were told, to discourage visitors. Thus, unless things have changed in the past few years, Chaco is likely to remain "unspoiled" for the foreseeable future.

Trisha

Oh no, I'm back to square one. Chaco sounds fastinating. I love the idea of it being unspoiled and mystifying. I also, like Bob Brown's advice to read more about it before you go. Thanks again.

Utahtea

Trisha,

You have received some wonderful information. I've been to both. Many times to Mesa Verde but only once to Chaco and I really want to go back.

Unless you plan on camping at Chaco, you are not going to find any accomadations very close. That might be something to consider.

http://www.nps.gov/chcu/pphtml/lodging.html

Utahtea

gb

No, No, Absolutely, Mesa Verde is the place to make your first visit. First, it is a beautiful place that seems like an oasis. Sure, it might have more people, but there is a reason. It is also located near Durango where there is nice lodging and activities. You can explore the ruins without a tour, but Mesa Verde's guides and ranger are exceptional, and have tons of information to share. So, take the guided tours, and go explore the other sites on your own.
Now, Chaco Canyon is interesting to an archeologist. But, it is very, very far from the nearest town. It is hot and dusty. The historians do not know what function the site had when it was active, but there was evidence of cannibalism. And oddly, it has an evil feel to it. It takes a long time to get to it, and I don't believe it could ever be as popular as Mesa Verde because it isn't as pretty, it is far out, and in the desert area, and just not as interesting to non-historian types. I have been to both and have no interest in returning to Chaco Canyon. Certainly, it has great historic value, but I have no desire to take the long,dry trip again. But, I could go to Mesa Verde several more times and still enjoy it.

Larry

I've been to both many times over the last 15 years and still love Chaco. The solitude and thoughts about what it must have been like are inspiring. There were 3 movies at the Visitor's Center that will give you a great overview of the background and ideas. Some lovely hikes that go to or above ruins. My favorite is the hike to the mesa above Pueblo Bonito. Love to sit there and listen to music of R. Carlos Nakai (Native American wood flute). It won't remain unspoiled forever. Even now they have restricted your going down into the 'Great Kiva' but can view it from above. Where ever you decide, it will be a wonderful experience. If Mesa Verde, don't miss the tour of Balcony House - unless you can't take wooden ladders, heights and a short 'tunnel' for an exit.

Jeanne

We went to both about twelve years ago and I have to say that I liked Chaco better. I certainly didn't get the "evil" feeling. In fact, I thought it was quite beautiful and haunting (in a good way). I should mention that we had rented an RV from Cuise America and managed the dirt road without problems, however, it was a bit of a challenge to city folks. There were very few people out there, so you really felt like you had the place to yourselves. Mesa Verde, in comparison, was crawling with tour buses. We took our ten-year old son with us and did some hiking during the day and stayed overnight in the campground. We had no wind, just a lovely, clear night with unbelievable stars overhead and surrounded by the ancient cliffs. It was one of those vacations you never forget. And we're not archeologists, either.

Utahtea

Trisha,

You didn't mention when you were going. August & September are monsoon season in New Mexico and they don't advise driving on the dirt roads to Chaco when it rains. Check locally before you go if you decide on Chaco Canyon.

Utahtea

Spanky

Went to Chaco Canyon the day after a monsoon rainfall on September 11. The dirt road was very, very muddy and the wash was roaring with water. We were in a car, not a 4 wh. drive. When we arrived at the wash, there were four vehicles lined up on either side deciding whether to cross or not. There is a sign that says "do not cross if water on road". While we were deciding whether to go forward or not, a N.M. roadworks guy came by in his truck and proceeded to go through the wash slowly to determine the depth of the water. My husband decided we would try it since the roadworks guy was there. Needless to say, we did not get washed away, but that was because the roadbed was paved on the site of the "wash". The ride into Chaco is one interesting, thrilling ride when wet. If it's not raining, the road into the park is easily driven, although you'll get a bit of washboard effect.

The buildings are quite amazing and I enjoyed our visit there. We had been in Mesa Verde for two days previously and the experience is very different. The ranger at the front desk agreed that the road was left unpaved intentionally so that those folks who traverse it are "weeded out" as folks who would have an interest (read: care about maintaining the site) in being there. We wandered through the place on our own, but there are very good written guides located at several of the buildings which contain lots of good info. The film at the visitor center also adds to your experience. I understand that the Piute indians are not happy with the latest theory that there was cannabalism supposedly happening there. Since no one knows the function of the place, nor whether there were burials there, it's hard to have a theory. This opinion came from a ranger at Mesa Verde who indicated that it was possible that the indians who eventually came to Mesa Verde may have come from Chaco Canyon when that site was abandoned.

In any event, it is interesting to see civilizations that existed in the Americas in 800-1200 AD with such incredible architecture and engineering ability.