Chaco Culture Conservancy
A New Mexico nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created to assist and support Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Aztec Ruins National Monument
Fall Tour Chaco Culture National Historical Park with Jon Ghahate
October 6 @ 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Join us on October 6th – 9:30 am MST for the Fall Tour with Jon Ghahate
The Chaco Culture Conservancy is excited to announce our second guided tour of 2024, led by Jon Ghahate. Jon Ghahate is of the Pueblos of Laguna and Zuni, of the Turkey and Badger Clans. He is an educator at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and a board member of the Chaco Culture Conservancy.
On October 6th 2024, Jon will lead a private tour of front-country sites within Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Jon will offer Indigenous insights and discussion of the Chacoan world in a small group setting. This exclusive experience will provide a group of visitors new awareness of well-known Chacoan sites, but with the cultural and historical legacy associated with present-day Pueblo communities.
Where you’ll go:
Tour participants will have the opportunity to explore well-known Chacoan sites, while taking a deep dive into the Pueblo perspective through the eyes of tour guide Jon Ghahate. The tour will visit the following sites:
- Una Vida
- Pueblo Bonito
- Casa Rinconada
The tour will also include a brief stop at a petroglyph site located near the visitor center and a stop for lunch at picnic tables located at Pueblo del Arroyo. Throughout the day, there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and engage in conversation about the Chacoan universe, how it relates to the larger Southwest region, and what it means to contemporary Pueblo communities.
What you’ll do:
Tour participants will meet at 9:30 am MST at the Chaco Culture National Historical Park amphitheater, located just behind the visitor center. After a quick welcome, the group will hike a short distance to Una Vida. After a tour of this site, the group will hike back down to the visitor center where they will receive a short introduction to a nearby petroglyph site. The tour will then travel down the loop road and reconvene at Pueblo Bonito. Jon will lead the group around this spectacular great house site, leaving enough time for questions and discussion. At this point, the group will break at Pueblo del Arroyo for lunch, with the opportunity to wander around nearby sites (Pueblo del Arroyo and Kin Kletso). After the lunch break, the group will travel to Casa Rinconada where they will walk the site with Jon. The tour will wrap-up at Casa Rinconada around 3:30 pm MST.
What to know:
This tour will visit sites that are open to the public, and will include frequent stops between sites. In total, tour participants can expect to walk/hike an approximated total of 2 miles. Although many of these trails are accessible and flat, you should plan to be standing/walking for longer periods of time (up to 1.5 hours at a time). Chaco Culture NHP offers few places to sit and rest and few shaded areas. Participants should be prepared to be on their feet and in the sun for a majority of the day.
Hiking difficulty will range from easy to moderate. The most demanding hike will take place at Una Vida, which will involve a somewhat steep ascent to the site and petroglyph. All other trails are relatively flat and accessible. Potential hazards include heat, walking steep trails, and limited rest areas while on the tour.
Each stopping point offers restroom facilities; however, participants should be prepared with at least two liters of water for the day. Once the tour leaves the visitor center parking lot, there will be no available water refill stations.
Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, like tennis shoes or hiking boots, and long pants and sleeves for sun protection. Hats and sunscreen are also highly recommended.
The tour will stop together for a lunch break, however lunch is not provided. Attendees should bring their own lunch/snacks and at least two liters of water.
The tour will span approximately 5.5 hours, with a lunch break around 12-1 pm.
Participants will be asked to meet at the amphitheater behind the Chaco Culture National Historical Park visitor center at 9:30 am. Participants will be responsible for covering their own entrance fees into the park. Entrance passes can be purchased for $25/vehicle or are covered by showing an America the Beautiful pass (annual, military, senior, etc.) at the front desk of the visitor center. This should be completed before the tour, as there will not be time to stop once the tour has begun. We also encourage participants to carpool down the loop road to minimize the number of vehicles in use.
This tour will meet at 9:30 am and leave for Una Vida around 9:45 am. If you do not arrive by 9:45 am, you may catch up with the tour at the site. Late arrivals will forfeit their ticket price, but can join the group at any point during the day.
The Chaco Culture Conservancy will provide ticket refunds for any reason up to 72 hours before the tour.
In the event of inclement weather (extreme heat, thunderstorms, etc.), or if the roads into the park are impassable due to water, the Chaco Culture Conservancy will provide full refunds or will offer a raincheck for a rescheduled date later in the month.
Lunch is not provided. Attendees should bring their own lunch/snacks and at least two liters of water.