Here in Colorado, we like to think the first permanent settlements came with the Gold Rush, wagons blaring “Pikes Peak or Bust” as they rumbled across the prairie in 1858.
Or one could look a few years further back to the northward migration of Mexican settlers into the San Luis Valley.
These assumptions would be off — by 800 years.
The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, flourished for centuries, building elaborate fortresses, cities and other settlements. Then they suddenly vanished, leaving ruins that have stood the test of time in the dry, arid environment of the Four Corners region.
To visit these places is to step back in time to a society that flourished hundreds of years before Columbus “discovered” America. These are the best-preserved Native American ruins in North America. Ask yourself, “Will our homes and cities still be standing in 800 years?”
This guide will take you to the heart of this culture, in northern New Mexico, to outlying settlements in southwest Colorado, to the stunning cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde and to the northernmost ruins, a spiritual center near Pagosa Springs.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Experts believe this area, about a seven-hour drive from Denver, was the cultural heart of this civilization from 850 to 1250 CE. Enormous dwellings with hundreds of rooms dot this desert canyon. You can marvel at how these were built in a place that seems to have few trees and little water. They had no written language, so experts can only speculate the purpose of each, but many agree it was a seat of government and trade, and ancient roads fan out like spokes on a wheel from here. Most of the ruins are close together and can be seen in one day on a driving loop with some short hikes. Longer hikes will take visitors to some outlying ruins that formed a defensive perimeter.
Must-see: Pueblo Bonito, the only ruin where visitors are free to wander inside the buildings, where you can appreciate the construction and attention to detail put into practice here.
What to know: The national park is 17 miles down a rough dirt road that is often washed out in spring. Camping is limited, so be sure to make reservations at in advance, as there are no other options.
Entry fee: $25 per vehicle.
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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
A 3-hour drive north through trackless desert will help you appreciate how widespread this culture was. This national monument covers a huge swath, 176,000 acres, of southwest Colorado, west of Durango. Here you can see how most of the people in this society lived, not in great archaeological marvels but in small, isolated communities. Experts say some 38,000 sites of human occupation have been found.
Must-see: Painted Hand ruin, a solitary tower standing guard over the desert, likely a security and communication center, one of many that kept the Anasazi in touch with each other. It takes a one-mile hike to reach.
What to know: It takes a lot of driving to visit the three main archaeological sites, so plan accordingly. Be sure to stop in the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores for maps and to learn more about this culture.
Entry fee: Free
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Mesa Verde National Park
A short drive east will take you to the most famous ruins in North America: the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. Experts don’t know why — perhaps protection from enemies — the ancestral Puebloans moved from their isolated pit houses to elaborate cliff dwellings, but some 600 were built starting around 1100 CE. The scope of these cliff dwellings is staggering, especially considering they had no modern tools and not even the wheel. The mesa itself is so isolated — the twisty, 20-mile drive will convince you of that — that the ruins were only discovered in the 1870s.
You can also come to appreciate the great mystery of the Anasazi: Why did they leave? Perhaps stricken by drought or enemies, in the late 1270s all this hard work was abandoned within a generation or two, the elaborate buildings never to be re-habitated.
Must-see: The Cliff Palace, the largest and most spectacular of the cliff dwellings, contains 150 rooms and 23 circular kivas, likely spiritual centers, all in a massive rock alcove. It also may have been a government center.
What to know: Most of the cliff dwellings can only be visited on a guided tour, so be sure to stop at the visitors center to book yours. There is camping in the large campground near the entrance, but the only way to stay on the mesa is the Far View Lodge, with hotel-style rooms and a full-service restaurant.
Entry fee: $30 per vehicle
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Chimney Rock National Monument
Head east into the mountains on U.S. Highway 160 to find this remarkable site, just east of Pagosa Springs. The ancestral Puebloans generally didn’t settle in Colorado’s mountains, making this the highest-elevation Anasazi archaeological site ever discovered. Two massive rock pillars tower over the highway on a steep bluff, atop which sits 200 ancient homes. It long puzzled experts why they would build here in such a different environment compared to elsewhere.
The answer may lie in the lunar standstill, which occurs every 18.6 years, when the moon stalls between the two pillars. This was a sophisticated culture with a deep knowledge of astronomy, evidence of which can be found throughout their ruins, spots designed as calendars to catch the rays of the sun or the sites of stars. Across the world, it is believed the makers of Stonehenge also built with the lunar standstill in mind.
The last lunar standstill ended in 2025, and while the public was not allowed to see it, modern-day Puebloans from New Mexico, who trace their lineage to the Anasazi, came to view it, proof that such ancient values live on across the ages.
Must-see: Take the Great House Tour, the only way to visit the mesa top and get a close-up view of the rock pillars. Tours can be booked at .
What to know: Unlike the other spots in this guide, Chimney Rock is only open in warmer months, mid-May to mid-October. There is no camping, though there is a national forest campground just across the highway.
Entry fee: $20 per vehicle
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