4 Best Sights in Northwestern New Mexico, New Mexico

Atop a 367-foot mesa that rises abruptly from the valley floor, Acoma Pueblo's terraced, multistory, multiunit Sky City is like no other pueblo structure. It's one of the oldest continually inhabited spots in North America, with portions believed to be more than 1,500 years old. Captain Hernando de Alvarado, a member of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado's expedition of 1540, was the first European to see Acoma. He reported that he had "found a rock with a village on top, the strongest position ever seen in the world." The Spanish eventually conquered the Acoma people and brutally compelled them to build San Estéban del Rey, the immense adobe church that stands to this day. Native American laborers cut the massive vigas for the church's ceiling 30 mi away on Mt. Taylor and physically carried them back to the mesa.

About a dozen families live at the mesa-top pueblo full time, with most other Acomas living on Native American land nearby and returning only in summer and for celebrations, such as the feast day of St. Stephen (September 2), and Christmas mass (both are open to the public). Acoma's artisans are known for their thin-walled pottery, hand-painted with intricate black-and-white or polychrome geometrical patterns.

Once you park at the mesa base, plan to spend time in the superb Haak'u Museum at the Sky City Cultural Center. Changing exhibits explore traditional and contemporary arts, and are perfectly set in this modernist interpretation of traditional pueblo forms, with fine sandstone detailing and glass panels prepared to evoke historic mica windows. Visitation on the mesa top is by an hour-long guided tour; you're whisked by van up a steep road from behind the center and then led about the mesa community on foot (allow extra time if you choose to walk back down instead, via the ancient staircase carved into the side of the mesa). An Acoma guide will point out kivas, hornos, and unforgettable views toward their sacred sites of Enchanted Mesa and Mt. Taylor, and describe pueblo history in-depth, as well as direct you to artisan displays throughout the village. (Note: the terrain can be uneven; heeled shoes or flip-flops are not advised.) There's no electricity or running water in the village, but you can see cars parked outside many homes—one wonders what it must have been like to visit Acoma before the road was constructed in 1969. Open hours vary slightly, depending on the weather. Videotaping, sketching, and painting are prohibited, and a permit is required for still photography. Note that the pueblo prohibits photography of the church interior and exterior as well as the adjoining cemetery. As at all indigenous locales, ask permission before photographing residents or their artwork. Regroup back at Haak'u and browse the gallery gift shop and bookstore or enjoy blue-corn pancakes or a grilled chicken wrap with green-chile guacamole at the cozy Y'aak'a (Corn) Café. There is shuttle service available if you are staying at the Sky City Hotel/Casino (888/759–2489). Open hours are subject to tribal activities or weather conditions; it is best to check their online calendar or call ahead.

The Spanish named the Jicarilla band of Apaches (pronounced hick-uh-ree-ya, meaning "little basket") for their beautiful basketry. For centuries before the arrival of the Spanish, these Native Americans, who as Athabaskan speakers are related to the Navajo and other Apache bands, were a nomadic people who roamed across northeastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Their band of 10,000 was reduced to 330 by 1897. The federal government relocated them to this isolated area of almost a million acres a century ago. Since then, the Jicarilla Apaches have made something of a comeback with the sale of timber, oil, and gas development, casino gambling, and savvy investing.

Dulce (pronounced dull-say, meaning "sweet" in Spanish) on U.S. 64 is the Jicarilla capital. This country is known for fishing, particularly at Stone Lake, and for hunting. You may also hike and camp. As with many pueblos in New Mexico, the casinos have become big draws as well. Some Jicarilla celebrations are open to the public. The Little Beaver Roundup, the third weekend in July, entails a rodeo, powwow, and carnival and draws participants from Native American tribes and pueblos throughout the United States.

Laguna Pueblo actually comprises six villages, all traditionally Keres-speaking: Mesita, Seama, Encinal, Paraje, Laguna, and Paguate. (In 1953 one of the world's largest open-pit uranium mines, the Jackpile, began operation in Paguate, bringing with it income and health issues. The mine was shut down in 1982.) But visitors are especially drawn to Old Laguna, capped by the eye-catching white facade of San José de Laguna Church, which is visible from Interstate 40. The church, built in 1699, is a National Historic Landmark; its lovely hand-painted and embellished interior may be accessed by special permission. Occasionally—in front of the church or at the scenic overview just west of the Laguna exit—handcrafted silver jewelry and finely painted pottery embellished with Laguna polychrome motifs are available for purchase. The pueblo's villages enjoy many feast days, including St. Ann (July 26, Seama), Virgin Mary (September 8, Encinal), and St. Margaret Mary (October 17, Paraje). Most of the pueblo's residents (and the welcome public) gather at Old Laguna on September 19 to grandly honor St. Joseph with traditional dances; food and fine crafts abound. Feast day dances usually begin at 10 and continue through the afternoon. Except on feast days, visitors may not wander any of the villages unless with a tour. And with the exception of the view from outside the church at Old Laguna, photography is prohibited at all times.

Zuni Pueblo has been occupied continuously since at least the year 700, and its language—technically A:shiwi, as the Zunis refer to themselves—is unrelated to that of any other pueblo. Hawikku, a Zuni-speaking settlement (now a ruin) 12 miles south of the pueblo, was the first to come in contact with the Spaniards, in 1539. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado came here seeking one of the Seven Cities of Gold. He'd been tipped off by his guide, Estéban, who had seen the setting sun striking the walls of the dwellings and thought the multistoried villages were made of gold.

With a population of more than 10,000, Zuni Pueblo is the largest of New Mexico's 19 Indian pueblos. Zuni—or more correctly in the A:shiwi language, Halona Idiwan'a, or "Middle Place"—has a mix of buildings: modern ones in addition to old adobes, but what is most prevalent are beautifully hewn red-sandstone structures, some more than 100 years old. The artists and craftspeople here are renowned for their masterful stone inlay, Zuni "needlepoint" turquoise and silver jewelry, carved stone animal fetishes, polychrome pottery, and kachina figures. Weavings have become all but impossible to find as old weavers pass on and younger Zunis don't take up the craft, but it's fine work—now mostly seen in belts and sashes for personal use—and worth looking for if textiles are your passion.