22 Best Sights in Northwestern New Mexico, New Mexico

When you see the imposing 200-foot-high sandstone bluff that served as a rest stop for Indians, explorers, soldiers, and pioneers, you can understand how El Morro ("the Headland") got its name. The bluff is the famous Inscription Rock, where wayfarers stopped to partake of a waterhole at its base and left behind messages, signatures, and petroglyphs carved into the soft sandstone. The paved Inscription Trail makes a quick ½-mi round-trip from the visitor center and passes that historic water source and numerous inscriptions. Although El Morro is justly renowned for Inscription Rock, try to allow an extra 90 minutes or so to venture along the spectacular, moderately strenuous 2-mi (round-trip) Headland Trail, which meanders past the excavated edge of an extensive field of late-13th-century pueblo ruins, cuts along the precarious rim of a deep box canyon, and affords panoramic views across the Zuni Mountains and El Malpais. The monument's compact museum chronicles 700 years of human history in this region.

A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, which celebrates Zuni history and culture through a collection of Hawikku artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian, is housed in the historic Kelsey trading post. The museum's orientation is more toward engaging the community rather than outsiders, but there is much to see here. Historic Zuni pottery and contemporary work is also displayed, as well as documentation from the early-19th-century excavation at Hawikku and a beautiful mural depicting the A:shiwi peoples' emergence story, which starts at the Grand Canyon.

The tiny but free Arts & Crafts Museum remains the best place to see fine historic and contemporary Jicarilla baskets, beadwork, and pottery. It's also the place to inquire about tours, events, and any tourism restrictions in place because of ceremonial activities.

Dinosaurs roamed the Bisti Badlands Wilderness areas when they were part of a shallow sea some 70 million years ago. Hoodoos (mushroom-shaped rock formations in subtle shades of brown, gray, and white) lend the 45,000 acres an eerie, lunar appearance. De-Na-Zin (pronounced duh-nah-zen and named for a petroglyph found nearby) is the much larger and less visited of the two sections, and here you can find hillier and more challenging terrain, plus numerous fossils and petrified logs. At Bisti (pronounced biss-tye), you can encounter deeply eroded hoodoos whose striations represent layers of sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. In many spots you'll climb over mounds of crumbly clay and silt that look a bit like the topping of a coffee cake (but gray). Both sections are ideal for photography, and backcountry camping is permitted—and not to be missed during a full moon, if your timing is good. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which administers the land, stipulates that you remove nothing from either area, preserving its magical appearance for those who follow. The most fascinating terrain is 2 to 3 mi from the parking areas, and there are no trails (or water facilities), so bring a compass and be alert about your surroundings and where you are in relation to the sun—it's relatively easy to get lost in this vast, incredible place. And how 'bout bringing some more water?

Ninety-eight miles northwest of Gallup and situated in the heart of the Navajo Nation, Canyon de Chelly—pronounced de-shay—is well worth the drive and a day of exploring. Amid its fascinating Anasazi ruins tucked high into alcoves in the red canyon walls—and spectacular formations like Spider Rock—Diné (Navajo) residents farm and raise sheep on the canyon floor. The visitor center and museum are open all year, and from there, or at nearby Thunderbird Lodge (928/674–5841 or 800 679–2473 www.tbirdlodge.com) you can book tours on the canyon bottom—by vehicle or, even more memorably, by horseback—with Navajo guides, or drive the canyon rim and take the self-guided 6-mi hike on White House Trail. A guide will cost about $40 per hour, per vehicle ($15 per hour on horseback), and is well worth hiring if your budget allows. Campgrounds and a couple of chain lodgings are in Chinle; there is also a campground at the monument visitor center.

Heading east on Interstate 40? Usually held on the third Friday of every month, the Crownpoint Rug Auction is the foremost place to buy handwoven Navajo rugs—you're bidding with a mix of collectors and dealers, so prices on the some 300 to 400 rugs are sometimes well below what you'd pay at a store. Viewing begins at 4, with the actual auction running from 7 usually until midnight or later. Keep in mind there are no overnight facilities in Crownpoint, though there is a food and drink concession at the auction. Call ahead to confirm auction dates. Cash, traveler's checks, personal checks only; no credit cards. If Chaco Canyon is your next stop (via the south entrance, which is also off NM 371), it is best not drive there after dark. There are never assurances of space at the campground, and the road can be very bad. Backtrack 26 mi to Interstate 40 and stay overnight in Grants (30 mi east). Note: NM 371 is also a direct route to the Bisti Badlands and to Farmington (80 mi north of Crownpoint).

Whether you're coming or going from Chaco's north entrance, or simply heading south on U.S. 550, Cuba is a good place to stop for gas and, depending on your inclination and the season, hot coffee or a cold soda. Remnants of when this route was the notoriously unsafe—and much narrower—NM 44 are gas stations, a convenience store, and El Bruno's, a better-than decent Mexican restaurant that's right on the highway at the far north end of town, plus a handful of inexpensive motels that could serve for a pre- or post-Chaco overnighter; your best bet in this regard is the Cuban Lodge. Continue south on U.S. 550 in daylight if at all possible (late afternoon is perfect): the views only get more spectacular as you go. Watch for Cabezon Peak on your right. But if you've got some time to spare, detour in Cuba to visit Pueblo Pintado, about 60 mi west, on Navajo Route 9 via NM 197 from Cuba's south end. Most of it is a very rugged ride, and the Pintado town site is little more than a few houses and a convenience store, but the ruins there—from a Chaco Culture great house—are worth a look and easy to find (for the intrepid, there is an even more rugged back route to Chaco Canyon itself from here).

Your best bet in this regard is the Cuban Lodge.

El Bruno's, a better-than decent Mexican restaurant that's right on the highway at the far north end of town.

About 30 mi west of Shiprock you can reach the only place in the United States where you can stand in four states at the same time—at the intersection of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. Wide-open skies—broken occasionally by a distant mesa—surround the site, which was refurbished in 2010 on this very spot, refuting a flock of reports that the original 1912 marker for it might have been a few miles off. Native American artisans sell their wares here nearly every day of the year. Facilities include picnic tables and restrooms, but you must bring your own drinking water.

Despite its unabashed commercialism (announced by its many somewhat-over-the-top, retro-style billboard advertisements), this roadside curiosity, set squarely on the Continental Divide, easily merits an hour of your time—the short trail from the 1930s trading post (now the gift shop) just off NM 53 affords unusual vistas of blackened lava fields and gnarled juniper and ponderosa stands. It's about a 20-minute moderately strenuous jaunt up to the 1,200-foot-diameter crater of Bandera Volcano, which last unleashed a torrent of lava 10,000 years ago. An even shorter walk leads to an old wooden staircase that descends 100 feet into the bowels of a collapsed lava tube, where the Ice Cave never rises above 31°F year-round and has a perpetual floor of blue-green ice. The ice remains year after year because of the combination of the air flow patterns in the lava tube and the insulating properties of the lava itself.

Contact the Jicarilla Apache Department of Game & Fish for information.

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.

In summer, Indian dances take place nightly in the artful contemporary surround of the open plaza at the McKinley County Courthouse and Courthouse Square. Come in (after a security check) and tour the marvelous array of paintings and murals (by Lloyd Moylan, Gene Kloss, and other period luminaries) inside the lovely multistory 1938 Pueblo Revival court building—they're all products of the WPA federal arts project, even the courthouse itself.

In the Four Corners area Mesa Verde National Park tops the list of must-sees. Spectacular doesn't even begin to describe its 13th-century cliff dwellings; Balcony House, Cliff Palace, and Spruce House are the biggies. Visitors to these Ancestral Puebloan ruins are also in for a rare scenic treat—and the hairpin turns that go with it. Weather can shut this place down. On-site accommodations (800/449–2288 www.visitmesaverde.com)include Far View Lodge (late April to late October), near the visitor center, and Morefield Campground (early May to early October), 4 mi inside the park.

The annual Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon takes place in mid-February, when some 600 unbelievably fit athletes compete in a highly challenging bicycle, foot, ski, and snowshoe 42-mi race near the summit.

The Octavia Fellin Library, across the street from the McKinley County Courthouse, further rewards fans of the WPA arts project, with finely crafted woodwork and numerous paintings by Harrison Begay, Allan Houser, and other artists of their caliber casually decorating its walls.

The original Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, built in 1629, was destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 when Native Americans ousted the Spanish. In 1699 the mission was rebuilt, and in 1966 it was restored. A powerful series of murals by Alex Seowotewa depicting each of the Zuni kachinas now lines the interior walls; the aging adobe structure is again in need of restoration. Visits are by tour only, arranged through the Zuni Visitor & Arts Center.

West of Farmington, at U.S. 491 (though the odd map will still refer to this road by its old number, 666) and U.S. 64, just southwest of the town of Shiprock, 1,700-foot Shiprock Peak rises from the desert floor like a massive schooner. It's sacred to the Navajo, who call it Tse'Bit'Ai, or "Rock with Wings." No climbing or hiking is permitted. The formation—sometimes referred to as a pinnacle—is composed of igneous rock flanked by upright walls of solidified lava.

Window Rock Monument & Navajo Veteran's Memorial Park, at the base of an immense, red-sandstone, natural arch—truly a window onto the Navajo landscape—is a compelling exhibit dedicated to all Navajo war veterans, but in particular to the Code Talkers of World War II. Designed in the shape of a sacred Medicine Wheel, the spiritual aspect of this profound memorial is apparent to all.

Set at the base of a stark sandstone bluff is a surprise oasis that charms the relatively few visitors who venture in. Sit on the well-shaded patio as peacocks and geese make the rounds, enjoy a glass of Girls Are Meaner (a Gewürztraminer) or Dry Blue Winged Olive (a Riesling), and appreciate grapes harvested from NM's own soil (though some of those pressed here are actually grown in the southern part of the state, in Deming).

The Zuni Visitor & Arts Center, where the helpful staff will tell you what your options are for exploring Zuni (and about any special events that might be going on), is also a tribally required stop before you begin to explore this most traditional of the New Mexico pueblos. It is here that you must inquire about photography permits and guidelines (cultural and religious activities are always off-limits).