Four Corners Grand Tour Easy access to visitor information on area archaeological sites.

Transcription

1 Four Corners Grand Tour Easy access to visitor information on area archaeological sites. Page # Site 2 Anasazi Heritage Center/Canyons of the Ancients National Monument 3 Aztec Ruins National Monument 4 Chimney Rock National Monument 6 Crow Canyon Archaeological Center 8 Hovenweep National Monument 9 Mesa Verde National Park 11 Natural Bridges National Monument Anasazi Heritage Center and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Phone: , Website: Open: Daily 9:00-5:00 March through September, 10:00-4:00 October through February. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Weather may cause winter closings. Directions: Highway 184, three miles south of Dolores Colorado. 1

2 Description: Anasazi Heritage Center includes a museum, theater, Federal Repository, and Curatorial research facility. There are two archaeological sites on Anasazi Heritage Center premises and we offer interpretation of Anasazi/Ancestral Puebloan Culture. Canyons of the Ancients has an estimated 30,000 archaeological sites. Call the Anasazi Heritage Center for information. Activities: Mostly self-guided tours. Some guided tours available depending on staffing. Fees: Museum is $3.00 per adult. We accept America The Beautiful Interagency Passes. October through February, the museum is free of charge. School Programs: School groups are welcome at the Center. Educators will assist classes. For school outreach, please contact our education department at Recent research: On-going curatorial research and excavations in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Aztec Ruins National Monument Phone: , Website: Open: Daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Visitor Center open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Labor Day through Memorial Day, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Memorial Day through Labor Day. Ranger-led programs April through October. Directions: From Durango, CO, go south on Hwy 550 into the City of Aztec. Turn right at stoplight onto Ruins Road (County Road 2900). Go straight at stop sign to 2

3 enter the park. From Farmington, NM, Go east on Hwy 516 toward the City of Aztec. Turn left at stoplight onto Ruins Rd. From Albuquerque, NM, Go north on Hwy 550 to Bloomfield. Turn right onto Hwy 64 then left to get back on 550 North which becomes Main Street Aztec. Follow to T-intersection and turn left onto Hwy 516. Turn right at stoplight onto Ruins Rd. Description: Aztec's ancestral Pueblo Great House was built nearly 900 years ago. The massive complex was a center of ceremony, culture, and trade for the ancestral Pueblo people. Visitors walk through several original rooms with intact roofs. The large, reconstructed Great Kiva allows visitors to see what the ancient ceremonial space may have looked like. Activities: Allow 1-2 hours to watch the park video, tour the museum, and take a self-guided walk through the archeological site. A printed trail guide helps visitors learn about the site on a self-guided tour. Ranger tours and ranger talks in the Great Kiva are available April-October. A Friday evening lecture series starts at 7:00 pm during the summer. Special events: Annual Earth Day Celebration in April, Summer Solstice Observation in June, Evening of Lights (Winter Solstice and Luminarias) in December, monthly tours of East Ruin by reservation. Fees: Entrance fee is $5/adults or free for Interagency pass holders and three guests. Children under 16 are free. 3

4 School Programs: Rangers offer classroom programs on a wide range of topics. Call Lauren Blacik at x228 to schedule field trips, ranger-led tours, or other programs for students. A replica trunk of artifacts can be used in-park or checked out. Chimney Rock National Monument Phone: May 15 Sep. 30, Oct. 1-May 14. Website: Open: May 15 through Sep. 30, entrance gate is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Directions: From Pagosa Springs, CO, drive 16 miles west on Hwy 160 to Hwy 151. Turn left onto Hwy 151 and drive 3 miles south to the entrance gate. Turn right and drive 1/2 mile to the Visitor Center. From Durango, CO, drive 44 miles east on Hwy 160 to Hwy 151. Description: Chimney Rock National Monument encompasses 4,726 acres, preserving hundreds of prehistoric sites that dot the landscape around the twin spires known as Chimney Rock and Companion Rock. Ancient structures excavated and stabilized for viewing include a Great Kiva, Pit House, Multi-Family Dwelling, and Chacoan style Great House Pueblo. This northeasternmost Chacoan outlier is one of the highest elevation Ancestral Puebloan sites. Activities: The interpretive program is offered by trained, dedicated volunteers. Guided walking tours are available in season daily at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:00 pm. Self-Guided walking tours are offered daily from 10:45 am to 2:45 pm. 4

5 Special events: Monthly programs include: Full Moon, Night Sky Archaeoastonomy, and Visions of Chimney Rock. Once-a-season offerings are: Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox, Life at Chimney Rock, Native American Cultural Gathering, Pottery Workshop. See website for dates, times, and fees. Fees: Guided and self-guided walking tours are $12 for adults, $5 for children Reservation-only private group tours are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children Reservations-only special programs are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children No charge for Life at Chimney Rock. School Programs: School groups may arrange free field trips to Chimney Rock in early May and Oct. as well as during the regular season. Reservations are required. Extra long buses will not be able to navigate turns in the upper parking lot. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center Phone: , , Website: Directions: Crow Canyon is located at Road K, Cortez, Colorado. From Highway 491 on the west side of Cortez, turn west onto Road L. Drive about 1 mile (watch for Crow Canyon sign). Turn left onto Road 23. In about 1 mile, Road 23 curves to the left and turns into Road K, which becomes Crow Canyon's driveway. 5

6 Description: Founded in 1983, Crow Canyon is a nonprofit organization that advances knowledge of the human experience through archaeological research, education, and collaboration with American Indians. Archaeological research facility with working lab and curation room; 170-acre campus with replica Pithouse and Pueblo Learning Centers; lodge/dining hall. Activities: Archaeology Day Tour; school group programs; one-week archaeology summer camps for teens; three-week High School Field School; one-week archaeology excavation and lab programs for adults; and educational travel in the Southwest and beyond, led by archaeologists and American Indian scholars. No self-guided tours. Archaeology Day Tour: 8:45 am-4:30 pm, every Wednesday and Thursday, May-September. Explore ancestral Pueblo history with professional archaeologists, visit a Crow Canyon excavation site, tour a working archaeology lab, and learn through hands-on activities. Adults (ages 18+): $60; children (ages 10 to 17): $35. Includes lunch. Children must be at least 10 years old to join the tour. Reservations required. Call , ext. 164, Mon Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Mountain Time). School programs: Experiential learning for school groups, grades 4 12: excavating at a real or simulated archaeological site, and experiencing seventhcentury Pueblo Indian life at our Pithouse Learning Center. One-day field trips and overnight programs. For information, visit or call , ext

7 Archaeology programs and summer camps: Be part of our research! Excavate with professional archaeologists and work with artifacts in the lab. Educational travel: When you travel with Crow Canyon, you get involved with archaeology and history, with diverse cultures and peoples, with some of the most compelling research topics of our day, courtesy of our scholars. Visit Research: The focus of Crow Canyon's research is the ancestral Pueblo occupation of the Mesa Verde region in southwestern Colorado. Assisted by thousands of students and adults enrolled in our programs, Crow Canyon has conducted excavations at more than 30 sites, making discoveries that have contributed to some of the most important new understandings in Southwestern archaeology. Hovenweep National Monument Phone: , Website: Open: Trails are open yearround from sunrise to sunset. Visitor Center open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Oct. and Apr., 8:00 am - 6:00 pm May Sep., 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Nov. Mar. Visitor Center is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Days. Water in the campground and in the Visitor Center breezeway is shut off Oct. to Apr. The campground and VC bathrooms and water spigot in the Visitor Center parking lot are available year round. Directions: 42 miles west of Cortez, CO, 25 miles southwest of Pleasant View, CO, 45 miles east of Blanding, UT, 42 miles northeast of Bluff, UT. In Colorado, take Hwy 491 to Road BB and Hwy 10 (Pleasant View) or Hwy 491 to Road G (Cortez). 7

8 From Utah, drive Hwy 191 to Hwy 262 to Hwy 401 (Blanding) or Hwy 163 to Aneth, UT to Road G to Hwy 401 (Bluff) Description: Established in 1923 to protect 13 th century Ancestral Pueblo standing towers and villages, The monument contains extraordinary examples of prehistoric architecture and the landscapes in which they have existed for 700 years. Hovenweep's several units range from 14 to 400 acres (785 total acres), including the first protected archeological site in the United States. Activities: Primarily self-guided. During Apr. to Oct., interpretive programs are offered depending on staff availability. Programs at the park include guided walks to the Hovenweep Castle and petroglyph panel, porch and overlook talks on a variety of cultural and natural subjects. Evening programs and petroglyph walks May to Sep. Interpretive programs are irregular due to staff availability and visitation. School programs: Educational programs include guided walks to the petroglyph panel and Hovenweep Castle to familiarize students with Ancestral Puebloan community life, including masonry and farming techniques, the native flora and fauna used by the Pueblo people for food, textiles, and utility items as well as the roles and responsibilities of community members. Mesa Verde National Park Phone , Website: Open: Daily year round. Visitor Center, Museum, and Spruce Tree House closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year s Day. Visitor Center open May 25 to Sep. 2, 7:30 am to 7:00 pm. winter hours approximately 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Chapin Mesa Museum open Apr. 7 to Oct. 19, 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. Winter hours approximately 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Wetherill Mesa open Memorial Day to Labor Day. 8

9 Directions: From Cortez, CO, go east on Hwy 160 to the park turnoff. From Durango, CO, drive west on Hwy 160 to the park turnoff. The new Visitor & Research Center is located left off the entrance road. an important part of the story of the Ancestral Pueblo people who inhabited the Four Corners region. From AD 600 to AD 1300, the people farmed the mesa tops and cultivated crops such as corn, beans, squash and cotton. Description: Protecting nearly 5000 archeological sites, 600 cliff dwellings, Mesa Verde tells Special features/attractions: Cliff dwellings open to the public are Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Spruce Tree House on Chapin Mesa, Long House and Step House on Wetherill Mesa. Scenic drives: Mesa Top loop, Cliff Palace loop, Entrance Road, and road to Wetherill Mesa. Also visit the Far View Sites complex, Cedar Tree Tower, and Badger House community. Activities: Purchase tickets at the Visitor & Research Center, the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez, or the Morefield Ranger Station for tours of Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House. Self-guided tours of Spruce Tree House and Step House with rangers available to answer questions. Self-guided booklets are available for purchase. Free tours of Spruce Tree House led by rangers during winter. Summer only: Twilight Tours of Cliff Palace with a historic character from Mesa Verde s past with purchase of ticket from the Visitor Center Bookstore. Rangers offer free evening presentations at Far View Lodge and Morefield Campground. On Mondays, rangers lead a 7:00 am bird hike on the Knife Edge trail. 9

10 Winter only: Some trails and roads are groomed for cross country skiing or snowshoeing. The Visitor Center and the Museum have loaner snowshoes for free! Fees and reservation policy: Park Entrance fees for private vehicle, $10.00 Labor Day to Memorial Day, $15.00 Memorial Day to Labor Day. Motorcyclist, bicyclist, and individual on noncommercial buses, $5.00 Labor Day to Memorial Day, $8.00 Memorial Day to Labor Day. Mesa Verde Annual Pass $ Twilight Tours of Cliff Palace tickets are $10.00 per person and can only be purchased at the Visitor & Research Center. Cliff dwelling tours range from $18-$40, depending on location, and are limited to participants. School programs: Subject to availability and staffing Apr. to mid-may and Sep. to mid-oct., book a 1-1/2 hour, curriculum-based, ranger-guided tour of Balcony House at no cost for 3rd to 12th grade educational groups. Minimum group size, 10 students, maximum 30 students with one to three adults per ten students. Contact Sandy Groves at (970) Current studies: Two science projects studying migratory birds are underway at Mesa Verde National Park. The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship project and a park project managed through the Hummingbird Monitoring Network will help park managers and scientists understand population concerns and protection needs for nationally and internationally recognized migratory songbirds and hummingbirds. The Artist in Residence Program allows accomplished writers, composers, and visual and performing artists to pursue their art form within the ancient architecture of the Ancestral Pueblo People and the natural landscape of the park. Natural Bridges National Monument Phone , Website: 10

11 Open: Daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Visitor Center open 8:00 am - 6:00 pm May through Sep., 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Nov. through Mar., 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Oct. and Apr. Interpretive programs are not offered during Winter and early Spring. Directions: 35 miles west of Blanding, Utah, 77 miles northwest of Bluff, Utah. From Blanding, take Hwy 191 south to Hwy 95 to Hwy 275. From Bluff-northern route, drive Hwy 191 north to Hwy 95 to Hwy 275. From Bluff-southern route, Hwy 163 south to Hwy 261 north to Hwy 95 to Hwy 275. Description: Natural Bridges is home to three of the world s largest natural land bridges. The park has a nine-mile loop road with several overlooks to view the bridges and canyons. Numerous trails descend into the canyon to reach each of the three bridges. Activities: As the first International Dark Sky Park, Natural Bridges offers dark sky programs from May through Oct. The monument is primarily self-guided. However, Apr. through Oct., interpretive programs are offered depending on staff availability. With the exception of evening programs and night sky programs (May-Sep.), Natural Bridges interpretive programs are not on a regular schedule due to staff availability and visitation. Programs at the park include guided walks to the Sipapu, Kachina and Owachamo bridges, patio and overlook talks on a variety of cultural and natural subjects, and daytime programs using the park s solar telescope. School Programs: Natural Bridges offers occasional opportunities for school programs to participate in the park s night sky program. Call for more details. 11