- Locale: Abajo Mountains
- Time: 2-4 hours
- Fee: None
This moderate hike is a good summertime option due to its higher elevation in the Abajo Mountains. From the trailhead, walk up Dry Wash Road a quarter of a mile, then turn right off the main road. After another 200 yards, take the right fork in the trail. The trail will get rougher from here to the top of the drainage where the trail turns back to the left. Stay left as the trail flattens out and you'll come to a kiosk with information about the site. As you are hiking, look high in the alcoves above for habitations and other signs of past life.
Special Considerations
While there is only a 300 foot shift in elevation during this hike, the beginning elevation is 7900 feet above sea level. If you are not used to hiking at higher elevations, be aware of signs for altitude sickness. Take it slow, drink water, and enjoy the scenery!
- Tips For Visiting Here with Respect
Avoid Building Cairns
Building cairns can impact sensitive sites and are a form of vandalism to the natural world. You might not realize it, but some stacked stones may be ancestral shrines. Leave placement of trail directional signs and leveling of cairns to land managers.
Enjoy Cultural Sites Without Ropes
This protects delicate ancestral rock imagery and structures from damage caused by falling rocks and looting. The use of climbing gear, like ropes, to access cultural sites is illegal.
Remember That Ancestral Landscapes Are Sacred
Tribes and Pueblos consider ancestral landscapes a place for ceremony and a place where the ancestors’ spirits still reside. The soil, sky, animals, plants, cultural and ancestral sites are all interconnected and hold spiritual significance to Tribal nations.
- Maps and Directions
- Coordinates: 37.78970, -109.55663
- Directions:
From Bluff drive north on US-191 into Blanding and follow signs for Nizhoni Campground. Turn north onto 100 E which will turn into North Blue Mountain Rd and then again onto FR0095. At the fork to Nizhoni Campground, take the left option and follow for 1.3 miles to Dry Wash Road FR5385. Park and start hike here.
From the trailhead follow the road as it climbs gently up the Dry Wash drainage. After a little over a quarter mile leave the main road to the right.In less than 200 yards take the right fork again.The road gets much rockier and has a few steep sections. Continue to follow the road as it reaches the top of the drainage and turns back sharply to the left. There is another trail that takes off on the right that you can ignore.The trail levels off after the last turn and passes beneath the caves where you will find a bench and kiosk with information about the site.Signs in the area warn against trying to climb up to the ruins. From below you can see that the builders used a lot of wooden poles in their construction not only for roof but also for wall support. (Source: GJ Hikes)