fire below wafted up and out. A secret entrance on one side permitted the magical entrance of a member of the secret society that met in the kiva as part of the ritual.
have thick walls and few windows,
whose cool darkness you will app-
reciate if you visit the park in the
glaring summer. In years past visit-
ors could hike up a trail that squee-
zed between massive boulders in
the cliff behind Pueblo Bonito to
emerge on top of the mesa at an
overlook above the pueblo, where
its perfect shape and size could be
even more appreciated. Today you
can walk a trail through the pueblo
to witness close-up its architecture
and muse upon the lives of its mak-
ers.
Between Pueblo Bonito and Chetro
Ketl is a petroglyph trail along the
base of the mesa cliff. Many of the
figures are recognizable, while ot-
hers are geometric. While etched
shallowly into the rock without
colors to highlight them, they are
still quite noticeable in the bright
sun’s shadow-making light. Bring
binoculars to get a good look at the
higher up petroglyphs, and take
water because it is a bit of a long,
dry walk.
Self-guided tour brochures are
available, as are ranger-led walks
and four different hiking trails.
Occasionally guest speakers discuss
the archaeology of the sites and on
the winter solstice a guided tour will show you how well aligned the pueblos are with the winter sunrise.
25 Southwest Highways & Fields
Above:
Chetro Ketl Great Kiva
-NPS Photo
Previous Page:
Fajada Butte at Sunset
-Russ Bodnar
Below:
Pueblo Bonito Rainbow
-Jim Spadaccini