11 of the Most Remarkable Ruins at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

The Great Ruins of Chaco Culture National Historical Park

These massive stone buildings were a hub of art, trade, and astronomy 1000 years ago, with some rooms still perfectly aligned to track the sun and moon. Here’s an inside look at 11 ancient structures that made Chaco the center of Puebloan culture.

1. Casa Rinconada

Casa Rinconada is on the south side of Chaco Wash, separated from other central sites.

At 19.5 meters in diameter, Casa Rinconada ranks as the largest excavated great kiva in the canyon, designed for community ceremonies. Four massive masonry pillars once supported the impressive roof.

This remarkable structure functions as a free-standing great kiva without any residential or support structures surrounding it.

The kiva originally connected to several above-ground levels through a 39-foot passageway.

Around the main floor space runs a raised bench encircling the interior. A precisely aligned north-south axis passes through two T-shaped doorways. Below the floor, a ventilator system regulated airflow for ceremonial fires.

2. Chetro Ketl

Chetro Ketl ranks as the second-largest great house in Chaco Canyon, following the classic D-shape design.

Building this complex required more than 500,000 man-hours, 26,000 trees, and 50 million sandstone blocks.

Construction began between 1020 and 1050, eventually creating 450-550 rooms sharing one great kiva.

The east wall stretches 280 feet while the north wall extends more than 450 feet, forming a perimeter of 1,540 feet.

A distinctive colonnade-style wall shows influence from Mesoamerican architecture, suggesting cultural connections with central Mexico.

The site also includes a rare tower kiva, uncommon in Puebloan architecture. Tree-ring dating places the primary construction between 1030-1100 CE. Excavations revealed 12 individual room layers stacked vertically.

3. Pueblo del Arroyo

Pueblo del Arroyo translates to “Town of the Gully” in Spanish.

Builders established it between 1050 and 1075 and completed the structure in the early 12th century. The complex occupies a drainage outlet known as South Gap.

Behind the main pueblo, a rare tri-wall structure appears—the only example in the immediate Chaco area.

This architectural feature demonstrates strong influence from the Mesa Verde region, where similar designs exist.

The tri-wall section contains 22 rooms arranged in three concentric rings. At its height, the entire complex encompassed approximately 280 rooms. Craftsmen combined both McElmo and classic Chacoan techniques in the masonry.

4. Peñasco Blanco

Peñasco Blanco, among the 14 Great Houses in Chaco Canyon, overlooks the meeting point of Chaco and Escavada washes at the northwest canyon end.

Builders constructed this arc-shaped compound atop the canyon’s southern rim through five distinct phases between 900 and 1125 CE.

Within the complex lies the largest unexcavated great kiva in the canyon, measuring 23 meters across.

Near the ruins, archaeologists discovered a sophisticated water management system with canals, ditches, headgates, and storage ponds for agriculture.

A prehistoric road segment extends directly from the structure. Nearby, the “Supernova Pictograph” potentially records the SN 1054 supernova observed on July 5, 1054.

The strategic location enabled visual communication with Pueblo Alto across the canyon.

5. Una Vida

Una Vida, meaning “One Life,” belongs to the three oldest great houses in Chaco Canyon.

Construction started around 900 CE, eventually creating a two-story complex with 124 rooms.

With approximately 160 rooms total, this L-shaped structure shares a D-shaped design with Pueblo Bonito and Peñasco Blanco but includes a distinctive “dog leg” addition required by the topography.

The site remains mostly unexcavated, making it one of the most naturally preserved locations in the park.

The structure includes at least one great kiva and several smaller ceremonial chambers.

Its masonry displays the earliest Chacoan architectural style with irregularly shaped stones. Nearby, a petroglyph panel displays spiral designs and anthropomorphic figures.

6. Hungo Pavi

Hungo Pavi maintains some distance from other structures, located about a mile from the main concentration of Chacoan buildings.

This largely unexcavated great house contains over 150 rooms, a great kiva, and an enclosed plaza.

Archaeological probes identified 72 ground-level rooms with structures reaching four stories tall. Unlike ceremonial centers, Hungo Pavi likely functioned as housing for local residents rather than elites.

7. Kin Kletso

Kin Kletso, often called “Yellow House,” rises about half a mile west of Pueblo Bonito.

This medium-sized complex represents one of Chaco’s later construction periods.

Archaeological evidence connects it to Pueblo peoples from the northern San Juan Basin, revealing cultural ties beyond the immediate Chaco region.

Builders completed the entire complex between 1125-1130 CE, making it among the last great houses constructed in the canyon.

The layout encompasses 55 ground-floor rooms arranged in compact, rectangular blocks.

The distinctive McElmo masonry style features uniform rectangular blocks laid in regular courses.

Unlike earlier Chacoan buildings, Kin Kletso lacks the traditional kiva-to-room ratio typical of classic architecture from the region.

8. Wijiji

Wijiji, meaning “black greasewood,” marks the easternmost great house in Chaco Canyon. Containing just over one hundred rooms, this structure dates to 1110-1115 CE as the final Chacoan great house constructed.

Unlike other structures built in stages, Wijiji emerged in a single construction sequence, resulting in exceptional symmetry and uniform masonry.

The C-shaped layout includes two symmetrically-placed kivas within the northern roomblock, with eastern and western wings creating a perfect reflection pattern.

Precisely cut sandstone laid in perfect horizontal courses forms the masonry.

9. Pueblo Alto

Pueblo Alto crowns the canyon rim, visible from Pueblo Bonito below.

Prehistoric road segments connect this great house to other sites, clearly visible from aerial views.

These ancient highways linked locations within the canyon and stretched far beyond, with Chacoan roads identified in aerial photographs extending into Colorado and Arizona.

The structure contained approximately 89 ground-floor rooms and 12 kivas. Surrounding the site, massive middens yielded over 200,000 pottery sherds.

Around 1100 CE, builders added the nearby New Alto complex.

Excavations uncovered specialized areas for ceramic production and bead manufacturing.

10. Tsin Kletzin

Tsin Kletzin dates from the early 1100s CE, offering panoramic views of other major structures including Pueblo Alto, Peñasco Blanco, Kin Klizhin, and Kin Ya’a.

The strategic positioning demonstrates how Chacoan builders incorporated astronomy and landscape into architectural planning, aligning structures with solar, lunar, and cardinal directions.

Approximately 60 rooms form a compact layout within the complex.

The masonry displays the late, perfected Chacoan style with precisely shaped stone blocks. A prehistoric Chacoan road connects Tsin Kletzin directly to Pueblo Alto across the canyon.

11. Casa Chiquita

Casa Chiquita dates to around 1100 CE, originally rising two to three stories and containing approximately 50 rooms.

Located along the trail from Kin Kletso toward Peñasco Blanco, this smaller, unexcavated site shows how Chacoan structures appear without extensive archaeological excavation—protected by wind-blown sand and native vegetation.