Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Explore the monumental structures and breathtaking landscape at Chaco, a thriving regional center for the ancestral Pueblo people from 850 to 1250 CE (Common Era), through hiking & biking trails, ranger guided tours & programs, and more. Chaco Canyon is a sacred and deeply personal place for many Indigenous peoples throughout the Southwest. Please visit with respect.
Alerts
- CautionRoad updates 10/9/26
Temporary repairs on CR 7950 has made the north road passable again. Based on current conditions we recommend 4WD and high clearance. The south road is mostly dry, with a couple large mud puddles that have routes around them. All car types have made it up the south road this week. In general we would recommend the south road at this time, but this could change with incoming storms.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleThis fee allows all persons traveling in one private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) to enter the park to visit for up to 7 days from the date of purchase. | $25 | |
| Per PersonThis fee allows a single individual traveling on foot, bicycle, or as individuals traveling together in a vehicle as a non-commercial, organized group to enter the park to visit for up to 7 days from the date of purchase. | $15 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $20 | |
| Non-commercial GroupsNon-commercial groups are charged per vehicle and based on the capacity of the vehicle. For vehicles with a seating capacity of 15 or fewer, the fee is $25. For vehicles with a seating capacity of 16 or more, the fee is $15/person up to the commercial fee rate. Interagency passes may be used for entry in lieu of the $15/person fee. | $25 | |
| Education/Academic GroupsIf you represent an academic institution, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. Download and complete the Academic Fee Waiver and mail it to the park at least two weeks prior to your intended visit. We will notify you of the approval or disapproval of your application before your arrival. Please call 505-786-7014 for any additional questions about this process. | Free | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| VanThis fee for commercial entrance is charged per vehicle and based on the capacity of the vehicle. | $40 | |
| Motor CoachThis fee for commercial entrance is charged per vehicle and based on the capacity of the vehicle. | $100 | |
| SedanThis fee for commercial entrance is charged per vehicle and based on the capacity of the vehicle. | $40 | |
| Mini-busThis fee for commercial entrance is charged per vehicle and based on the capacity of the vehicle. | $40 | |
All visitors must have an entrance pass. Entrance fees will be waived for all "America the Beautiful" passes which include Interagency Annual, Military, Senior, Every Kid in a Park, and Access Passes. Interagency Passes can be purchased in place of the entrance fee. Credit and debit cards are required to buy entrance fees and Interagency Passes.
Hours
| Chaco Culture National Historical Park | Daily · 7:00AM - 9:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 7:00AM - 9:00PM |
| Nov 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027Winter Operating Hours | 7:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Holiday Closure | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026December 25th Holiday Closure | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day Holiday Closure | Closed |
| Mar 1 to Apr 30, 2027Spring Operating Hours | 7:00AM - 7:00PM |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Gallo Campground | 24 sites | |
| $20 a night · 20 reservable, 4 first-come | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
This is Chaco Culture's only visitor center. The hours of operation are 9:00am-5:00pm every day. Please stop in before heading into the park. The visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
No webcams, no things to do or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for New Mexico's national parks and the Southwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 138 birds, 49 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Burrowing Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Hen Harrier · Long-eared Owl · Mountain Pygmy Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersBlack-crowned Night Heron · Blue Goose · Canada Goose · Great Blue Heron · Snowy Egret
Shorebirds & seabirdsFranklin's Gull · Killdeer · Long-billed Curlew · Mountain Plover
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Scaled Quail
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis' Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAmerican Black Swift · Black-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Bushtit · American Cliff Swallow · American Dusky Flycatcher · American Goldfinch · American Grey Flycatcher · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown Towhee · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · California Scrub Jay · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's Sparrow · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Crissal Thrasher · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · Evening Grosbeak · Gray Catbird · Great Grey Shrike · Greater Roadrunner · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Loggerhead Shrike · Mallard · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Raven · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Phainopepla · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Sparrow · Sage Thrasher · Sand Martin · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scarlet Flycatcher · Scott's Oriole · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Tecolote occidental · Townsend's Solitaire · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-headed Blackbird
Small mammalsAudubon's Cottontail · Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat · Black-tailed Jack Rabbit · Botta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Deermouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Canyon Deermouse · Crawford's Gray Shrew · Deer Mouse · Gunnison's Prairie Dog · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Ord's Kangaroo Rat · Piñon Deermouse · Plains Pocket Mouse · Rock Squirrel · Silky Pocket Mouse · Spotted Ground Squirrel · Stephen's Woodrat · Western Harvest Mouse · White-tailed Antelope Squirrel · White-throated Woodrat · common porcupine
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Desert Fox · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk
Hoofed mammalsMule Deer · elk
BatsBig Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Black Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Fringed Myotis · Hoary Bat · Long-eared Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · Pallid Bat · Pinto Bat · Small-footed Myotis · Western Pipistrelle · Yuma Myotis · mule-eared bat
Also on the checklistCatamount · Domestic Goat
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks
Weather & climate
Summer highs are typically in the 80s to mid-90s. Thunderstorms can produce heavy localized downpours and sudden dramatic drops in temperatures. Winter temperatures will drop to well below freezing most nights. If you plan to camp in the winter, prepare for nighttime temperatures in the teens or lower. Spring and fall are great times to visit with more moderate temperatures, but unexpected storms can change things dramatically. Monitor local weather forecasts.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Chaco Culture?
Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. This fee allows all persons traveling in one private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) to enter the park to visit for up to 7 days from the date of purchase.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Chaco Culture?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Chaco Culture takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Chaco Culture free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Chaco Culture?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Chaco Culture. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Chaco Culture?
Standard hours are 7:00AM - 9:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Chaco Culture?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Chaco Culture: Gallo. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any Chaco Culture campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 1 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Chaco Culture include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Gallo is $20 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Chaco Culture right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Road updates 10/9/26.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Chaco Culture?
29,816 recreation visits in 2025, number 302 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Chaco Culture?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for Verizon and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
