Ancient Indigenous groups traveling to and from Chaco Canyon 1100 years ago would stop at the erroneously named Aztec Ruins National Monument (nps.gov/azru; free), which has nothing to do with Aztecs, to stay the night and fill their bellies. In just three years, 400 rooms as tall as three stories and a great kiva were built along with roofs that are still in tact – they weigh as much 95 tons.
This prehistoric pueblo was built around AD 1100, and connected with the larger settlement at Chaco via a road that ran due south. Its central feature, a huge great kiva, has been reconstructed to give an impression of how such places must have looked in use a thousand years ago. Another unique feature is the intact original roof in several rooms. The attached museum is particularly informative; if you can't make it down to Chaco, don't miss this site.
A walking trail, the 1.5-mile Old Spanish Trail, links downtown Aztec with the national monument.
