Mckinley County – Chaco Culture, Red Rocks and Gallup
Accommodation in Mckinley County
Mckinley County combines an impressive cultural history with red sandstone landscapes and vibrant places such as Gallup and Zuni. The history of Indigenous cultures is particularly influential: Fort Wingate encompasses more than 400 sites that can be traced back to Navajo and Zuni traditions. Anyone planning a trip focused on culture, landscapes and special discoveries will find a wide range of options here for planning their days.
Chaco Culture amid Ruins and Canyon Landscapes
Chaco Culture National Historical Park encompasses more than 4,000 cultural sites. They are connected with the settlement and use of the canyon by Paleoindian groups, the Ancestral Puebloans, Navajo and Euro-Americans. A 9-mile loop road provides access to five significant Chacoan sites, including Pueblo Bonito. The four- to five-story, D-shaped building covered 3 acres and included more than 600 rooms, 40 kivas and two plazas.
Smaller destinations also bring the historic landscape to life. Casa Rinconada is the largest excavated Great Kiva. Several small house sites lie along the loop trail; the trail is 1 mile (1.6 km) long. At Una Vida, on the petroglyph trail between Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl, or on the Peñasco-Blanco Trail, you can discover ancient depictions. Important for planning: Chaco Canyon is accessible only via unpaved roads, which may be rough or impassable.
Red Rocks, Trails and Events
East of Gallup lies the 640-acre Red Rock Park. Its red sandstone cliffs formed more than 200 million years ago and give the area its characteristic setting. The outdoor arena hosts the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, rodeos and the Red Rock Balloon Rally. Held annually in August, the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial is therefore a special date to consider when planning your trip.
There are various other options for active days. The Church Rock Trail is 3.4 miles long and passes sandstone towers and deep canyons. The High Desert Trail System around Gallup offers more than 22 miles of singletrack for hiking and cycling. The Pyramid Rock Trail reaches a 7,487-foot summit with panoramic views of Gallup, the Zuni Mountains and the surrounding area.
Gallup as a Cultural Center
In Gallup, gallery and trading post activities are concentrated primarily along Route 66 and Coal Avenue. The Red Rock Museum documents the life and culture of the Anasazi as well as today's Zuni, Hopi and Navajo through informative exhibits. Permanent exhibitions also display kachinas, pottery, rugs, silverwork and turquoise work; changing art exhibitions add to the offerings. The Rex Museum is dedicated to the region's early inhabitants, mining, the railroad and present-day Gallup.
The George Galanis Multicultural Center is housed in a building constructed in 1918 as the headquarters of the Santa Fe Railway and also serves as an Amtrak station. Public New Deal art tours, led by a knowledgeable guide, visit the historic McKinley County Courthouse and the public library in downtown Gallup. This makes it possible to combine art, urban history and transportation history through different types of visits.
Zuni: Villages, Collections and Art
At the Zuni visitor center, you can book tours of historic Middle Village, considered the oldest part of Zuni Pueblo. Tours of the ancestral village of Hawikku are also offered; this is where European explorers first made contact with the A:shiwi in 1539. The Hawikku exhibition at the A:shiwi A:wan Museum comprises 221 representative pieces selected by Zuni representatives from the Hawikku collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
The Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is part of Halona Pueblo (Zuni Pueblo) in the Zuni Indian Reservation. For those interested in art, the ARTZ Co-op Art Markets and the Zuni Pueblo ArtWalk take place throughout the year. A:shiwi Transit of the Pueblo of Zuni works with Gallup Express and the Navajo Transit System and provides public transportation options for access to recreational activities.
Choose a Vacation Rental Based on Your Travel Focus
When searching for a vacation rental or holiday home, it is worthwhile to first determine the character of your trip. If museums, galleries, art markets and Gallup's cultural offerings are the main focus, Gallup may be the right search term for your accommodation. For a trip focused on Zuni culture, the villages, exhibitions and art events there can instead serve as a guide. Anyone primarily wanting to experience Chaco Canyon or the landscapes around red sandstone cliffs should take the special road and visitor conditions into account when planning.
For further regional planning, you can also visit the pages for Gallup, Zuni and Ramah. This allows you to choose your accommodation based on the experiences that should define your trip through Mckinley County.
For the overarching travel overview: New Mexico.
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