Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Gallo Campground, located one mile east of the Visitor Center, is open year-round. Tucked among the fallen boulders and cliffs of Gallo Wash, the campground offers camping in a rugged environment, surrounded by petroglyphs, a cliff dwelling, inscriptions, and a high desert landscape. There is no shade. The campsites are available by reservation. Camping is limited to 14 days. Each campsite costs $15.00 per night. Interagency Senior and Access pass holders pay $7.50 per site, per night. There is a limit of six people, two tents, and two vehicles at each campsite. Check-out time is 11:00 AM.

Each site has a picnic table and fire grate (with a grill). Bring your own firewood or charcoal. Gathering wood is prohibited and no firewood is available in the park. Most sites include a tent pad. Pets are permitted, but must be kept on a leash at all times. Do not approach or feed the wildlife. The campground has water (non-potable) and restrooms with flush toilets. The restrooms are closed from the day after Veterans Day through the end of February. Porta Pottys are available during this time. Site #11 and both restrooms are handicap accessible. There are no showers or hook-ups. Drinking water is available 24 hours a day in the Visitor Center parking area. There is no gasoline, auto repair, food, or ice available in the park. To make the most of your visit, please plan ahead and come prepared.

Tent Camping
Sites 36-49 are for tent camping only. Most of the other sites are open to RVs or tents. Car camping is allowed.

RVs
Trailers and RVs over 35 feet in length cannot be accommodated. There are no hook-ups. A dump station is located in the campground. Generators may be operated one hour at a time between 8:00AM and 8:00PM.

Remote and magical. The road into chaco cultural center can be treacherous. We went down miles of dirt roads, 40 minutes of the highway we can across a flowing wash from a storm up river. Small cars could have easily been washed off the road. Then a half mile of 10 inch thick mud on the road. But the park was dreamy. So lovely, easy to navigate, a fairly short loop, we saw everything that didn't require a back country permit, in about 3 hours. Taking our time to do lots of pictures and imagining life in such a big bustling community almost 1000 years ago. The trails are set up so you can make your way through the great houses, as long as your careful not to touch the delicate walls. Amazing pictographs 10 minutes from your car. Just so much to explore, and we saw only 3 other people while we were there. Great experience, awesome adventure.

Remote and magical. The road into chaco cultural center can be treacherous. We went down miles of dirt roads, 40 minutes of the highway we can across a flowing wash from a storm up river. Small cars could have easily been washed off the road. Then a half mile of 10 inch thick mud on the road. But the park was dreamy. So lovely, easy to navigate, a fairly short loop, we saw everything that didn't require a back country permit, in about 3 hours. Taking our time to do lots of pictures and imagining life in such a big bustling community almost 1000 years ago. The trails are set up so you can make your way through the great houses, as long as your careful not to touch the delicate walls. Amazing pictographs 10 minutes from your car. Just so much to explore, and we saw only 3 other people while we were there. Great experience, awesome adventure.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park is an incredible place to explore the Ancestral Puebloan culture. The massive buildings here are testimony to the engineering and organizational skills of these ancient people. You can learn more about them through guided tours, hiking and biking trails, evening campfire talks, and night sky programs.

The canyon was central to their way of life, and by visiting Chaco, you can get a meaningful understanding of their culture and history.

We think a visit here is one of the best things to do in New Mexico!

Great place to camp and stargaze. The pueblos are really cool and they offer tours a few times a day of Pueblo Bonita. Be warned though the roads to get to the park are TERRIBLE! They are manageable for sure in dry weather but bumpy as hell. Rain is another story. If it's raining or has rained recently the roads are going to be really slick. Thought we might slide of the road once. All the RVs were having a rough go of it. Our little civic managed in a low gear doing about 8-10 mph in the slick spots. Also told by the ranger that the north road is always preferable unless really heavy rains make the wash impassable.

Great place to stargaze