Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

00:00     Title
00:08     Abo Ruins 
11:11     Gran Quivira Ruins
22:28     Quarai Ruins

The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is located by Highway 60 in central New Mexico. This national park encompasses three separate site locations that can be toured in one day. Camping locally in the neighboring Manzano Mountains State Park or Cibola National Forest enables a more leisurely touring pace. The closest towns are a fair distance away and it is best to stock up prior to arrival. The park trails are paved for easy access and those who have physical challenges will have no problem touring the three sites. There are modern conveniences in this park and the cozy picnic areas have shade trees, so be sure to pack a full basket for the adventure!  

There is plenty to see when walking the grounds of the old Spanish missions and the remnants of the original native villages will provide plenty to ponder over. The stone block rubble piles and foundations are all that remain of the oldest native pueblos in this park. Some of the walls of the pueblos that were constructed at a much later date during the Spanish mission building era are still intact. There are also several kiva structures next to the villages, which are traditional spiritual places in native culture. The old stone quarry beds can be seen from the pathways and other interesting relics of the past are clearly marked along the trails. The towering stone block missions are in fine shape considering their age, so it is easy to imagine how these historic sites looked long ago.   

The history of the Salinas Pueblo region is quite a long story that is well worth looking into. The native villages in this region actually do date back eons of time and the local people were renowned builders. The Spanish laid claim to this region and began establishing church mission complexes in Salinas back in the 1600s. The massive church buildings were constructed by native people, but forced labor and sheer brutality was involved. This eventually led to rebellion, loss of infrastructure and famine. The Salinas Pueblo Missions and the villages have been abandoned ever since.  The complete history can be learned at the park visitor center at each of the three sites.

This presentation showcases the Abo, Gran Quivira and Quarai ruins. Plenty of time was spent wandering the grounds, since this was filmed during the peak of Covid 19 and there was literally nobody else there. This created an opportunity for an in depth study and plenty of colorful images were captured. 

On a side note, the grasslands of New Mexico certainly are rattlesnake territory. The rattlesnakes can be feisty during the warm weather seasons, but the cold temperatures of winter do help to keep them at bay. For this reason it is best to stay on the paved trails and the cold weather seasons are best for those who wish to see no rattlers at all.