Wijiji Great House•Chaco

00:00     Title
00:15     Wijiji Trail 
04:45     Wijiji Great House 
12:55     Wijiji Pictographs 
14:25     Fin 

The foot trail to the Wijiji Great House Pueblo is an interesting journey through time that is best done during the cool weather seasons. This out and back trail runs 1.5 miles over the flat valley floor with no steep climbs, so this hike is fairly easy. There also is a short spur trail that goes to the Wijiji Pictographs. The best time of day to do the Wijiji Trail is early in the morning or late afternoon just before sunset. Straying off trail is strictly verboten, because this a sacred indigenous place and plenty of rattlesnakes call this place home. For this reason, it pays to be aware of the surroundings. Fortunately the Wijiji path is also a park service road and the extra width makes it so a hiker does not have to watch every step.   

The Cliff Dwellings Campground is conveniently located next to the trailhead and doing an overnighter is the best choice for any lengthy hiking excursions in this remote national park. The valley that the trail runs through is surrounded by golden sandstone mesa bluffs and every step reveals a new breathtaking view. The valley floor is also an interesting study, because a dry wash ravine runs trough the center and the vegetation is thick. Elk and deer can be seen grazing along this path early or late in the day, so be sure to tote a camera along for the hike. Packing a snack and plenty of water will also be necessary even during the winter season because of the arid conditions. The reward for completing the three mile round trip is a chance to experience the Wijiji Great House and ancient pictographs that few others see.

The Wijiji Great House Pueblo is a unique structure in Chaco Canyon and the architectural design of differs in subtle ways from the rest of the great house pueblos. There is no plaza border wall incorporated into this structure and the reason why there is no kiva onsite is a mystery that has been lost in time. Wijiji has a compact 150 room "C" shape floor plan design that was at least three stories high. The remains of several rows of evenly spaced rooms on each symmetric building wing can be seen and most are exactly the same size. Wijiji certainly was a very well thought out design that is fascinating to ponder over.