Wild Horses!•Road 7950 To Chaco Canyon

00:00     Title
00:15     Chaco Wild Horses  
01:00     Peñasco Blanco Trail To Kin Kletso     
07:10     Peñasco Blanco Trail To Casa Chiquita    
14:15     Fin 

Exploring the ancient native heritage sites in New Mexico is something that rates high on the travel wish list for many people. New Mexico is a big state and a desolate one at that, so the prospect of traveling endless miles without seeing any signs of civilization or even a gas station does have a way of intimidating visitors. This is especially true during the hot summer season, because if an old car decides to break down, it usually will do so in extreme environmental conditions. Car reliability can make the difference between getting to the destination safely or being stranded out in the middle of nowhere for an extended time in extreme heat conditions.

The reason why a disclaimer was mentioned first in this article is because the Chaco Culture National Historical Park is definitely located way out in the middle of nowhere. There are only a few paved roads in this region and the main access roads to Chaco Canyon are made of dirt. The route from Highway 550 to Chaco is the busiest pathway and the dirt road conditions can be very rough, especially after a rain storm.

The dirt road that goes from Highway 550 to the east entrance of Chaco Canyon rolls over a vast high desert plateau that initially seems flat and barren upon first glance. This actually is the mesa top high ground and the views extend to the horizon  There are a lot of hidden nooks and crannies in this region and Chaco Canyon is a prime example. When standing on the barren high ground in this vast desert expanse, it is difficult to imagine that an ancient civilization built a complex nearby that is the size of a modern city. 

The long dirt road to Chaco Canyon passes through open range ranch territory in the Navajo Nation. Where there is wide open ranges, there is water and feed. Wild horses know this well, so the open range ranch territory is always a good place to spot a few while passing through. In the desert, what it takes to survive is always in limited supply, so one will not see huge herds of wild horses in this region. Instead, the wild horses usually congregate in small packs that are led by one or two alpha males or granny mares when foals are in tow. During the foaling seasons in late spring and early summer, the alpha male horses usually go off to do their own thing, while the mares tend to the young ponies that still depend on milk. 

When driving to Chaco Canyon, I figured that snapping a few photos of the long dirt road would let readers know what lies in store. When I spotted a few wild horses, that changed the dirt road mention into a destination of its own, because there are plenty of people that will drive out in the middle of nowhere just to see wild horses, especially if newborn ponies are in tow. Wild horses in the desert do present great photo opportunities and the sight of the wild animals is symbolic of freedom. Wild horses also help to raise awareness, which is needed at this time, because political corruption threatens to turn the Chaco Canyon World Heritage Site into an oil field with no regard for legalities or public opinion.

The wild horses in the photos were only a couple miles outside the east gate of Chaco Canyon on Road 7950. In this section the landscape starts to change from desert plateau to a shallow valley canyons. The rock walls rise vertically near Chaco and many hidden pockets can be seen. The cattle seem to be well aware of where the hidden pockets are and they have made these little caves part of their daily routine. During the high noon hours when the summer heat is at a peak, the cattle literally take a siesta in the shade of the trees that can be found in the canyons. The pocket caves at the base of the rock outcrops also offer some cool relief from the heat and the cattle like lazing in these cozy spots. 

As can be seen, a long dirt road that is way out in the middle of nowhere does not just have to be just a dusty, bumpy experience! All it takes is a few wild horses to turn the long dirt road drive from Highway 550 to Chaco Canyon into a fun event. Wild horses are creatures of habit, so do not be surprised if you see them in the same place more than once!