Inspect petroglyphs and examine the remains of a 100-room Ancestral Puebloan settlement that was abandoned sometime around the 14th century.
Puerco Pueblo is one of many small and scattered Ancestral Puebloan settlements in the Four Corners region of the United States. Follow a short trail around the ruins and examine the remaining structures to find out more about how this Native American community lived.
Read about the history of the Ancestral Puebloan people for some extra context before visiting. This Native American culture existed across southeastern Utah, northwestern New Mexico, southwestern Colorado and northeastern Arizona. The Ancestral Puebloans are thought to have abandoned their settlements in the region and migrated following a period of successive droughts in the 14th century.
Explore the Puerco Pueblo site, which is located near the Rio Puerco, an important source of water for the community who once lived here. Wander around the site and read informational plaques. It is thought that it was inhabited from about the mid-13th century to the late 14th century and could have housed up to 200 people in its heyday.
Observe the layout of the settlement and examine the remaining brickwork, part of rooms used for sleeping, storage and other purposes. The site also features a central plaza, where most of the meal preparation, cooking and craftwork would have taken place. The settlement would also have contained kivas, ceremonial rooms located underground.
As you walk around, look for petroglyphs on the rocks. These were created by the Ancestral Puebloan people and can still be clearly seen despite the passing of centuries. One of the petroglyphs here is a circular solar marker. For two weeks around the summer solstice, sunlight interacts with the marker.
Find Puerco Pueblo within Petrified Forest National Park in Northeastern Arizona. Leave your car in the Puerco Pueblo parking lot and follow the trail that leads off from the south end. At 0.3 miles (0.5 kilometers), the trail is short and is mostly paved, making it suitable for visitors of all fitness levels.
