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Submission
From Albuquerque, NM, or from the east: take Interstate 40 west to Grants. At exit 81, go south on Highway 53 for 42 miles to El Morro National Monument. From Flagstaff, AZ, or from the west: take Interstate 40 east to Gallup. At exit 20, go south on Highway 602 for about 31 miles. Turn east (left) onto Highway 53. El Morro is 25 more miles. If you'd like to drive through Zuni from the west, take exit 339 from Interstate 40 in AZ, and go south on Highway 191 for 24 miles. Take Highway 61/53 into Zuni. El Morro is about 36 miles from Zuni.
Beautiful light hike for a couple hours! Inscription’s are incredible!
This was an unexpected gem. We toured the monument on a bright, cool, blustery New Mexico Spring day. Stopped into the Center (the trails are accessed through the back) to view a short video and pick up a trail guide (you can borrow one or buy for $2). The trail is designed to be hiked counter clockwise starting with the inscriptions and continuing to the top of the Mesa. The Mesa is scaled through a series of switchbacks with a 400 foot vertical ascent. Nothing too strenuous. The trail is well marked with some stretches across barren rock where you are exposed to the winds. The descent is mostly by stairs hewn into the rock. I suffer from Vertigo but had no trouble navigating some of the more exposed areas. I did see dogs on the trail. The hike takes over 2 hours with much of the time spent taking photos and reading inscriptions. There were about a dozen people on the trail when we were there but I suspect it gets crowded when the schools let out.
On a cold, snowy Monday afternoon we had the entire park to ourselves. Due to snow not all hiking trails were open. That didn't diminish this trip at all. The area is just beautiful, and the history here is incredible. Carved into the sandstone bluff are petroglyphs, names, and dates, dating back to the 1500's. Onate carved his name into this rock over 10 years before anyone had landed at Plymouth Rock. This is really a must see for anyone who loves the history of the Southwest. The park is also a designated Dark Sky Park and there are stargazing events held here in the warmer months. As of the date of this review the park is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
This monument combines staggering natural beauty with historical significance. Three waves of visitors--Pueblo, Spanish and American--have etched writings and drawings into this massive sandstone bluff over the course of many centuries. This has been a real highlight of our trip to New Mexico.
