Author Archives: Envira Tester

Natural Arch near Los Alamos

Hiked and climbed to the natural arch feature off of Mitchell Trail in Los Alamos.

This arch is unusual since it occurs in volcanic rocks that form the Jemez Mountains. Natural arches are normally found in sandstones such as those in Arches National Park. The last part of the hike up to the arch is pretty steep. Some actual climbing is required. The arch is called Phoenix Arch by many people in Los Alamos.

Good view of the Los Alamos townsite from the arch. LANL Casa Grande can be seen in the center of the last photo. Also note Omega bridge.

Four Corners Tour

A few weeks ago, I took a tour of the Four Corners area while staying in Farmington. The first day I started by driving to the Sand Island Petroglyphs in Utah. There are two main panels, an upper and lower. Both are worth the visit and the short hike to the upper panel.

Next, I took highway 163 south towards Mexican hat. On the way, I drove the loop through the Valley of the Gods. Definitely worth it. The gravel road is in pretty decent condition and the giant hoodoos are awesome.

Next I drove towards Mexican Hat and Monument Valley. Of course, I had to stop at Forrest Gump hill (where Forrest decided to stop running). Nice pullout with an actual parking area. I then proceeded through Monument Valley into the Navajo nation. I made my way to Lukachukai AZ and then took BIA 13 through the Lukachukai mountains to Shiprock. This is a nice road with some interesting curves through the mountains. Be aware that this is in the Navajo Nation so be sure to respect the rules. From Shiprock, I headed back to Farmington.

The next day, I decided to visit the Crow Canyon petroglyphs in the Dinetah. I drove east out of Farmington on highway 64 past Bloomfield. After Bloomfield, shortly after Blanco, I turned right onto road 4450. There is a sign that says that the 5 mile bridge is out. That’s okay because the road now goes down through the wash and back up the other side. Drive for about 19 miles until you see the wooden sign for Crow Canyon. Beware, don’t trust google maps, only cross the wash at the sign for Cuervo Canon. Take a left and drive through the wash to the other side. Take another left and drive for about 1 mile to Crow Canyon. There are two main panels. One at the mouth of the canyon, and the 44 panel site. The main panel is accessed via a short hike. The 44 panel is about a 3/4 mile hike from a separate trail head. Awesome glyphs at both locations.

After visiting Crow Canyon, I went back out to 4450 and turned south towards Largo Canyon school. There are two pretty easily accessible Pueblitos near the old Largo Canyon school. Turn right after the school onto county road 379. After 1.8 miles, turn right onto an unmarked road. This will take you up to the Hooded Fireplace Pueblito and the Largo School Ruin. Follow the road for about 2.26 miles. At the dirt intersection, the Hooded Fireplace Pueblito is visible just above on the left. If you backtrack on the road a short distance there is a small pull out for parking on the east side or the road. Just across the road, there is a sign and a short path up to the ruin. This Pueblito is not on the cliff overlooking the canyon like other defensive sites. The hooded fireplace is significant since this type of construction was introduced by the Spanish.

After visiting the Hooded Fireplace, it is a short distance to visit the Largo Canyon School Pueblito. Take the right fork in the road after the Hooded Fireplace pull out. In about 1200 ft, there is a pull off to the right and a sign indicating the trail head. Walk along the 2 track trail until you reach the canyon rim. The path to the ruin is faint but proceed west along the canyon rim for about 1000 ft to reach the Pueblito. This site is more typical of the defensive sites in that it is perched high on the cliff with good views of the entire canyon.

Just keep in mind that these sites are fragile so take care to prevent any damage. And be sure to leave any artifacts in place so that others can enjoy these sites for many years to come.