Page 178 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

176  THE FOUR C ORNERS THE FOUR C ORNERS  177

AD 400. They closely followed geology of this area and T Salmon Ruins
the Mesa Verde (see pp184–5) features a popular children’s 6131 Hwy 64. Tel (505) 632-2013. Open
development pattern, even- gallery with inter active exhibits. May–Oct: 8am–5pm Mon–Fri, 9am–
tually creating numerous fine 5pm Sat & Sun; Nov–Apr: 8am–5pm
cliff dwellings, including the Environs Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm Sat, noon–5pm
80-room Lion House. These About 25 miles (40 km) west of Sun. & 7 8 ∑ salmonruins.com
ruins have few visitors because Farmington is Shiprock, named
of their inaccessibility. Visitors for the spectacular 1,500-ft (457-
can use their own vehicles m) rock peak that thrusts up from
and join the dusty tours led the valley floor about 5 miles (8
by local Ute guides, or pay km) west of town. To the Navajo,
an extra charge to be driven. this rock is sacred; to early Anglo-
American settlers it was a
w Four Corners landmark visible for many miles
that reminded them of a ship’s
Dramatic mesas and buttes in the Valley of the Gods near Bluff Monument Navajo prow, hence the name. Now it is
Tribal Park only possible for visitors to
8 Bluff E Edge of the Cedars Museum was named later in 1874, after observe the peak from the
660 W. 400 N. Tel (435) 678-2238. an Ute word meaning “Deserted Road map D2. Junction of Hwys 160 roadsides of Hwys 64 or 33.
Road map D2. * 300.  Open 9am–5pm Mon–Sat; noon– and 41. Tel (928) 871-6647. Open Jun–
∑ bluffutah.org Valley.” The culture here reached Eight miles (12 km) south
4pm Sun (Apr–Oct). Closed Jan 1, its peak between 1200 and 1275. Sep: 7am–8pm; Oct–May: 8am–5pm. are the Salmon Ruins, which
The charming town of Bluff was Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & Little is known of these people Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, Dec 25. were once an outlying Chaco Interior of the Great Kiva at the Ancestral
& 7 ∑ utah.com/four-corners
settled in 1880 by the Mormons ∑ stateparks.utah.gov beyond the clues found in the settlement. These ruins were Puebloan Salmon Ruins
of “Hole-in-the-Rock-Road” fame pottery and tools that they There is something oddly protected from gravediggers by
(see p151). It is a good base for 0 Hovenweep left behind. Researchers have compelling about being able to the Salmon family, who home-
exploring Utah’s southeast corner. speculated that the Hovenweep put one foot and hand in each steaded here in the 1870s. t Aztec
Float trips along the gentle National towers might have been defensive of four states. The Four Corners As a result, a century later Road map D2. * 6,500. n 110
San Juan River include stops Monument fortifications, astronomical Monument is the only place in archaeologists recovered more North Ash St. (505) 334-9551.
at Ancestral Pueblo ruins that Road map D2. East of Hwy 191. observatories, storage silos, the US where four states meet than a million artifacts, many of ∑ aztecnm.com
can be reached only by boat. or religious structures. at one point. which are on display in the
Tel (970) 562-4282. Open 8am–5pm
daily (6pm May–Sep). Closed Jan 1, Self-guided hiking trails excellent on-site museum. The small town of Aztec was
Environs Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & 8  explore each of Hovenweep’s Outside, trails lead to the Salmon named for its ruins, which are
About 12 miles (20 km) south of ∑ nps.gov/hove six separate sets of ruins, which e Chaco Culture homestead and the ruins, which Ancestral Puebloan – and not
town, a marked turn leads onto lie a few miles apart. National Historical show the exceptional level of skill Aztec, as early settlers believed.
the 17-mile (27-km) dirt road One of the most mysterious Park of these ancient stonemasons. Preserved as a national
through the Valley of the Ancestral Puebloan sites in q Ute Mountain monument, the site’s 500-room
Gods. Like a smaller version of the Southwest, the ruins at See pp178–9. E Bolack Museum of Fish pueblo flourished in the late
Monument Valley (see pp168–9), Hovenweep lie along the rims Tribal Park and Wildlife 1200s. Visitors can look inside
this place features high rock of shallow canyons on a remote Road map D2. n Junction of 3901 Bloomfield Hwy. Tel (505) 325- a rebuilt kiva.
spires, buttes, and mesas, but high plateau in the southwest Highway 160 and Highway 491. r Farmington 4275. Open 9am–3pm Mon–Sat, tours
none of the crowds. On a quiet corner of Colorado. These well- (970) 565-9653. 8 9am daily Road map D2. * 46,000. ~ @ by appointment only. Closed Sun, T Aztec Ruins National
day visitors may have the place preserved ruins, which include (obligatory; reserve ahead). & n 3041 E. Main St. (505) 326-7602. hols. & 7 8 obligatory. Monument
∑ bolackmuseums.com
to themselves and be able to unique round, square, and ∑ utemountaintribalpark.info ∑ farmingtonnm.org North of Hwy 516 on Ruins Rd.
imagine what it looked like D-shaped towers, have neither E Farmington Museum Tel (505) 334-6174. Open 8am–5pm
to the first settlers. been restored nor rebuilt. Indeed, The Ute Mountain Tribal Park A dusty, hard-working ranch 3041 E. Main St. Tel (505) 599-1174. daily (6pm in summer). Closed Jan 1,
they look much as they did ruins are one of the South- town, Farmington is a good base Open 8am–5pm Mon–Sat. & 7 8 Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & 7 8
∑ nps.gov/azru
9 Blanding when W. D. Huntington, leader of west’s better kept secrets. The for exploring the surround ing ∑ farmingtonmuseum.org
a Mormon expedition, first came
monuments. It is also home
Ancestral Puebloan people first
Road map D2. * 3,800. n 12 N. upon the site in 1854. The site arrived in this region in about to one of the most unusual
Grayson Parkway. (435) 678-3662.  museums in the Southwest.
Open 8am–6pm Mon–Sat. Just south of town, on the
∑ blandingutah.org family-run B-Square Ranch,
the vast Bolack Museum of Fish
A tidy Mormon town at the base and Wildlife houses the largest
of the Abajo Mountains, Blanding accumulation of mounted
is home to the Edge of the game animals in the world –
Cedars State Park. The park more than 2,500 specimens
contains modest Ancest ral collected over 70 years by
Puebloan ruins, including a small oilman and rancher Tom Bolack.
kiva, or religious chamber. The It is divided into nine themed
museum has well-thought-out game rooms, including African,
displays on the history of these Asian, European, and Russian.
ancient people and other cultures The Farmington Museum
that have inhabited the region. Ancient brick tower at Hovenweep National Monument focuses on the local history and The spectacular red peak of Shiprock near Farmington
For hotels and restaurants see p241 and pp256–7
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