Wijij Trail

Distance: 3.8 miles (round trip)

Chaco Culture National Historic Park, near Chaco Canyon in Northwest New Mexico

Wijiji Ruin

Wijiji Ruin

 

This nice, short hike visits Wijiji, a late-period Chaco great house, along with an alcove with pictographs and petroglyphs.
See Trail Detail/Full Description

  • Distance: 3.9 miles (round trip) to Wijiji
  • Elevation: 6,215-ft. at Trailhead
    6,320-ft. at Wijiji
  • Elevation Gain: 105-ft. to Wijiji
  • Difficulty: easy
  • More Hikes in:
    Chaco Canyon / Northwest New Mexico

Why Hike Wijij Trail

The trail to Wijiji is convenient to the Chaco Canyon campground and short enough for a nice evening stroll. The easy trail leads to a later-period Chacoan Great House, build around AD 1100. Unlike the other Great Houses in Chaco Canyon it does not include an enclosed plaza or great kivas. It appears to have been built all at once rather than over several building periods and features exceptional symmetry and uniform masonry.

As an added bonus, a short spur trail (0.2 miles round-trip) leads to an alcove with petroglyphs and pictographs.

The trail, really a dirt road, is also a popular biking route. The trail is quite exposed with little or no shade. Take plenty of water.

Elevation Profile

Elevation profile for the Wijiji trail

Trail Resources

Trail Detail/Full Description / Trail Photo Gallery / Trail Map

Basecamp(s) Information:
Chaco Canyon

Region Information:
Northwest New Mexico

Other Hiking Regions in:
New Mexico