General Information
A park with short trails densely packed with petroglyphs. Volcanos in the background. A sacred landscape. A treasure bordering Albuquerque's urban sprawl. This park is an absolute gem.
Visiting the park while on a camping trick is not the most convenient, as the park does not offer camping and campgrounds are dispersed along the edges of the city and highways. Not what you would call solitude. But the KOA north of the park (we think up 25) was very accommodating and was close to excellent restaurants and also somewhat near Coronado State Monument, a museum and preserved site of the Pueblos.
We visited during May and the blooming desert was beyond imagination for us. The temperatures were beautiful, and the wildlife was present. While at the visitor's center, a pair of roadrunners came to the windows to peek in at us. It was the closest we had ever seen them before. Collared lizards were everywhere. But it is the petroglyphs and the heritage of those who carved them that is the focus of the park.
There are short trails and half day walks to accommodate a variety of visitors. The rangers in the visitor's center were incredibly hospitable and helpful and sold pamphlets for the trails that added value to our visit. You can visit the park for a half hour and see a lot or you can spend a long leisurely day, maybe two. It is one of those places that when we look at our photos we want to return.