Wijij Trail 
Distance: 3.8 miles (round trip)
Chaco Culture National Historic Park, near Chaco Canyon in Northwest New Mexico
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
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