Rising 200 feet above the valley floor, this massive sandstone bluff was a welcome landmark for weary travelers. At the base of Inscription Rock lies a pool of water which has drawn travelers to El Morro (or Inscription Rock) since prehistoric times. First the Anasazi were drawn to the pool and left their mark in the form of petroglyphs. During the 1600′s and 1700′s, Spanish explorers on their way to Zuni and other western pueblos stopped for water and left their inscriptions. When New Mexico became part of the United States, American explorers, military expeditions and homesteaders also left their mark. These carvings, some complete, others fragments, record not only history but also the cultures that passed this way. On top of the mesa are two Indian pueblo ruins dating from 1200-1300. Eighteen rooms of one, Atsinna, have been excavated and stabilized.
Today, El Morro National Monument protects over 2,000 inscriptions and petroglyphs, as well as Ancestral Puebloan ruins.
History & Culture
El Morro is both an historical national monument and one of most beautiful hiking trails in New Mexico. The trail is also accessible to people in wheel chairs. El Morro means “headlands” or “bluff”. Because this was an important water source on the ancient trade route between the Acomas and Zunis, petroglyphs and drawings were inscribed on the side of a magnificent sandstone cliff. Imagine your Spanish ancestors carving their names on the same rocks when they came to New Mexico in the 1500′s. Anglo-Americans later began carving their names in the 1850′s and 1860′s when they served in the Army and homesteaded the area. Most of the inscriptions are still in good shape.
The inscriptions are adjacent to the ancient pool of water. Don Juan de Oate carved his name in the rock 15 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock — “Passed by here the Adelantado Don Juan de Oate, from the discovery of the Sea of the South, the 16th day of April of 1605.”
In 1692, Don Diego de Vargas returned to New Mexico. Twelve years earlier the Pueblos had revolted against Spanish rule and the Conquistadors had been thrown out of the colony. Stopping at El Morro, he carved (in Spanish) “Here was the General Don Diego de Vargas, who conquered for our Holy Faith and for the Royal Crown, all of New Mexico at his own expense, year of 1692.” The last Spanish inscription was carved in 1774. “Por aqui paso Andres Romero.”
The first US Army Officer to visit El Morro was JH Simpson, in 1849. “Lt. J. H. Simpson USA & R. H. Kern, Artist, visited and copied these inscriptions, September 17th 18th 1849. In 1906, El Morro became a National Monument in order to protect the carvings.
Recreation
Inscription Trail: A must see! If you only have an hour or less, you will definitely want to take the trail to the pool and past hundreds of Spanish and Anglo inscriptions, as well as pre-historical petroglyphs. It will be easy to see why El Morro was proclaimed a National Monument. This loop trail is paved, 1/2 mile in length and wheelchair accessible with assistance. Mesa Top Trail: If you have at least 1.5 hours and lots of energy, you can continue past the inscriptions and up to the top of the mesa. There, you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the Zuni Mountains, the volcanic craters of the El Malpais area and the El Morro valley. The Mesa Top Trail is a two mile loop which includes Inscription Trail. A 250 foot elevation gain and the uneven sandstone surface makes this a moderately strenuous hike. Sturdy walking shoes and water, particularly in the hot summer months, are necessary. Portions or all of the Mesa Top Trail can close due to severe weather, especially during the winter.
Atsinna: Another reward for hiking the Mesa Top Trail is the Ancestral Puebloan ruin, Atsinna, or “place of writings on rock”. Between approximately 1275 to 1350 A. D., up to 1500 people lived in this 875 room pueblo. The location was strategic it was near the only water source for many miles and located atop a nearly impenetrable mesa. Atsinna was partially excavated in the 1950′s and archeologists continue to work towards its stabilization.
Getting There
By Car
El Morro National Monument is located 56 miles southeast of Gallup, NM via Highways 602 and 53 and 42 miles southwest of Grants, NM via Highway 53.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
El Morro National Monument
HC 61 Box 43
Ramah, NM 87321
Phone: 505-783-4226
Fax: 505-783-4689
Operating Hours & Seasons
The Visitor Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Trails are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The National Monumnet is closed December 25 and January 1.
Weather/Climate
El Morro National Monumnet is located at an elevation of 7,219 feet. At this elevation, winters can be cold with snow and wind. Summers are hot with afternoon thunder showers. Trails can close unexpectedly due to severe weather. During the winter months (December-March) all or portions of the Mesa Top Trail are closed because of snow and ice. The Inscription Loop Trail is always open.
Average snowfall: 40 inches per year.
Average precipitation (snowmelt and rain): 16 inches per year.
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