PECOS

Last Updated on September 11, 2023 by

Pecos National Historic Park

This is a site similar to Bandelier, but was constructed in a large mountain pass rather than among the cliffs. The stone ring construction is multiple orders of magnitude larger than Bandelier, but the similarities are unmistakable. In fact, many of the inhabitants from this Pueblo ultimately walked (escaped) to Bandelier after the arrival of the Spanish.

How long to spend?
Allow yourself two to three hours to explore the site and Visitors Center

Pecos was one of the most powerful of the northern New Mexico pueblos. Sitting in Glorieta Pass, at 7,000 feet, the pueblo was more easily defensible and provided sight lines for many miles in all directions. Controlling the pass meant controlling trade routes to the Great Plains, Rio Grande Valley, and the Colorado Plateau. For about 350 years control of this pass belonged solely to Pecos Pueblo (also historically known as Cicuye). Around 1540, the complicated relationship between the Pueblo people and European settlers begins.

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado arrived in 1540 followed by the construction of the Spanish mission church in 1619. After roughly sixty years of peaceful cohabitation, the first Pueblo Revolt occurred in 1680. A traditional kiva was constructed in front of the church as a rejection of the Christian religion and the Spanish were expelled. They returned in 1692, repaired relationships, and eventually built a smaller church in 1717. The site was ultimately abandoned in 1838, after the Pecos population suffered from marauding Comanches.

While what exists now is probably a tenth of the original church that was burned down during the first revolt and rebuilt 20 years later, it’s still a pretty impressive structure for being out on the plains with very few natural resources.

As usual, the history here is pretty incredible and once again reinforces the complexity of our past. While many of the Pueblo and Plains Indians became resentful of the Spanish, many also recognized the superior military technology was particularly useful in defending from the much more aggressive Apache and Comanche tribes. Inevitably, though, the Spanish influence and the establishment of their own settlements drove trade away from the Pueblo and led to a dramatic reduction from a few thousand to a few hundred people. Of course, disease and drought also played a significant role in the abandonment of Pecos for Bandelier and other northern Pueblos.

It’s a beautifully preserved site (and I must sound like a broken record on this), and the history lesson is always worth the price of admission.

Pecos Canyon State Park

As a bonus, the super helpful NPS volunteer directed us to a gorgeous drive through a long canyon and pinon forest. It remains incredible to me, not just here, but in so many places we have visited, that a twenty minute drive can so substantially change the geography and ecology. After winding our way through the canyon we came upon actual forest and ultimately to a small fishing pond surrounded by some great cabins we believe were rental properties of the State Park. If the zombie apocalypse ever happens, this is our new number one bug out spot.