Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

Stone ruins make up the pueblos of Salinas Valley, reminders of the area's earliest inhabitants whose ancestors came to the area some 7,000 years ago. The ancient cultures of the Anasazi and Mogollon came together in this region to construct Abó, Gran Quivira, and Quarai. These communities served as trading posts on the major routes, dealing in agriculture as well as hides and flints. The Pueblo Indians were joined by the Spaniards in the late 16th century; soon Franciscan missionaries moved to the region to Christianize the population.

Using European building styles with native adobe, chapels were constructed at the three sites. Today the park headquarters in Mountainair has a visitor center with displays and an audiovisual program on the history of the Pueblo Indians.

Nine miles west on US 60 and one-half mile north on NM 513, Abó Ruins is home to an unexcavated pueblo and the ruins of Mission of San Gregorio de Abó. Eight miles north of park headquarters on NM55 and one mile west, *Quarai Ruins site is home to the walls of Mission of Nuestra Señora de la Purísma Concepción de Cuarac, the most complete of the Salinas chapels. Twenty-five miles south of the visitors center on NM55 lies *Gran Quivira Ruins, with a small museum, 40-minute video program, excavations of San Isidro Conventio, and home to the ruins of Mission of San Buenaventura and Church of San Isidro.

In the 1660s and 1670s, life at the pueblos diminished due to conflicts between the Pueblo Indians and the Apaches as well as a severe drought and resulting famine. The Salinas pueblos were abandoned during the 1670s.

Location

Located one block west of intersection of US 60 and NM 55, east of I-25.

For more information: visit www.nps.gov/sapu.

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