The Escalante Ruin was first investigated in 1776 by the Domínguez-Escalante Expedition looking for a northern route from the New Mexico missions to the ones at Monterey, California. The Ruin consists of a partially excavated multi-storied masonry pueblo with at least 20 rooms and a kiva. Built by the San Juan Anasazi between 900 and 1300 A.D., it is representative of the small surface pueblos that were once common throughout the region. The Escalante Ruin is located at the Anasazi Heritage Center (AHC), an anthropological museum with exhibits on prehistoric Anasazi culture.

Escalante Ruin is two and a half miles south of Dolores, Colorado, on CO 145, then half a mile west on CO 184. A trail leads from the AHC to the ruin. Open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Please call 970-882-4811, or visit the AHC websitefor further information.

Credits and Sources:

National Park Service. "Discover Our Shared Heritage American Southwest, A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary: List of Sites." http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amsw/sitelist.htm.

Photo from Anasazi Heritage Center, Bureau of Land Management Colorado