Sunday, July 25, 2021

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: Saddlehorn Pueblo in Sand Canyon

 Today we wanted to get out to do a little exploring, but after so much driving yesterday, we opted to stay closer to Cortez with a hike in nearby Sand Canyon. We made the drive to the southern trailhead and hit the trail. 


We took the first spur trail that is supposed to lead to some ruins, but we never did find the ruins. Still, it was a beautiful side trip.

We  traveled further up Sand Canyon, enjoying the wonderful scenery.



Then we noticed it, in an alcove in a "saddlehorn-shaped" rock was the remains of the dwelling. We hiked over to have a closer look.


It was a very interesting place. Unfortunately, not everyone who was visiting showed respect.


After our visit to the Saddlehorn Pueblo, we started to make our way back towards the trailhead. Reluctantly, we took another side spur and this time it led to a nice structure, possibly a granary.


On the trip back to the car, we observed a collared lizard!


No comments: