Puerco Ruin Trail
The paved Puerco Ruin Trail winds among
the ruins of Puerco Pueblo. Overlooks
provide views of petroglyphs that the
pueblo's inhabitants inscribed on
surrounding stones.
Overlooking the floodplain of the Puerco
River, Puerco Ruin is a partially excavated
rectangular pueblo of approximately 100
rooms built around a large plaza. Here, at
the largest of Petrified Forest National Park's
many archaelogical sites, researchers have
found evidence of human occupation from
about A.D. 1250 to A.D. 1380.
Puerco Pueblo straddled the cultural
frontier between the Mogollon/Zuni
people of the mountains to the south, and
the Anasazi/Hopi people of the mesas
and canyons to the north. Artifacts found
during excavations reveal that the
inhabitants of Puerco Pueblo had
contact with both groups.
Please stay on the trail to prevent damage to this important part
of America's heritage. Scattered remains of pots and tools should
be left alone so that archaelogists may study them.
Don't miss the rest of our virtual tour of Petrified Forest National Park in 1519 images.