An Inspired Cook

If you ever feel like taking a trip back in time, El Morro National Monument and Inscription Rock is the place to visit. There are 700 years of history starting with the Puebloan Ancestors who built dwellings on top of the Mesa. According to NPS History, Atsinna Pueblo is the largest of the pueblos atop El Morro, dating back to 1275. The Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the 1500’s and in 1598 Don Juan de Oñate officially colonized New Mexico. He is believed to be the first to inscribe his name in the rock dated April 16, 1605. The Mexican-American War (1846-48) made New Mexico a territory of the United States. The US Army surveyed the area for a route west as a new wave of Americans ventured westward. As they traveled through, they added their names and sometimes a message to the rock which became “Inscription Rock”. There are more than 2000 inscriptions and petroglyphs that are visible today. I have to say that this is one of my favorite places to visit. It leaves me in awe to see the beautiful landscape with all the natural formations as well as the historic Inscription Rock. I hope you enjoy taking the hike with us!

Check in at the visitor center for information on trails. There are no entrance fees to visit the park, however their website indicates that the park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The 2 mile Headland Trail starts at the back of the visitor center and will take you to the top of the mesa where you can look out over the landscape for miles in any direction. As the trail winds down you will be able to see Inscription Rock with all the history of those who carved their names and messages into the rock. **Pictures with bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds were from August 2022 while those with a moody cloud covered day were from August 2024. Both days were beautiful in their own perspectives.

Click on any photo to enlarge

The walk from the visitor center is an upward gradual slope. The views become more staggering the higher you climb.

Here’s your steepest climb, once you tackle the stairs you will be at the top.

One of the first things we come across are these ancient ruins.

The colors are so vivid on this day with the blue skies and the colors of the stone. The path follows along the white sandstone.

Some natural rock formations along the way. You can definitely tell the difference in the skies from 2022 to 2024.

A gallery of natural art on the white sandstone.

Some more unusual things to see . . . the recent rains left puddles of water with native grass blowing in the breeze. You can see the dead tree toppled over from a long distance away but it’s even more spectacular up close.

Artistic trees that grow in the most unusual places . . .

As we make our way down the switchback trail we take a look out at the vast landscape ahead of us. Just around the bend Inscription Rock will come into view!

Be sure to read Part 2 of El Morro National Monument and Inscription Rock which focuses on the historic inscriptions left behind.