Starting my return home now after enjoying a week with my family. I decided to head north and visit a few sites I didn’t have time for on the outbound trip. First stop was at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument in Abó, New Mexico. This national monument consists of three separate locations with remnants of pueblos and Spanish missions, as well as a main visitor center.
It’s Monday morning so no surprise the small on-site “visitor center” is closed, especially with being off season.
I’m going to include many of the informational signs in this posting because I feel they can explain the history better than what I could write (or plagiarize from the signs themselves). In short, this settlement was active for about 800 years from about 1100-1678, and then again from 1815 until about 1860.
Nearest the visitor center are remnants of resettlements by Spanish sheep ranchers in the 1800s, including a plazuela – a fortified ranch – for defensive measures against hostiles. Ultimately they were forced out and reatreated to the Rio Grande valley.
I took the walking path counter-clockwise from the visitor center which gives great views of the mission from a distance. The path is paved and very flat, and short enough to be accessible to just about everyone.
Looking away from the mission, the grassy surroundings don’t appear to be anything of interest. On the contrary, underneath the earth are the unexcavated remnants of the building that composed the busy pueblo for 300 years. In some areas there are partial excavations on the surface but those were halted for future preservation (REMINDER: Don’t touch or remove any artifacts here, leave them alone so future visitors can enjoy it!).
Along the path are several educational signs detailing pottery artifacts showing the people’s Mogollon roots; the importance of water from the spring-fed Espinosa Creek to life at the pueblo; and reasons why the peoples migrated away from Abó.
Looking just past the signs you can see Espinosa Creek and the much higher Manzano Mountains in the far distance.
At the time of my visit I was the only person here. Other than a few birds I saw very little wildlife. So it was a bit of a happy surprise to spy a rock squirrel sunning along the creek.
A sign detailing the thoughts of a passing U.S. Army expedition that came upon the site in the mid 1800s.
Finally reaching up close to the Mission of San Gregorio de Abó. This is what I would call the rear side which isn’t the most exciting view, let’s circle around to the front for a better look.
Before entering the walls of the mission, please observe the grave of Don Federico “Fred” Sisneros, long time caretaker and nation’s “oldest park ranger.” He requested burial here beneath a juniper tree.
Circling around the mission to where the walls are lowest gives a great perspective on how the inner structures are arranged.
An interesting feature inside the mission (Franciscans/Catholics) is this rather large kiva, a circular opening to an underground chamber used for ceremonies, education, and other community purposes by the Puebloans. According to the sign it was built along side the mission, and may have been used for religious conversion but it isn’t fully known how this relation worked out.
A view standing inside the mission walls showing just how many interior rooms existed. People worked here doing things like grinding corn, cooking, and herding livestock to support the day-to-day functions of the mission.
The largest internal area was the church, and the tallest remaining walls that now resemble a single tower, were part of the high walls surrounding the nave.
The nearby sign shows a drawing depicting what a living scene inside the church may have looked like. I very much enjoy places like this, it feels like a time machine imagining to be back in the past when it was alive.
One last view exiting the mission down what would have been a long internal hallway. The “Crossroads” sign shown below shows a depiction of what the entire area may have looked and illustrates how large the structure was in comparison to the nearby houses and commerce center.
If you like the dark night skies, Salinas Pueblo National Monument is an excellent choice for it’s remote location. The park was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2016.
Hiking Data
Here’s the route I took over the accessible walking path. Only skipped two small connecting sections (one of which I’m not sure is actually a trail any more), but I didn’t miss seeing anything.
Total distance including wandering around inside the mission was right at 3/4 of a mile. Very easy, anyone can do it and walk as much or as little as you choose.
