The final destination for me completing my visit at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument was at the Quarai site, located just 10 minutes north of Mountainair, New Mexico on NM-55 in the small unincorporated community of Punta de Agua. The visitor center / museum is currently closed for remodeling.
This is a smaller site and the trail is fully accessible. The main attraction of the mission site is within sight from the entrance and easy to reach.
Take careful notice of the informational signs as they will help guide your imagination into the past. What is now just the remains of one structure and some mounds was once a village of 600 Tiwa people. The remains of the stone houses under the grass date back as far as the 1300’s.
This unfinished stone foundation is younger than the main church by 200 years. When Spanish settlers moved back to the area they began building the new small church using stones from the old mission but it was never completed and this is what remains.
The first Spanish missionary arrived to Quarai in 1627. Within 5 years, Tiwa women under their direction had built the church, convento, and corrals. However not all was peaceful – for the next 35 years, the people of Quarai would have their fair share of trials and trouble.
Best direct view of the remaining adobe church walls as you approach from the visitor center. Not sure the picture properly conveys the size, it’s about four stories tall. For some reason I considered how long it would take to build a structure of this size as just one person and it doesn’t seem like an insurmountable period of time…but also not an endeavor I’m going to be taking up myself.
You can actually walk inside the old church walls at this location. Can you imagine, almost exactly 400 years ago some Spanish guy shows up and says “Hey, Tiwa people, wanna help me build a church?” And they are like “Yeah sure, nothing happens around here why not?”
The adjoining area shows walls of the inner structure but all that is left are about the lower six feet. I think you can walk inside here normally, but on my visit it was closed and barricaded off from visitor entry. Oh well.
The “Seat of the (Spanish) Inquisition,” which is to say the place where the churchman named to lead the holy office was, came to Quarai in the 1630’s. According to the sign only Spanish settlers were persecuted for “witchcraft” or “love potions”, and not the Indigenous Peoples…not sure I believe that. Needless to say I was surprised to see this sign, which makes sense because according to Monty Python the Inquisition’s chief weapon is surprise. Well, amongst their weaponry.
Great view of the remains of the adobe mission structure as you follow the walking path farther along the loop. Notice the circular brick object in the foreground – unlike other sites where they found kivas, this one was a torreón – a round watchtower used for protecting the settlement from “Apache attacks.” This was constructed in the later resettlement during the 1800’s along with the unfinished new church and are referred to as the Lucero Structures for Miguel and Juan Lucero. Apparently there is a square-shaped kiva in the larger patio area though I didn’t see it myself (probably due to that area being part of the blocked off zone).
The walking path loops back around through a tall area of brush and woods which I had all to myself today. Some small birds were flitting about but I couldn’t get a picture due to their speed. The shade provided a noticeable coolness and you could actually feel the humidity difference in the air, quite a peaceful spot.
On the far side of the interpretive loop is an intersection/connector leading to the Spanish Corral Trail which is said to have more natural beauty and views of the surrounding area. Unfortunately for me, I arrived as the park is nearing closing time (this one does have a prompt curfew, be mindful of the signboard at the visitor center), and I couldn’t take the longer route.
Nearing the end of the mission loop you will still get a small glimpse of the adjacent forest – and today I even saw a tiny sight of fall colors starting which is more than I’ve seen so far on this road trip.
The final informational sign titled “Famine and War” describes how the missions and settlements were abandoned in the late 1600s as residents moved back to the safer Rio Grande pueblos. The site would remain empty for nearly 150 years.
And with reading the sign I was gently urged out of the park by the local ranger and it was time to find camp for the evening. Quite an interesting multi-site National monument in central New Mexico.
Hiking Data
The short Mission Ruins Trail loop is very short and paved for accessibility and any visitors should be able to do it. I wish I had more time for the Spanish Corral Trail but I didn’t know about the closing time before visiting; set aside time to check that out on your visit, I believe it’s only an extra mile of hiking.
The interpretive loops is less than 1/2 mile and again very easy for a majority of visitors. The hardest part is reaching such a remote location, but if you are in the area give it a look!
