Puye Cliff Dwellings
Puye Cliff Dwellings is a historic site in New Mexico, at a modelled elevation of 2,149 m. Turkey Ridge stands 3,558 m to the west, 12 miles off. The nearest named place is Puye Ruins Historical Marker, a historic site 0.2 miles away. Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway runs past it.
The story
The Puye Cliff Dwellings are the ruins of an abandoned pueblo, located in Santa Clara Canyon on Santa Clara Pueblo Reservation land near Española, New Mexico. Established in the late 1200s or early 1300s and abandoned by about 1600, this is among the largest of the prehistoric Indian settlements on the Pajarito Plateau, showing a variety of architectural forms and building techniques. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. The name Puye (Tewa language: pu, “cottontail rabbits,” and ye, "to assemble") possibly suggests a place for hunting rabbits.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q7262644, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- On the Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway
- 9.5 mi off the El Camino Real, National
- 12.0 mi off the Jemez Mountain Trail, National
- 12.2 mi off the High Road to Taos
Overlooks nearby
- Frijoles Canyon Viewpoint · 14 mi
- San Diego Canyon Overlook Overlook Site · 24 mi
- Jemez Canyon Overlook · 24 mi
- Cross of the Martyrs Hill · 26 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Popawi: 0.3 mi
- Los Cerros: 4.0 mi
- Clara Peak: 4.3 mi
- Cerro Roman: 4.4 mi
- Guaje Mountain: 4.6 mi
- Nexus: 6.7 mi
- LAM: 6.9 mi
- LANB sculpture: 7.5 mi
- Post Office Bald Eagle: 7.5 mi
- Oppenheimer and Groves: 7.6 mi
- Los Pueblos Park: 5.6 mi
- Main Gate Park: 6.9 mi
- Pine Street Playlot: 7.1 mi
- Kiva: 7.9 mi
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park: 8.2 mi
- Puye Ruins Historical Marker: 0.2 mi
- Otowi Pueblo Ruins: 6.4 mi
- Camp Hamilton: 6.4 mi
- Los Alamos Historic Marker: 6.9 mi
- Pierotti's Clowns: 7.6 mi
- Pine Spring: 3.4 mi
- Soda Springs: 11.7 mi
- Pajarito Springs: 11.9 mi
- Armstead Spring: 12.6 mi
- American Spring: 12.8 mi
- Bond House Historic Site: 8.2 mi
- Española: 8.3 mi
- Chimayo Trading Post Historic Site: 9.1 mi
- Amphitheater: 12.6 mi
- Alcove: 12.9 mi
- Camp May: 10.8 mi
- Ponderosa Picnic Area: 12.1 mi
- Ampitheater Picnic Area: 12.7 mi
- Cottonwood Picnic Area: 13.7 mi
- Northlake Picnic ground: 17.6 mi
- Hans Bethe House: 7.5 mi
- Los Alamos History Museum: 7.5 mi
- Bond House Museum: 8.2 mi
- San Ildefonso Pueblo Museum: 8.4 mi
- Poeh Cultural Center: 13.7 mi
- La Cuchilla de la Monjonera: 7.6 mi
- Gates of Hell: 9.5 mi
- Water Canyon pour-off: 13.2 mi
- Black Mesa: 16.6 mi
- Cerro Valdez: 21.2 mi
- Upper Frijoles Falls: 14.6 mi
- Lower Frijoles Falls: 14.8 mi
- Rio en Medio Falls: 23.1 mi
- Jemez Falls: 23.9 mi
- Memorial Rose Garden: 7.5 mi
- White Rock Community Garden: 10.2 mi
- San Antonio Hot Spring: 23.3 mi
- Spence Hot Spring: 24.0 mi
- Rendija Arch: 7.3 mi
- Buckman: 10.3 mi
- New Mexico Wildlife Center: 11.3 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 15.3 miles of Puye Cliff Dwellings. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Ridge | W 275° | 3,558 m | 12.4 mi |
| Chicoma Mountain | WNW 285° | 3,517 m | 9.0 mi |
| Polvadera Peak | WNW 301° | 3,419 m | 11.5 mi |
| Cerro Toledo | W 277° | 3,323 m | 11.8 mi |
| Caballo Mountain | W 260° | 3,200 m | 7.7 mi |
| Pajarito Mountain | WSW 238° | 3,176 m | 11.3 mi |
| Cerro Rubio | WSW 259° | 3,169 m | 9.8 mi |
| Cerros del Abrigo | WSW 258° | 3,148 m | 14.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:09 | 18:43 | 19:17 |
| June solstice | 05:49 | 19:48 | 20:26 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:30 | 19:03 |
| December solstice | 07:12 | 16:15 | 16:55 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 30 | 34 | 42 | 48 | 57 | 67 | 70 | 67 | 62 | 51 | 39 | 31 |
| Precip in | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — LOS Alamos, 9 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element way/706109288
Day trips start here
- Española · 9 mi
- Pojoaque · 13 mi
- Bandelier National Monument · 14 mi
- Chimayó · 17 mi
- Santa Fe · 25 mi
Take the scenic way to Puye Cliff Dwellings.
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