Pecos National Historical Park


When the Spanish first reached Pecos Pueblo, they found a five-story, 700-room structure that was a major center for trade between the Pueblo peoples and the Plains Indians to the east. The Spaniards completed a church in 1625, but it was destroyed during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. A mission church was rebuilt in 1717; today its ruins, alongside remnants of the pueblo, are the main attraction. It takes around an hour to explore the site thoroughly.

After reaching a peak of 2000 inhabitants, the pueblo gradually declined, and in 1838 its 17 remaining inhabitants moved to Jemez Pueblo. It's located 30 miles southeast of Santa Fe via I-25 (towards Las Vegas).


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