Cortez, Colo. (PRWEB) April 10, 2009
As Americans start to plan summer vacations, many are looking to combine fun, scenery, outdoor adventure and education – all in interesting destinations that fit the budget. They may be pleasantly surprised to find it all in on one of the country’s newest national byways, in a part of Colorado that sports few crowds, stunning vistas and the most archaeologically dense area in the United States.
The 116-mile Trail of the Ancients, America’s only National Scenic Byway dedicated solely to archaeology, is a byway full of archaeology and culture in the heart of the Colorado Plateau. With access to countless examples of Ancestral Puebloan culture, scenic vistas, and some of the most austere land in the country, the Trail invites visitors to step back in time and create their own adventures.
Some regions of the Colorado Plateau, over which the Trail winds, remain today much as they were in the 13th and 14th centuries. The terrain along the Trail encompasses the arid Four Corners region that includes Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, the Anasazi Heritage Center, Ute Mountain Tribal Park and the Four Corners Monument before connecting to Utah’s Trail of the Ancients.
Indian Culture
Home to many different Indian peoples throughout the centuries, the area holds myriad remnants of the Ancestral Pueblo Culture.