From a purely photographic standpoint, Mesa Verde or Chaco Canyon?

[Mjollnir]

Spending the 4th Xmas in 7 years in Dallas, which means a long few days on the road back to S. Cal and a lot of photographic opportunities.

I'm considering one of these two places, but have never been and don't know about ease of access, crowds at this time of year, chances to get shots that aren't necessarily done by everyone else, etc...

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[degrub]

Chaco - i think you have to enter from the south road. the north may be closed and was always a rough prospect, but doable with ordinary vehicle. Not many people around usually. Go the the park web site and NG for pictures of the various ruins. It is desert. Interesting details to shoot in the ruins and surround desert. Check about camping as there is not much nearby.

Mesa Verde - probably busy, even in winter. Has trees and maybe more photogenic but depends on taste. The lodge is convenient, basic, and expensive as usual in NPs. Take good gripping hiking shoes or equivalent (see Bryce/Moab thread) if you want to visit many of the ruins as it is around 7-8000 ft. Talk with the ranger station about what is open and if you need special footwear for winter on some of the trails. Website and NG will have pictures of most of the sites that the public can visit.

Bosque del Apache NWR is just south of your path as well as Santa Fe to the North. There are scenic areas on the old road from Albuquerque to SF.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Degrub's advice matches my own one-time experience. I hope you will make tit to all three (Chaco, Mesa V and Bosque) eventually, but do just one for a short trip.

If you do Chaco, try to take a tour of the main ruins from a park ranger with the unlikely name of Cornucopia. He makes all that is know and unknown about the history come alive.

In any case, I agree with Chaco as first choice. My wife and I stayed at a B'n'B in a town a bit north of there, as close as we could get without camping, and it was quite a drive to get to the entrance gate by opening time.

Eric

[Jens Peermann]

Chaco Canyon is also very close to the Bisti Wilderness which has rock formations that offer truly out-of-this-world images. Look it up!

[francois]

Another vote for Chaco Canyon but lodging may present a problem compared to Mesa Verde.