Una Vida Trail,
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
The trailhead for the interpretive Una Vida Trail is located at the northwest corner of the parking lot at the Chaco Canyon Visitor Centre. A wide graveled trail leads to the ruins of the Chacoan Great House. Follow the trail leading to the sandstone cliffs — the steep but short trail leads to a vast array of rock art and petroglyphs. The art depicts images of solar signs, geometric forms and clan figures. From this viewpoint a great opportunity exists to look down onto the ruins of Una Vida — there are over 150 rooms and several Kivas established here. Building commenced at this site around 800AD and during the following 250 years, many construction projects continued to accommodate the expanding community. Please respect this sacred site, do not disturb or remove the artifacts and leave no trace.
Elevation
The Una Vida Trail has a maximum elevation of 6,300 ft., a minimum elevation of 6,166 ft. and an elevation range of 134 ft.
Metrics
| [ A to B ] or [ B to A ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Length 2 | Min Ele 3 | Max Ele 4 | Range 5 |
| 0.4 mi | 6,166 ft | 6,300 ft | 134 ft |
| [ A to B ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time 6 | Floors 7 | Gain 8 | Loss 9 |
| 12 min | 10.7 | 128 ft | 7 ft |
| [ B to A ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Floors | Gain | Loss |
| 10 min | 0.6 | 7 ft | 128 ft |
Calories
The following chart shows the total calories that you may expend on the trail while hiking in both directions. The chart is based on data derived from a statistical model of energy expenditure that relates gross weight, typical speed and trail topography.
Topo Maps
Download the PDF Una Vida Trail topo map and the adjoining quads to plan your hike. These are full-sheet, 7.5 Minute (1:24,000 scale) topographic maps.
Adjoining 7.5' Quadrangle Legend
- Northwest Topo Map: Pretty Rock, NM
- North Topo Map: Pueblo Bonito NW, NM
- Northeast Topo Map: Kimbeto, NM
- West Topo Map: Kin Klizhin Ruins, NM
- Topo Map: Pueblo Bonito, NM
- East Topo Map: Sargent Ranch, NM
- Southwest Topo Map: Nose Rock, NM
- South Topo Map: Seven Lakes NW, NM
- Southeast Topo Map: Seven Lakes NE, NM
Difficulty
The following chart illustrates the difficulty of hiking the Una Vida Trail compared to two other trails. The x-axis is cumulative elevation gain and the y-axis is maximum elevation. The length of the trail is reflected in the size of the bubble.
FAQ
What is the length of the Una Vida Trail?
The length of the trail is 0.4 miles (0.6 km) or 812 steps.
How long does it take to hike the Una Vida Trail?
A person in good physical health can hike the trail in 12 minutes in one direction and in 10 minutes in the opposite direction.
Warnings
Prevent tick bites: Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
(cdc.gov)
- The Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) may be present in this area. The Brown dog tick transmits Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Footnotes
- Steps is a unit of distance equal to the sum of stride lengths that vary with the terrain.
- Length is the distance of the trail between the two trailheads, measured on the trail.
- Min Ele is the minimum elevation on the trail.
- Max Ele is the maximum elevation on the trail.
- Range is the difference between maximum and minimum elevation.
- Time is the typical total time required to hike the trail.
- Floors is the gain divided by twelve feet, the height of one floor.
- Gain (cumulative elevation gain) is the sum of every gain in elevation.
- Loss (cumulative elevation loss) is the sum of every loss in elevation.