According to the National Park Service, Hungo Pavi is still unexcavated. It sits as it was for centuries when the Navajo were living in the canyon.

In that year (1849), the Washington Expedition, a military reconnaissance, surveyed Navajo lands and wrote accounts of Chacoan sites. A Mexican guide with the expedition (Carravahal), named the site, although its meaning is now lost.

Every single one of these sites in Chaco has an incredible story.  That’s why I encourage you to visit as many of these places as you can during your visit (without exhausting yourself of course).  Hungo Pavi is one of the easiest and quickest sites to see.  Hungo Pavi is a “great house”, which basically means, it was a public building and not so much a massive residential complex.

The trail took me less than 15 minutes, but I stayed a little bit longer to get pictures and enjoy this amazing place.  The trail is set up so it circles the ruins and isn’t longer than 1/4 of a mile in total length.  You won’t gain very much in elevation either.  Overall, this is a great little stop that isn’t a “must see” adventure, but I think it’s still worth the visit.

The structures at Hungo Pavi were created around 850 – 1150 A.D.  Some of the structures are almost completely buried with centuries and centuries of sand buildup, like the Great Kiva.  A Great Kiva is a very large circular building for trading events and ceremonies.  

Take a look at the masonry and engineering of Hungo Pavi.  You can get the sense that this was one a much larger place.  There are over 150 rooms here!

Just behind the ruins, is what is called a “Chacoan Staircase”.  This staircase would grant access to the mesa above.  There are prehistoric roads too that connect other communities and villages together.  If you explore other sites in Chaco, you will see more examples of these staircases.

The trail circles around Hungo Pavi and you will see a very long wall on the back side.  It’s quite incredible that this wall could be over 1000 years old!  Look closely at the log beams that were used.  You can probably see a few drill holes where survey crews took core samples to do dating.

If you have followed the back wall, you will turn a corner and be headed back to the parking area.