All parks › Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Chaco Culture National Historical Park: fees, hours, camping and when to visit
- Private vehicle, 7 days
- $25[1]
- Busiest month (2025)
- May[2]
- Recreation visits, 2025
- 29,816[3]
- Campgrounds
- 2[4]
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a National Park System unit in New Mexico[5]. NPS lists a private vehicle entrance fee of $25[1], and fees are cashless[6].
Entrance fees and passes
Fees as listed by the National Park Service. Fees change, so confirm on the park's official fees page before you go.
| Fee or pass | Price |
|---|---|
| Private Vehicle[1] | $25 |
| Per Person[7] | $15 |
| Motorcycle[8] | $20 |
| Non-commercial Groups[9] | $25 |
The America the Beautiful pass is accepted here[10].
Entrance fee payment is cashless (card or mobile payment)[6].
America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites.
| Pass | Who can get it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Annual Pass[11] | US citizens and residents | $80 |
| Non-Resident Annual Pass[11] | Non-US residents | $250 |
| Senior Annual Pass[11] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $20 |
| Senior Lifetime Pass[11] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $80 |
| Military Annual Pass[11] | Current US military and dependents | Free |
| Military Lifetime Pass[11] | Gold Star Family members and veterans | Free |
| Access Pass[11] | US citizens and residents with permanent disability | Free |
| 4th Grade Pass[11] | US 4th graders | Free |
| Volunteer Pass[11] | Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours | Free |
When to visit and hours
NPS lists the visitor center as open 9:00am to 5:00pm daily[12]. Trails and archaeological sites open at 7am and stay open to 9:00pm between May 1 and October 31[12]. NPS says that at 8:30 PM visitors should be leaving, or back at the campground if camping[12]. Winter hours run from 2026-11-01 to 2027-02-28 and spring hours from 2027-03-01 to 2027-04-30[12]. Closures are listed for 2026-11-26 and 2026-12-25[12]. In 2025 the busiest month was May with 4,955 recreation visits[2]. NPS describes summer highs in the 80s to mid-90s, with thunderstorms that can bring heavy local downpours[13]. Winter nights drop well below freezing most nights, according to NPS[13].
Show visits by month
| Month, 2025 | Recreation visits |
|---|---|
| January | 1,043 |
| February | 1,269 |
| March | 3,873 |
| April | 4,355 |
| May | 4,955 |
| June | 3,383 |
| July | 2,613 |
| August | 2,116 |
| September | 3,187 |
| October | 0 |
| November | 976 |
| December | 2,046 |
Camping
NPS and Recreation.gov list 2 campgrounds here, with 29 sites and 24 sites[4]. Nightly individual-site fees listed by NPS are $20[4]. NPS tells winter campers to expect nights in the teens or colder[13].
- Gallo Campground, 29 sites[4]
- Gallo Campground, 24 sites
Pets and dogs
Under the national NPS rule, pets must be crated, caged or kept on a leash of six feet or less where they are allowed[14]. Pets are not allowed in public buildings, with service animals excepted[14]. Each park can close more areas to pets, so check with the park[14].
Before you go
- Entrance fees are cashless, so bring a card or mobile payment[6].
- The Resident Annual Pass costs $80 and the park accepts the America the Beautiful pass for entrance[11][10].
- A private vehicle fee covers entry for up to 7 days from purchase, per the NPS note[1].
- Fees and hours change, so confirm on the official park page before you go[12].
- Check local weather forecasts, since NPS notes that storms can change conditions quickly[13].
Questions people ask
Facts and sources
- Entrance fee, Private Vehicle: $25. National Park Service
- NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 31,922, 2022: 41,594, 2023: 40,198, 2024: 37,840, 2025: 29,816. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- Campgrounds in Chaco Culture National Historical Park (list on this page). National Park Service
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Historical Park) in New Mexico. National Park Service
- Entrance fees at Chaco Culture National Historical Park are cashless (cards or mobile payment, no cash) according to NPS. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Per Person: $15. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Motorcycle: $20. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Non-commercial Groups: $25. National Park Service
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park accepts the America the Beautiful (interagency) pass for entrance. National Park Service
- America the Beautiful pass prices (table on this page). NPS Passes
- Operating hours, Chaco Culture National Historical Park: All hiking trails and archaeological sites are open from 7am until 9:00pm from May 1-October 31. The visitor center is open from 9:00am-5:00pm daily. At 8:30 PM, you must be leaving or if you are... National Park Service
- NPS weather and seasons overview for Chaco Culture National Historical Park. National Park Service
- National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15