Explorers, rustlers, homesteaders, wildcatters, railroaders... Aztec's effervescent history epitomizes the Great American West. Today, we are a community rich in multi-cultural heritage, civic pride and ancestral traditions. Come play with us!
  • ⇩ Visitor Brochure (PDF, 2.3 MB)

    • Aztec Arches

    With nearly 300 documented natural arches and windows in the immediate area, Aztec underscores the ethereal, Nikon-prompting beauty of the American Southwest. Search out breathtaking Arch Rock in Hart Canyon, or visit the spectacular Anasazi Arch in Cox Canyon. Turn-by-turn directions and maps are available at the Aztec Visitor Center. In addition, explore two other nearby regions for another 200+ natural arches and windows.
  • ➠ Natural Arches

    • Aztec Museum & Pioneer Park

    Get a glimpse of Aztec's historic past by visiting the museum collections and the various historic structures within Pioneer Village. The complex houses one of the finest collections of authentic western Americana. History comes alive at the Pioneer Village, where young and old are bedazzled by the resolve and fortitude of our forefathers. Tour firsthand the doctor's and sheriff's offices, blacksmith and foundry, an 1880 pioneer cabin, general store and post office, and the Cedar Hill Church - all painstakingly reconstructed from the original buildings.
  • ➠ More Info and Photos

    • Aztec Ruins National Monument

    Centuries ago Aztec Ruins was a central gathering place, a thriving cultural capital for ancestral Puebloans. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a dazzling landmark to the roots of civilization. Tour the three-story, 450-room West Ruin. Explore the Great Kiva and marvel at 900-year-old roof timbers that shelter intact plaster rooms. Witness exquisite masonry before passing through mysterious T-shaped doorways. Mistakenly coined "Aztec" by others, the ancient Pueblo people lived and flourished at this very sacred and spiritual place. Aztec Ruins is one of New Mexico's more popular attractions, it boasts 45,000 visitors a year.
  • ➠ More Info and Photos

    • Aztec Speedway

    Legendary Aztec Speedway offers IMCA-sanctioned modified, sport mod, hobby and mini sprint stock car racing that has been thrilling fans since the 1960s.
  • ➠ More Info and Photos

    • Chaco Culture National Historic Park

    Chaco Culture is ranked among New Mexico's top-five tourism destinations. From 850-1250 AD, the Puebloan community was one of the largest and most successful of its kind in the Four Corners. It is located 74 miles south of Aztec on U.S. Hwy. 550.
  • ➠ More Info and Photos

    • Historic Main Avenue & Walking Tour

    Aztec offers all your shopping needs in a quaint, historic atmosphere. On display are dozens of structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties. Viewing starts at the Old Fire Station (now home to the San Juan County Historical Society), continues into downtown and meanders into our heritage neighborhoods. Many of these historic places are described in a downloadable document.
  • ➠ Historic Downtown Photo Tour
  • ⇩ Historic Aztec Self-Guided Walking and Biking Tours (PDF, 6.7 MB)

    • Mountain Bike Riding

    Aztec boasts over 30 miles of mountain bike trails, including the most infamous Alien Run which is where the annual mountain bike competition is held every year in the spring (April or May).
  • ➠ Alien Run Mountain Bike Trails
  • ➠ Mountain View Mountain Bike Trails

    • Old Spanish Trail

    In 1829, Mexican trader Antonio Armijo, 60 men and 100 mules visited Aztec Ruins en route to California. Starting in Abiquiu, N.M., Armijo followed established Native American trails as well as the 1776 exploration of Franciscan missionaries Sivestre Velez de Escalante and Francisco Antanasio Dominguez. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail, designated by Congress in 2002, skirts Aztec's eastern edges. It spans more than 2,500 miles and is regarded as America's longest and most arduous pack mule route.
  • ⇩ Old Spanish Trail Brochure (PDF, 5.9 MB)
  • ➠ www.oldspanishtrail.org

    • San Juan County Historical Society

    Located on historic Main Avenue, the newly remodeled Historical Society offers visitors a colorful landscape of Aztec's eclectic past, including the preservation and presentation of more than a century of records and images of Four Corners settlers, plus specialty books about the area.
  • ➠ San Juan County Historical Society Facebook Page

    • Aztec Ruins Great Kiva

    Aztec Ruins Great Kiva

    Cox Canyon Arch

    Crow Canyon: Bridge of Wonder

    Mountain Biking

    Mountain Biking along Alien Run Trail

    Chaco Canyon

    Chaco Culture National Park: Pueblo Bonito

    Golfing

    Golfing at Aztec Municipal Golf Course