Complex of three Spanish missions located in New Mexico, where construction of the missions began in 1622 and was completed in 1635
General Information
Winter (Nov–Mar): 9am to 4pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day
How to Get There
From Albuquerque (70 mi): Take I‑25 south to Belen, then NM‑47 to US‑60 east; follow US‑60 about 21 miles to Mountainair and the monument headquarters.
Overview
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument preserves three 17th-century Spanish missions and their pueblos near Mountainair: Gran Quivira, Quarai, and Abó. Each has the ruins of a big stone mission church next to a pueblo abandoned by the 1670s, in a remote high-desert area. The main visitor center is in Mountainair, and the sites are a short drive apart (about 25 miles between Abó and Gran Quivira).
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article and official pages for Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Travel.com Guide, Visit Albuquerque, National Parks Data, Britannica, released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
Featured Trails
#Placeholder, #License, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Gran Quivira Mission Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Short interpretive trail through the largest mission site featuring pueblo ruins, kivas, and historic churches
#Placeholder, #License, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Quarai Ruins Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Scenic loop through well-preserved mission ruins set among trees with views of surrounding mountains
#Placeholder, #License, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Abó Mission Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Easy interpretive walk around striking red sandstone ruins and historic pueblo structures
#Placeholder, #License, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Spanish Corral Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Loop trail near Quarai passing through piñon-juniper forest and historic landscape features
