Dear Friend of the National Parks,

Despite decades of activism and the sustained efforts of sovereign nations to protect their homes from pipeline development, hallowed lands continue to be threatened by oil and gas development.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park in New Mexico is home to sacred sites that are constantly facing these threats. Your support of NPCA has helped back legislation that would permanently protect the 10 miles surrounding the park by banning fossil fuel extraction on 315,000 acres.

Come see the land your support is helping to protect. Join us on NPCA’s small-group tour and explore parts of the beautiful Four Corners region, the home of Ancestral Puebloan culture.

Natural Fortunes of the Four Corners
September 26 - October 2, 2021
Registration Deadline: March 5, 2021

Surround yourself with sweeping vistas, internationally recognized dark skies, and diverse plant and animal species as you discover the remains of the homes left behind by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples.

On this trip, you will journey alongside NPCA’s Southwest Regional Director and former National Park Service Interpretive Guide, Ernie Atencio, for a behind-the-scenes look at how NPCA protects sites at Chaco Culture, Mesa Verde and Hovenweep National Monument.

Trip highlights include:

• Visiting four national park sites, including two UNESCO World Heritage Sites

• Wandering through the Puebloan “great houses” at Chaco Culture National Historical Park

• Meeting with NPCA’s partners from the Research Institute at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center for an inside look at the threats to the cultural landscape of southwestern Utah at Hovenweep National Monument

• Spending two full days exploring cliff dwellings and other archaeological sites at Mesa Verde National Park, with a behind-the-scenes meeting with the park's superintendent

• Stargazing under some of the darkest skies in the country

Beginning in Albuquerque, New Mexico, meet with your NPCA host and partners for an introduction to the rich history of the Four Corners and an overview of NPCA’s priorities in the region. The next morning, travel north to Chaco Culture National Historical Park for our first immersion into Ancestral Puebloan society and architecture. Designated as an International Dark Sky Park, Chaco is one of the richest and least developed archaeological sites in the country.

Next, you will head north toward Colorado, stopping along the way at Aztec Ruins National Monument. Later, you will visit Mesa Verde National Park, the perfect setting for taking in Puebloan history while enjoying the beauty of the region as you spend two days hiking and exploring the park’s ancient cliffside structures. Here, NPCA staff and partners will provide insights into the present and future challenges these areas face and what you can do to help.

On the final full day, journey to nearby Hovenweep National Monument, another International Dark Sky Park, where NPCA is fighting serious energy development threats.

The trip wraps up in Durango, Colorado, where we’ll toast our travels alongside NPCA staff and partners.

To hear from the NPCA host for this trip, Ernie Atencio, check out this recent virtual panel discussion: World Heritage Site at Risk: Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Click here to download the full trip brochure (7 MB PDF).

And be sure to check out all of our 2021 NPCA trips by visiting npca.org/trips.

To learn more and reserve your spot today, contact me at 202-454-3305 or [email protected]. Thank you for your support.

See you in the parks,


Jared Dial
Travel Program Manager

Photos, top to bottom: Casa Rinconada, Chaco Culture © Jaahnlieb/Dreamstime; Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde © Sumikophoto/Shutterstock; Hovenweep Castle in Hovenweep National Monument at sunset © Kojihirano/Shutterstock.