El Morro National Monument, located in Northwestern New Mexico, with the history of Native American settlements, including petroglyphs, the Conquistadors and Hispanic history, and Anglo-American history.

El Morro National Monument -- Inscription Rock

Graphics Copyright © 2000. El Morro is both an historical national monument, and one of most beautiful hiking trails in New Mexico. The trail is also accessible to people in wheel chairs. El Morro means "headlands" or "bluff". Because this was an important water source on the ancient trade route between the Acomas and Zunis, petroglyphs and drawings were inscribed on the side of a magnificent sandstone cliff.

Imagine your Spanish ancestors carving their names on the same rocks when they came to New Mexico in the 1500s. Anglo-Americans later began carving their names in the 1850s and 1860s when they served in the Army and homesteaded the area. Most of the inscriptions are still in good shape.

The inscriptions are adjacent to the ancient pool of water. Don Juan de Oñate carved his name in the rock 15 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock -- "Passed by here the Adelantado Don Juan de Oñate, from the discovery of the Sea of the South, the 16th day of April of 1605."

In 1692, Don Diego de Vargas returned to New Mexico. Twelve years earlier the Pueblos had revolted against Spanish rule and the Conquistadors had been thrown out of the colony. Stopping at El Morro, he carved (in Spanish) "Here was the General Don Diego de Vargas, who conquered for our Holy Faith, and for the Royal Crown, all of New Mexico at his own expense, year of 1692 ." The last Spanish inscription was carved in 1774. "Por aqui paso Andres Romero."

The first US Army Officer to visit El Morro was JH Simpson, in 1849. "Lt. J.H. Simpson USA & R. H. Kern, Artist, visited and copied these inscriptions, September 17th 18th 1849. In 1906, El Morro became a National Monument in order to protect the carvings.

On top of El Morro, the paved hiking trail leads to ruins of ancient Indian Pueblos which have long been abandoned.

We offer mountain land for sale by owner in the Zuni Mountains of New Mexico, approximately 20 miles from El Morro National Monument.

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