Reviews of El Morro National Monument (Tourist Attraction)

diep duong

A gem! Very quiet. Only 8 or so camp sites. Free. Arrive early, like before noon, in mid September. Very quiet. Basic camping, vault clean toilet. Bring your own water. Make sure to start your trek on trail before 3pm. Very worth it. Good plan to arrive early at camp, start your trail before 3pm, and depart the next day, so only 1 overnight....given the weather is good. Not recommend to go on trail if rains or windy....some part of trail is on top of mesa so very exposed to rain, wind, and lightening.

John Parton

This is a must see, must do if you're anywhere near Grants/Gallup, NM in your travels. AND, it's fabulously beautiful beyond describing. It's literally a historical, cultural record etched in stone. Don't pass this up if you get the opportunity.

Scott Zyniecki

Super interesting place to visit. We only got to take the shorter of the trails as we were on a bit of a time crunch, but the entire place is beautiful and full of history. The park ranger was also super knowledgeable and very nice. Will definitely try to come back by and take the longer trail sometime.

Tracy Lassiter

We only hiked the Inscription Rock Loop but were impressed with the way the Park integrated features like water channels into the land using natural elements. Everything was organized and impressive. We live so close and it took us years to get there, but we will go back very soon.

Tim Lasley

Amazing man has been coming here for centuries. Rangers were too notch

Avril Tatum

Peaceful and beautiful..Great hiking trail

Brian Martin

Two year out of my wheelchair, walked the entire trail. The Park Service checkered on us twice

R. MadridPaz

Excellent! Impressive and historic, people traveled through here since 1609 and left their names and notes on the canyon walls. I enjoyed this place better than Grand Canyon.

Suzanne Taylor

Fun interesting place to visit. Alot of history to learn about.

Natalie Acheson

An absolutely beautiful place!! Well worth the drive to get here!! We went on a spring day when it was snowing on and off but we enjoyed the ranger talk called "what's in a name" and the loop trail past the inscriptions. The history is well preserved and the rangers very knowledgeable. Our kids had a good time and enjoyed the junior ranger program as well.

Melonie Dawes

What a great hike

Dominic Peralta

Great vistas, cool history, cant wait to go on a moonless night hike.

Benjamin Wallace

I went there with a few vets from the VA,wanted to walk more go to the top of the mountain,but we had to leave.

Brad Davis

Absolutely amazing. A hidden jem!

Dave Van Sickle

Super cool place!

Nicole Baxter

This place was awesome! The walking tour guide was very informative. You can borrow it from the Ranger at the desk and then return when you get back. The tour begins at the visitor center and is a loop trail. It's maybe a mile or so and it doesn't take that long to walk. The whole trail is paved and easily accessible. The trail is completely open and in the sun, but there are a few benches with some of them being in a shaded area. Sections of it have a bit of a steep incline/decline. It's not difficult, but I noticed several people behind me throughout the tour and most of them never passed me. I took my time reading the information on the guide too. So you might not finish the trail if you're older or have small children or if the New Mexican heat bothers you.

Tresa Woods

Really enjoyed visiting this monument. It's been years. We walked the entire trail. It was a little rough in spots but so worth it.

Jason Wayman

Short fun hike for the family.

Jason Albritton

This was a very cool place to take a hike. You have the option of a very simple paved road, or a two mile hike to the top of "El Morro" There are fantastic views and even some native ruins on the top of the mountain.

Dawn Beauty

Nice find! Learned something at this historic site!

Hampton Mills White

Beautiful place. Awesome scenery

Linda Sedillo

Nice trails. Half mile paved trail that is wheelchair accessible

Ethan Williams

Beautiful, an awesome place to visit for history buffs, and it's free.

Logan Whitney

Beautiful monument in a unique place. Friendly staff, excellent trail guide with handicap accessibility. If you are I the area, I highly recommend checking this place out.

Steven Buchsbaum

Beautiful small campground and free!

Elizabeth Marcella

Beautiful place to hike and learn history! I wish all the trails would have been open. But due to safety regulations I'm glad they were closed. The trails were too icy. Just means I have to go again! P.S. dog friendly if your dog is friendly.

Martha Chatto

Its excellent place to visit

Brad Brown

Very nice. Nice rock (not to be confused with Morro Rock in Morro Bay CA). In Zuni country. Next time we'll get up to to Atsinna (sp?) pueblo ruin on top where the views are. Free camping at campsite, at least for now...

Martin Kurowski

Took our kids ages 5 and 7 on the two mile loop hike. Both easily negotiated the steep parts of the trail. They loved the hike, the ruins and the inscriptions. Even paid attention to the short movie at the visitor center.

Russ Musselman

Incredible history. Was so awesome to walk up to the pool that has been hydrating travelers for 1000+ years. The carvings spanning that time were interesting and well explained in the tour pamphlet. The staff was nice and well informed. Will definitely return some day to do the top loop.

M McLeod

Beautiful and lots of history. Gave 4 stars because they need to update their website hours. Information center closes at 5:00 p.m., but they don't give you access to monument after 4:00. So, that's deceiving. DO NOT drive ALL THE WAY to El Morro Inscription Rock if you can't be there before 4:00!! Ugh.

Dana Aldis

Beautiful park - we climbed the highland path and then back down to see the inscriptions. Great views from the top, path easy to follow. Go early to beat the heat. Nice gift shop and Rangers were very helpful

Janet Allen

The walk up to the ruins were easy and the views tremendous. The ruins were awesome. The petroglyphs we're overwhelmingly Spanish or settlers. It was hard to pick out the Zuni images and the guidebook was also biased. That being said, the cliff face was impressive. The entire area was beautiful.

Lisa Mellott

I love visiting nature it's so beautiful!!

L. Howard Richards

There is a nice, small, no fee campground here, in the park. Maybe 10-12 spaces. The self guided, walking tour is easy and highly recommrnded, starts at the park office. Beautiful. Incredible history.

Agnieszka Avalos

Magnificent place!

Caitlin Woody

Beautiful. We did the long loop (I think 2 miles?) With 6 adults, 4 children under 4, and a dog. It was a great trail. Spent about 2.5, but we did some additional exploring with the little ones. I would like to go again and definitely recommend to a friend!

Beverly Shaff

Very cool park. Fun hikes.

Susanne Peters

Tough we visited on a rainy day, we still enjoyed our visit to El Morro!

Carol Hinmam

Very interesting with alit of history

Blanca Alas

Very nice place to go for the day. You can walk it up and down and its amazing view from above it. Long though but really nice.

Jessie Brown

Really neat to be able to hike to the top of the rock formation.

Dennis Jochum

Great place with a very friendly and informative staff.

trival_ yahoo

This place is a Must visit. The hike to the top of the mountain is not that bad and only 2mi. Once you get to the top you'll be rewarded with MAGNIFICENT views all around. Bring water and comfy shoes and a good camera.

mary

We love going to El Morro! We live close so this always a good place for a nice walk.

Larry Genthe

Great place to visit.

Tony M

What I thought was just a rock to climb was far more than that.... amazing place, awesome Rangers, and it's free. Do yourself a favour, don't research what's at the base of the rock, just go and get the free guide book and check it out. The surprise is well worth it

Diane Cameron

El Morro is only about 15 miles from Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, which was our real destination for the weekend, and which was an experience we will always treasure. Meeting the wolves and hearing them sing us to sleep was unforgettable and magical. We visited So Morro between tours at the wolf sanctuary, and we were so glad we made the decision to stop there! The visitor center staff was friendly, courteous and very helpful, and El Morro itself is a piece of history not to be missed. The self guided tour is free as well as fascinating. There are pueblo ruins atop the bluff that we did not climb to due to my painful knee, although we would have liked to. ( there are a lot of steps to get to the top). The short tour around the base of the bluff is only 1/2 mile, and wheelchair accessible. There are over 2000 petroglyphs, signatures and even some poetry carved into the sandstone. We were glad to have been able to fit this little side visit in. Definitely worth seeing!!!!

Phil Gray

Astonishing natural beauty. The oasis pool? Breathtaking! Bird rock? Majestic! Change in elevation, climate, scenery, wildlife (mainly birds and insects)? Invigorating! I've been on many hikes and this is one of the best. Very interesting petroglyphs as well. As a souvenir (which I rarely purchase) I got a sweet t shirt for $14. The rangers are all very helpful and informative. All in, a great life experience

don sneddon

Kind of rushed through due to rapidly approaching thunder storm. Still enough to attract on the fly and would like to visit again in leasure. Right after rains their are many pools on the trail so bring good boots or get a bit wet.

Olivia Hill

El Morro is a gem. It's magnificent, glorious and breathtaking. The water hole Oasis hike is easy and stunning, the inscriptions and petroglyphs are really fun to read. The longer hike to the top takes about two hours round trip. It's a bit more challenging if you're with small children because the path can be narrow at times and pretty daunting because of the proximity to the edge. Bring your baby carrier if you have one!

Darryl Olson

"The Promontory" is a magnificent, brilliant white rock pillar thrust from the desert. Inscribed in the pillar are messages from Ancestral Puebloans, Spanish and American visitors to the life preserving pond shielded by the pillar. Construction by the Southwest Conservation Corps is improving the Headland Trail to the Atsinna site so a portion of the trail is closed.

Ken McFadyen

Very accessible walk. Better 2-mile hike of pueblo ruins.

austin witherspoon

This place is awesome! A must see! Really cool path.

Julie Parrish

The National Park Service has done a terrific job at preserving and interpreting this important part of History. The ranger staff was so very helpful and The Visitor Center was really nice. Stop by if you're ever in the area.

Lorenz Mitterwenger-Fessl

Don't miss this National Monument. It is one of the best.

Conrad Castellino

just east of Grant's, the sandstone bluffs were formed millions of years ago ,they give a great lookout spot over El Malpais lava fields. the air is cool and crisp. closes after sunset.

Denise Sanfilippo

Beautiful. Bring your camera and water.

Stefan Waldvogel

Very impressive sand stone formation. Closes at 5pm.

David Sun

Definitely worth hiking up to see the ruins and to walk around. Go in the morning as it's cooler and you want to avoid any afternoon thunderstorms. May not want to take young children up though.

Mario Sisneros

B.E.A.Utiful! Nice to see that the west wasn't won by the English. There were whole cities and communities well established before the pilgrims even landed on Plymouth Rock! Just goes to show you who writes our history.

Guy Ruckman

Want to have pictures of Morro Bay rock and El Morro side by side

Nicole Combeau

Great advice by the rangers, lovely short walk to see the engravings. Highly recommend if you’re around the area.

Allison Barbato

This place was really awesome! The park ranger was friendly and gave us a reference book that we could flip through at each of the carvings. The book gave us a great back story to each signature/picture drawn. Also make sure to go to the top of El Morro! The views we're so incredible and the kids loved running around the rocks! It was all very safe. I would recommend wearing hiking books or shoes with good rubber soles though. It's not too difficult of a hike up, but you may want to bring a water bottle just in case.

Speshlee

Great place to get away, hike and enjoy a bit of preserved past.

Patty Capella

Nice friendly and helpful staff . Beautiful place to learn and hike. Clean and well maintained.

Richard Hopley

Wonderful history and natural beauty.

Martina Hildegard

So close and it has so much to offer !

Reggie Smith

This is a must see for everyone, even if you are not a nature lover.

Jesse Vigil

Pretty cool. I wish the surrounding mesas were protected and managed by the National Park service or BLM

Gerald Williamson

While the inscriptions are an interesting historical record, we enjoyed the longer walk up onto the top of the mesa even more. Beautiful, and the pueblo remains were most intriguing. Ranger in the visitor center was most knowledgeable & helpful, and the visit to the museum quite enlightening.

Hans Meinardus

Wonderful outdoor and historical experience at NO COST! (No entrance fee and no camping fee). Knowledgable friendly staff and well kept facilities

Kalenah Moore

Really cool place to visit. I think if you are a history buff, you need to go. But I'm not, I still recommend it. It is a beautiful place with some great scenery. Seeing writing in different languages and using the guide to translate for you is pretty cool. It is a nice little trail. We only did the shorter trail to the top, but we may go back sometime to do the longer trail.

Laura Hantzis

Love this place! Great people working here. It's not a big main attraction so no crowds! We got watch native brine shrimp in the puddles up on the cliffs.

Bonnie Gibons

Exceoptional, historical and stunning!

Levi B.

This was a cool place to see. There is no fee at this monument. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. The lower trail is about a quarter of a mile while the upper trail is just over a mile. You get to see carvings in rock from the 1600's, 1700's, and 1800's. If your ever in the area its definitely worth a stop.

Sally Gilbert

Fascination historical location, beautiful scenery and surroundings, excellent visitor center

Gilbert Rivera

Awesome place to visit. Lots of travelers came her on their travels to explore the Americas.

Daphne M

Beautiful area! Trail can be a little difficult to find in places, but looking ahead will easily solve any problems. Wonderful experience!!

chris reynolds

Finally made the complete hike. Well worth the work for a stage IV cancer patient. Don't count the days. Make the days count!

David Arnold

The campground is acceptable but the cliff dwellings themselves are pretty spectacular.

Tony Lopez

Amazing place to take the family for a little stroll through History

Jenifer McIntosh

I loved the views! Easy hike, perfect day and weather. I do wish they would mark the Indian petroglyphs too.

Victoria Lee

Nifty loaner pamphlets. Very environmentally friendly. I liked how the bathrooms were outside the building. Saw some bunnies. Cool holes around the visitor center. You can also get a stamp passport. Nice stop.

Christopher Carpenter

The coolest little national monument. I had never even heard of it before, and found it a chance drive down a back road. Spent several hours here and enjoyed the entire experience. Saw this on a must see list of national parks a couple weeks later, and I 100% agree. They don't even charge any fees.

Scott Lyford

Very nice! Friendly staff, informative displays, and a place where people have been coming and stopping for over 400 years. You can take a half mile easy walk to the pool and to see all the signatures in the rock, or do the whole 2 mile loop to see the ruins of a Zuni ancestral pueblo from around 1250-1400 AD on the top. Highly recommended.

Deborah Naville

Fabulous ... Awesome trail

howdy do

Interesting historical info on el morro

Charles Burrier

Inscriptions are amazing, trail over the blue is work talking!

Bill Barham

What an absolutely beautiful place. I've lived in New Mexico my whole life and I've never been to this site. The trails were very well-groomed they Visitor Center was beautiful and looked updated and the staff was Beyond Pleasant.

Kiva Management

Stunning, historical, ancient monument!!!

Billy Beranek

Beautiful place and free RV Park museum and visitors center were free and very interesting too. Worth the trip.

Karen Lloyd

Awesome small National Park/National Monument. Hundreds of inscriptions in cliff walls from the the 1800s and prior. Two trails:. One is short and mostly handicap accessible. The other requires a little climbing. Give yourself more than 2 hours prior to closing for the longer trail or the Park Ranger will prohibit your access. They need to know you make it out before closing, for you safety.

Andy Kelleher

There was a crazy lightning storm while we were here, with bolts so close that the sidewalk shook and we couldn't hear for a little bit. So we didn't climb up top, which was disappointing, but the carving tour at the base was pretty interesting.

Anja Cazacu

Amazing trail and the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable!

Steve Jones

I just saw this place on a list of our least visited National Monuments. WTF, America? It's so astonishingly beautiful there, it almost breaks your brain to look at it. Everyone should visit, not only for the natural beauty, but also for the amazing amount of history to be learned there. The El Morro trail was one of the most beautiful in my life, and I cannot wait to return! Shout out to the rangers and the rest of the team that keeps this treasure pristine. Some of the friendliest and most knowledgeable rangers I've ever had the pleasure of taking to work at El Morro!

Spiraltiger Woman

The people watching over this place are amazing! They offered to take me out on a hike to show me the sites. Though I was unable to go with them that day, I could tell they love being there! Beautiful place!

Cynthia Lackner

Worth a quick stop. Short hike to see the mountain of a rock with “signatures” carved on the side many many years ago.