Fajada Butte

Fajada Butte is the great isolated mesa that dominates the southern entrance to the park, visible from twenty miles off. The butte itself is closed to climbing — the sun dagger petroglyph site is protected — but the view of it changes character through the day, glowing orange at sunset, and the road in passes close enough that you can stop for photographs.

The Wijiji and Hungo Pavi trails on the canyon floor look back at Fajada from different angles; if you have an hour, the walk to Wijiji along the wash is the closest you can get.

things to do sight
A story
On the summer solstice at Fajada Butte, a dagger of light slides down between two stone slabs and bisects a spiral petroglyph chiselled on the cliff behind them. The discovery in 1977 of this 'sun dagger' — and its similar markings of the equinoxes and major lunar standstills — transformed our understanding of Chacoan astronomy.