Round Trip Distance: 500 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 6453 - 6457 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 15 mins.
Trailhead: 36.45248, -107.50326
Fee: none
Attractions: Pueblito
The Tapicito Ruin is located on a mesa above Largo Wash in the Dinetah area east of Broomfield, New Mexico. What is now a ruin was built by people of the Navajo Nation in the '1690's making it one of the earliest of the dated Navajo Refugee Pueblitos' (BLM kiosk).
For turn-by-turn directions to the trailhead enter 36.45248, -107.50326 into your driving app. From US-64 you will be directed down the Largo Wash Road, CR 4450, for 28 mile where you will turn left and cross Largo Wash. After traveling along Tapicito Creek for 2.34 miles go left again and follow the road up onto the bench where the Tapicito Trailhead will be on your right after 2.8 miles. Note that due to some deep sand pockets the Largo Wash Road requires a high clearance 4WD vehicle.
The ruin is basically constructed in a big square that is divided into four rooms.
One of the rooms still has its roof but as the sign mentions it is unsafe to walk on.
We could have stuck our 3D camera, which is on a 10 foot selfie stick, through the hole in the roof and looked at the interior that way but we didn't actually think of doing it at the time.
This is what we got when sticking our camera through the doorway of one of the other rooms and blindly snapping a couple of photos. It shows the remains of a partial section of roof and an inner passageway.
The kiosk at the site points out the unusual rubble core construction used in the walls of the pueblito and its unique non-defensive location on an open bench.
It's nice to find sites with kiosks and signs reminding visitors to be careful and not doing anything that would cause harm.
Tapicito is the Spanish word for 'tapestry'. Perhaps there is something in Tapicito Canyon, like an intricate rock art panel, that brought about that particular name.
If you would like to see the Tapicito Ruin for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
