El Morro National Monument

El Morro is a sandstone monument that became a popular stopping point for travelers due to the year-round supply of water in a large pool at the base of the cliff. For literally hundreds, if not thousands, of years, this spot provided life-saving refreshment in a stark and unforgiving environment. For some reason (maybe it was something in the water), this spot also brought out the urge to leave a permanent mark that said "I was here" in some form or another. The cliff face is covered with historic graffiti that crosses eras and cultures. Today it still draws visitors to read its inscriptions and contemplate our place in history.

The excellent visitor center offers a film about the monument and many exhibits relevant to its history. From the back of the building it is a short walk on a paved path to the base of the cliff. Along a quarter-mile stretch of cliff there are inscriptions from the Ancestral Puebloans from over a thousand years ago. There are also many inscriptions left by the Spanish explorers, missionaries, and administrators from the 1600s and 1700s. In the mid-1800s, the Americans began to push into this area and they left their marks as well. There are signatures from wagon train immigrants, soldiers, and railroad crews.  All together, this sandstone monolith carries the breadth of the history of the southwest on its soft rock face. This site is unique in its preservation of the span of human history in this part of the world.