Milky Way galaxy diving behind the remnants of the church of San Gregorio de Abó II 

NPS Photo by Park Guide Alex Arnold

Directions to Ruins from Mountainair: 

Abó: Ruins are 9 miles west on US 60 and one-half mile north on NM 513. Telephone: (505) 847-2400.

Immaculate Night Sky

In the United States, there are limited places where you can visibly see the Milky Way galaxy with your own eyes. Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is one of those places you can experience the breathtaking sight of the Milky Way because of minimal light pollution. The Abó, Quarai, and Gran Quivira units of the park offer exceptional dark skies, which led to the park receiving its DarkSky International accreditation in 2016.

How Can I Experience the Darkness?

Although the park grounds close at 4:00 pm in the winter and 5:00 pm in the summer, there are still opportunities to experience the night sky at the park. Throughout the year from May through October, park staff and volunteers host dark sky programs at the park units. These programs usually consist of a ranger guided sunset mission and pueblo walk, stargazing opportunities with the park telescopes, a dark sky photography workshop, and more!

Learn more at the National Park Site:

https://www.nps.gov/sapu/planyourvisit/dark-sky-programs.htm