Tsi'pin Trail #238

A permit is required to visit the Tsi-p 'in-owinge site and can be obtained from the Coyote Ranger District at no cost.  A brochure and a hard copy permit will be given to you when you schedule your visit with the District.

Tsi-p 'in-owinge is a Cultural Heritage site. Tsi-p 'in-owinge (Village at Flaking Stone Mountain)  elevation ia 7,400 feet.  The pueblo was built around 1275 A.D.  At its peak, more than 1,000 pueblo people lived here.   The pueblo was abandoned by 1450. 

The multistory pueblo was constructed of stone blocks quarried from the volcanic tuff (a welded ash material). The people hunted in the mountains and along the Chama River to the north.  They grew corn, beans, and squash in gardens located on the mesa and along the streams below. 

Stone resources, excellent for tool making, were readily available; obsidian (black volcanic glass), chert, and basalt (a dense lava).  The descendants of the village, the modern Tewa-speaking people, call the pueblo Tsi-p 'pin-owinge (Village at Flaking Stone Mountain). 

The site is accessible only by foot. The trail is steep, with switchbacks.  The climb back up is moderate to arduous.  The dirt road to the trailhead is rocky. High-clearance vehicles are recommended.  You should allow 6 hours for the round trip, including the hike once you leave the State highway.

Visitor Etiquette:  The Tsi-p 'in-owinge is a special place. It is considered sacred to some local Native American Pueblos.

• Please treat it with respect and protect it: Do not sit, stand or climb on the fragile stone walls; please do not camp, build fires or gather wood.
• Please stay on the trail:  It is illegal to remove any building stones or artifacts. 
• Please leave artifacts where they are found: You may see artifacts.  Feel free to look at them, and hold them, but place them back where you found them when you are done.
• Please do not leave anything you bring behind.

At a Glance