Chaco Canyon National Monument Travel Forum

I am travelling to Chaco in April and wonder if I need to rent an SUV or will a economy car have enough clearance. We will take the long road from the south instead of going all the way around and in from the north.
thanks so much

You should take the road coming in from the north (via US 550) unless you absolutely need to come in from the south. The southern route has a longer unpaved portion, is less used and is much rougher.
You can do it in an economy car (I have a couple of times), but it's best that you know what you're doing and drive very slowly. However, because it's washboarded for much of the drive, driving slowly is often jarring and excessively bumpy.
I would be wary of taking a rental car on this road only because of the liability. Even if you get that extra liability ($15/day or whatever), most companies do not cover travel on non-state-maintained roads, and this is a county-maintained road, so you'd be liable for any damages incurred on the car regardless of whether or not you got this extra coverage and which vehicle you have.
Plus, if it's been raining relatively heavily in the days before, this road should not be done at all.
You may want to consider switching out the car for the SUV if you really want to take this road. That way, you can save on gas and the rental fees (since SUVs tend to cost more) and have less to worry about with the washboards.

Hold yer horses there, Oleeanna. You might want to try the northern route. The southern route is mostly what my dad called a "wash board" road. lots of dirt, pot holes, ridges, more dirt and a load of rocks (some rocks are pretty big at times). Plus, if it's been raining at all over the prior month to your trip there will be stretches where the road just "doesn't exist" as a passable road anymore. If you're going in a car, completely forget the Southern route. You'll NEED an SUV. My brother just went that route last month in his car (he has four wheel drive and thinks he knows everything) and now has to fix his car's axle. he said he was only going around 50 mph when he hit the dirt portion of the road. The Northern views are just as spectacular and the road is much better.

I used to go in by the Southern route all the time in a car but that was a long time ago and I still remember the trip where it rained like it happened yesterday. The SUV really is the better idea if you plan on going off of the main roads. Things can get rough out there. It is very isolated and you really do not want to break down or get stuck. Have a wonderful time in Chaco - it is a very special place. There are lots of other very interesting places to visit in that area as well.

SUV. Northern Route. If you are going from Taos take 64 across the Bridge to Tres Piedras, Tierra Amarilla, Chama, Dulce and then Farmington. Stay in Farmington (or Bloomfield) and go to Chaco the next day. Dont try to do this in one day. Its certainly possible but you wont be doing it justice.