Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The Tsankawi people were a part of the Ancestral Puebloan culture, whose story is written into the cliffs, mesas, and deep canyons of northern New Mexico. I’ve walked their land, stepped into the worn trails carved into the rock by countless footsteps, and stood in awe of the remnants of a world long gone yet so very alive in the landscape.
Today, I want to take you on a journey back in time to the Tsankawi pueblo, nestled within the Bandelier National Monument. It’s a place where history comes alive beneath your feet, where every step you take is a reminder of those who lived here centuries before, and where the breathtaking scenery of the Rio Grande Valley and surrounding mountains serve as a testament to the resilience of the land and the people who thrived upon it.
nmosg.com
The Tsankawi people were a part of the Ancestral Puebloan culture, whose story is written into the cliffs, mesas, and deep canyons of northern New Mexico. I’ve walked their land, stepped into the worn trails carved into the rock by countless footsteps, and stood in awe of the remnants of a world long gone yet so very alive in the landscape.
Today, I want to take you on a journey back in time to the Tsankawi pueblo, nestled within the Bandelier National Monument. It’s a place where history comes alive beneath your feet, where every step you take is a reminder of those who lived here centuries before, and where the breathtaking scenery of the Rio Grande Valley and surrounding mountains serve as a testament to the resilience of the land and the people who thrived upon it.
nmosg.com

![Pecos River Brantley Lake State Park
Brantley Lake is a reservoir on the Pecos River located within Brantley Lake State Park approximately 12 miles north of Carlsbad, New Mexico off US 285. It is impounded by Brantley Dam, completed in the 1980s as part of the Brantley Project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
Brantley Lake State Park
The southernmost lake in New Mexico is an oasis of water, wildlife, plant life, gorgeous sunsets and stunning night skies.
Located twelve miles North of Carlsbad, NM, the park offers boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking trails, exceptional bird watching, developed and primitive campsites and restrooms with showers. Whether you’re picnicking for the day, or camping in your RV for a week, you’ll be sure to find adventure at Brantley Lake State Park!
The Pecos River (Spanish: Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico near Santa Fe and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, NM, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet. The river flows for 926 miles before reaching the Rio Grande near Del Rio.
The name “Pecos” derives from the Keresan (Native American language) term for the Pecos Pueblo, [p’æyok’ona]. The river was also historically referred to as the Río Natagés for the Mescalero people.
The river played a large role in the exploration of Texas by the Spanish.
On June 6, 1990, 20.5 miles of the Pecos River from its headwaters to the townsite of Tererro received National Wild and Scenic River designation.
nmosg.com Pecos River Brantley Lake State Park](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GR3ddKwTwAU/mqdefault.jpg)








