Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Abiquiu was a busy place during the Triassic

Coelophysis

Representations of Zuni ritual dancers

Chimney Rock

Ghost Ranch is best known as Georgia O'Keefe's home away from home.  She lived and painted there seasonally at the invitation of the Ranch's owners.  The landscape of the Ranch was inspiration to some of her best known works.  We saw artists drive up, unload their easels and chairs, and start painting away.  There is much more happening on the property, if you aren't an art lover.

The Ranch is the site of an important cache of Triassic period fossils, including the state fossil of New Mexico - coelophysis.  (This was a small, nimble two-legged dinosaur, which scores big on cute points).  There is a small museum with ongoing work in paleontology.  The area was also home to the Gallina people, who likely left due to droughts and may be related to the modern Pueblo peoples.  Their story is told through artifacts in another small museum.

There is camping, horse trail riding and a small hotel on property.  There are landscape tours with a focus on the sites most depicted by O'Keefe.

The whole area is beautiful with hiking trails and stunning rock formations.  The aspen leaves were changing to a stunning gold.  The visitors' center is the best place to start with information about all the Ranch offers.  A day pass is $10 for an adult.  There is also a small shop with clothes and necessities.  It is dry in New Mexico and I had to pick up lip balm.  Access to the Ranch is down a nice gravel road.  There is ample parking.  This is a very popular destination, so it is in no way remote, despite the name, "ghost".  It is a lovely place to spend some time, enjoying the scenery.  Although Georgia O'Keefe's home and studio on this property isn't open to the public, her home/studio in "downtown" Abiquiui is available by tour at the nearby Georgia O'Keefe Center.  The Ghost Ranch is about a 15-minute drive north of the Center.