Casamero Ruins is a Chaco Canyon related site near Prewitt in northwest New Mexico. Take Interstate Highway 40 exit 63 north a short distance to historic highway 66 and turn east. After about 0.5 miles turn north on County Road 19 and continue for 4.2 miles. There aren’t any signs until you arrive at the site.
There is a short trail across the grassy field. The site is thought to have been occupied from about 1050 to 1100 AD. There are several interpretive signs in place explaining the features. This site was stabilized by the BLM in 1976. The red sandstone bluffs behind the ruins have three side by side alcoves that look like arches are forming. A few scattered Junipers are at the base of the cliffs but otherwise this site looks very dry.
The pueblo structure is L shaped with 23 rooms with one enclosed kiva. One of the interpretive signs has a plan view of all the rooms. There is an unexcavated great kiva about 250 feet to the south.
Most of the visible walls use banded masonry of thin slabs of blue limestone with smaller pieces used as chinking. There is some reddish sandstone mixed in.
In some of the walls the red sandstone dominates, with the sandstone slabs larger than the limestones. The bluffs near the site appear to be the obvious source of red sandstone. The blue limestone source isn't as obvious but might be the layers above the sandstone.
The interior circular kiva doesn’t show many of the features that are often seen with kivas, such as the pilaster roof supports or floor features.
I looked around the area surrounding the pueblo and didn't notice any associated nearby rubble piles, though there probably are some to the north across a drainage. Neighboring ruins sites aren't mentioned on the interpretive signs. The great kiva appears as a large depression without much visible stonework. I visited Casamero for about 0:45 minutes on a warm mid June day. There weren't any other visitors during my hike.
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