Chaco Culture National Historical Park is located in Northern New Mexico near Farmington. Archeologist Larry Baker, Executive Director at nearby Salmon Ruins Archeological Research Center and Library talks about the once thriving community of as many as 20,000 residents. Occupied from around 800A.D., to the 1,200s when environmental degradation led the residents to abandon their community. Chaco Canyon, administered by the National Park Service is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .