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Located among the sandstone cliffs of New Mexico, near the village of Abiquiu, in the Carson National Forest, Echo Amphitheater is a fascinating natural amphitheater linked to the legend of blood and murder. In the spring of 1861 a group of settlers from Iowa was farming in northern New Mexico when a band of Navajo took them to the top of the amphitheater and executed them. In retribution, ten Navajo men were killed at the top of the amphitheater when the Navajo were being forced on the "Long Walk" by the U.S. Army three years later. The red vertical stripes that run down the horizontally stratified cliff wall are streaks of mineral varnish, but the legend explains them as the blood that seeped into the rock and is still visible today. The natural amphiteater’s echoing auditory properties are explained as the anguished cries of the dead still echo from the cliff's walls. Since the legend is more interesting than the fact, Echo Amphiteater is a popular tourist destination.
US-84, Abiquiu, NM 87510, Phone: 575-758-6200
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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