 The elevation of the sandstone canyon and the surrounding high-desert terrain is approximately .Though most of the Chacoan sites are located at the bottom of the canyon, the group also includes some ruins not in the canyon proper, extending from Kin Ya'a in the south to Pueblo Alto in the north, and from Pueblo Pintado to the northeast and Peñasco Blanco in the southwest.In terms of water drainage and cultural affinity, the area is part of the San Juan Basin, which includes Mesa Verde in Colorado and Kayenta, Arizona.