Kokopelli's Cave Bed & Breakfast in Farmington
From the cave and the cliff tops you have an unparalleled view of beautiful southwest sunsets over the four states of the Four Corners area. To the west you can see Shiprock and the Chuska mountains on the Navajo Indian reservation in northwest New Mexico. To the west and northwest you see the Carrizo Mountains in northeastern Arizona. To the northwest you can see the Ute Mountains and to the North loom the snow capped La Plata and San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. The cave itself is 70' below the surface. The entrance is located in the cliff face and is reached by walking down a sloping path and intermittent steps cut into the sandstone along the pathway. There is a short ladder at the bottom of the path with three wooden steps that land you on the flagstone porch and the front entrance to Kokopelli's "digs." You really have to want to come to Kokopelli's cave! This 1,650 square foot, one-bedroom cave home carved from a 65-million year old sandstone formation 280 feet above the La Plata River is furnished with plush carpeting, Southwestern style furniture and accents, hot and cold running water, a well-appointed kitchen including microwave and washer/dryer, cascading waterfall-style shower, and a flagstone hot tub!
"The cave was excavated from a sandstone cliff that geologist Bruce Allen Black, the developer, says is 65 million years old. He and his wife, Margie, loved the rocks, cliffs and rugged beauty. They fell in love with the Anasazi Cliff Dwellings of the Southwest and wanted to have one of their own. "A visit to the cave begins with a drive over a rough, rocky road about a half-mile north of Farmington's city limits. The parking area atop the cliff is surrounded by pinon and juniper trees and offers a wonderful opportunity for hiking, picnicking, rock hunting and nature walks. It's a strenuous trip down some 80 vertical feet to the cave's entrance, and Black discourages people not in good physical shape from making the descent. There are handrails at various points along the rocky footpath, as well as sandstone-carved steps. The last few steps are made by a three-ring ladder that drops down to a flagstone entryway. Once at the cave-site, the view is unsurpassed as mentioned above. Wildflowers dot the landscape in the spring and sage, cactus, yucca and other high desert flora abound.
Below the cliffs is a green wildlife refuge with an abundance of mule deer. It also houses a family of ring-tailed cats that often come up to the cave in the evening to try to get a handout. Other wildlife on the property includes coyotes, bobcats, fox, eagles, hawks, doves, rabbits, lizards, porcupines, skunks and chipmunks. Click on the photo for full description of access to the cave. It took about 18 years for Black's dream to reach completion. His original idea was to turn the cave into a geologic office, but that was abandoned after carrying rolled maps up and down the precipice proved to be unsatisfactory. In 1980, the subterranean cavern was blasted out by a "Stone Age" Durango, Colorado, engineering and mining firm, at a cost of $20,000. After the debris was removed Black was astonished to discover that what ha been accomplished was a foundation and literally rock-solid walls, along with a roof that would deflect a 2,000 pound bomb and never needed re-shingling. From there, Black and his son, Bruce Harmon Black, finished the project. The cave was opened as a continental bed and breakfast retreat in 1997. The natural walls were sprayed with a polyester material that kept the sand grains from falling. Marjorie Black and their daughter, Leigh, selected the name of the cave and the Southwestern décor, emphasizing turquoise and desert colors in furnishings that blended with the mauve carpeting."*
These recipes you will find in the cookbook and are used by permission of Bruce Black: Anasazi Soup, Kokopelli Peels
This BnB (along with delicious recipes and wonderful stories) is featured in Sunrise Sunset Across America, Bed & Breakfast cookbook. Purchase it by clicking on the link in the upper sidebar. Click on the review to read more about it.
*Taken from January 1999, New Mexico Magazine, written by Val Cooper.
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