Far View Reservoir (Mummy Lake)

Overview

Also known historically as Mummy Lake, Far View Reservoir is an oval, masonry‑lined basin on Chapin Mesa, part of the Far View community of mesa‑top sites. It’s a quick, self‑guided stop between Far View Lodge and the Chapin Mesa area, and a thought‑provoking window into Ancestral Puebloan engineering and ritual life.

What You’ll See

From the rim, you look into a sizeable depression—about 27.5 meters across and once roughly 6.65 meters deep—with masonry lining, a stairway, a low ramp, and a deliberately built, level platform around parts of the basin. Today it can read as a simple weeded pit at first glance, but the construction is careful and substantial. Several other Far View sites (Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Coyote Village, Far View Tower, Megalithic House) are within a short walk, so it’s easy to make this a broader mesa‑top circuit.

Why It Matters

For decades, researchers interpreted this feature as part of a mesa‑top water system—snowmelt and runoff collected and stored here for domestic use or agriculture, hence the modern name “Far View Reservoir.” Later hydrologic and sediment‑transport modeling challenged that idea, arguing the proposed collection system couldn’t reliably deliver water for irrigation or everyday needs.

A competing interpretation reframes it as an unroofed ceremonial structure within a larger ritual landscape: broad, constructed avenues—once labeled ditches—link it to Far View House and Pipe Shrine House, and extend toward Spruce Tree House and Sun Temple/Cliff Palace, echoing Chacoan ceremonial roads. Either way, it’s an impressive piece of work by people adapting to a dry environment with both practical and spiritual solutions.

Timeframe & Context

Ceramic and tree‑ring evidence point to construction and use in two phases spanning the Pueblo II and Pueblo III periods (roughly A.D. 900–1300), with intermittent occupation of the Far View area from about A.D. 875 to 1250. A severe mid‑12th‑century drought likely disrupted activity; shifts in where and how communities gathered and stored water may track these climate stresses.

Amenities

There are no facilities at the reservoir itself. Use restrooms and services at nearby hubs like the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum or the Far View Lodge area, then swing by here as part of your Far View Sites walk.

Tips for Visiting

• Pair it with the Far View Sites loop; it’s a short, self‑guided stop among multiple ruins.
• Bring context: consider both interpretations—reservoir and ceremonial—while you study the basin.
• Look for the masonry lining, the stairway, the low ramp, and the raised platform—they’re clues to how the place was built and used.

Best Time to Visit

Visit when you’re already touring the Far View Sites between Far View Lodge and the Chapin Mesa area. It’s a quick stop that works any time of day and doesn’t require a tour or reservation.