palatki ruins

Greatly knowledgeable volunteers at various points in the ruins direct your attention to time-telling wall elements, animal depictions, and human figures of cultural significance. They make the ancient stories told come alive. Those same volunteers listed environmental reasons for the eventual disappearance of these intriguing wall markings. At least one of the three trails was a little daunting in it’s footing and upward climbs. It was so well worth the effort!

If you want something a little different, you can visit for the price of parking. Take a short hike to see pueblos built many years ago and cave drawings too.

We found the site to be informative and enlightening. It was really nice to see the ruins first hand and up close. The docents provided a wealth of background information and were helpful. Be careful of using Google maps for directions, since it was incorrect during our visit.

Saw needed reservations for tour on the road there. Also saw the ruins closed at 3pm and we arrived there 15 minutes ahead of that and they apparently were not selling more tickets then. So actually did not tour the site, but enjoyed the drive there.

This was not part of our original trip criteria, but we are so glad we visited! Great historical area--beautiful scenery. highly recommend

The 30-minute drive from Sedona to the Palatki Ruins site is well worth it! It was one of the highlights of my trip. The drive alone is gorgeous, but be careful because it requires some driving on a dirt road (which is great, because it means you're going off the beaten path and deeper into the peace and quiet). Call ahead to find out when the next tour will be leaving, which is free of charge. You just need to have a daily Red Rock pass (which are also available for $5 purchase at the information center at the site). The history is fascinating, and the seclusion and beauty of the valley makes you feel like you've stepped back in time.

You have to call ahead to make reservations, but they are very flexible. They just want to make sure the place isn't trampled and everyone has an enjoyable time. It is quite close to town, but down a dirt road which can reportedly be difficult when it's been rainy, but I was told they made recent improvements. We had zero trouble in our Mazda 5.Once you get to the ruins, make sure to look around before or after the tour by wonderful volunteer guides. Some of them know more than others, but all of them obviously love the place and will go out of their way to answer questions. The ruins are divided into two sections: the buildings and the grotto. The building ruins you have access to are roped off and you can only see the main part very closely, but it is enough to imagine how people might have lived. The Grotto is up a separate path and consists of a small pool with walls containing many small petroglyphs. Around the corner from the grotto is where Charles Willard build a temporary homestead using similar techniques as the Sinaguan people in 1920 and you can actually enter the remains of his dwelling.My mom has a Golden Age Parks pass so we didn't have to pay, but it is protected by the forest service so if you don't have the right kind of parks pass there is a $5 fee.

We rented ATVs and took the trail which lead to these ruins. My husband was super excited and, admittedly, I was thinking it was going to be pretty boring. However, the history was so interesting and the beauty of the whole area totally worth seeing. It's an easy 10-minute walk to see the ruins so no major effort. The one facet that really sticks in my mind is how the heck did they build their homes into the rocks, that high up. I get that they wanted a vantage point for defensibility but when you actually see where they lived, it's hard to imagine how it was done. Fascinating!

You will see history. The old ruins show how native americans lived in the cliff. Makes you think how it must of been.

The person who gave the tour was extremely informative. The history of the place is amazing and it is a lovely area.

Park guides are at different locations to talk about the ruins and the pictographs. Reservations are required for a set time for the tour. The trail to the ruins is made out of rocks and boulders and is a steep climb. The office provides walking sticks at no charge. The path to the pictographs is an easy uphill climb. Definitely no handicap access to either site. Access to the site is best by taking Dry Creek Rd off of 89A. The other access, Red Canyon Rd (FR525), is all unmaintained gravel.

the drive to see the ruins is rugged and beautiful......makes you feel like you are really out west and a cowboy! The ruins are fun to see, too!

Take a step far back in time at the ancient Palatki Indian Ruins. No charge for the free guided tour. The pictographs are utterly incredible and the ruins themselves are in fabulous shape given their age and the fact that the forest service has people living onsite and keeps the tours guided to protect this magnificent gem in the desert. Truly an incredible piece of Native and American history. The hike is short and easy, suitable for all ages. A magical place that draws native Americans to it for ceremonial purposes even to this day albeit without permission from the guides and off regular park hours. The forest service guides are very knowledgeable and if you get the right guide he will take you off the main trail to newly discovered locales with even more beautiful places and wondrous pictographs. If you are in Sedona definitely make this part of your trio. You will not be disappointed! Even better than Sedona's vortexes, the Natives marked this location as being a portal with their pictorial etchings. Fascinating place all around.

This was a very informative stop. It took about 2.5 hrs to get through it. One person in our party was in a wheelchair and everything was very accessible.Word of warning if you are pushing the wheelchair. It is a bit of a challenging push back up the hill to the exit.

I always like to learn a little something while on vacation. This site allowed me to do just that. The docents are knowledgeable and know how to impart their knowledge to the general public.I will re-emphasize what I've been reading: CALL AHEAD to make a reservation. You must explore the site with the docents in order to protect the site. It is well worth the time; they let me know what I was looking at. The rock art and graffiti has been applied at many times both recent and long past. We came expecting to take one tour and we stayed for the second. the site has been settled by various peoples for centuries.The road to the site is gravel, but our city slicker car was equal to the task. Just remember to drive slowly (30 mph).