wupatki national monument

One of the best Native American sites that I have seen in North America. The ball court and many of structures were pretty intact. The Citadel ruin was worth checking out along with the ruins near the visitor center if you are heading up Interstate 25 to the Grand Canyon and parts further make sure to check it out

WUPATKI AND SUNSET CRATER NATIONAL MONUMENTS-ANICENT MAN AND VOLCANOS (ARIZONA’S HIDDEN BYWAYS III) Near the Grand Canyon of Arizona, there is a vast quite place, covered by desert vegetation and littered by volcanic cinder cones, as well as Native American pueblo ruins. It is a place relatively devoid of man, and where the winds and storms frolic. A place where an ancient society lived in eons past, and traditions were kept, cherished, nurtured, and remembered. This is a place where the land is sacred, and was worked in the old ways and worshiped for its wisdom. This place is Wupatki National Monument, a land of lost dreams and of the geologic power of nature. WUPATKI AND SUNSET CRATER NATIONAL MONUMENTS are located in the North-central section in the state of Arizona in the Navajo Nation. The access to these National Monuments is via AZ US89 north of the city of Flagstaff, AZ. You can come up on SR89N from the I-40 in the south, and Petrified Forest National Park. You can also access these monuments from the north via SR89S from the Cameron, AZ area (i.e. the entrance to the South rim of the Grand Canyon) or down from Page, AZ. In either case, your entrance into Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments is at a few miles north of Cameron, AZ on AZ SR89N on your left side. The National Monuments have available campground (via reservations-contact the monuments), but you will need to stay elsewhere if you desire a lodge, hotel, or motel. If you seek the aforementioned lodging, check the City of Flagstaff, or even Sedona, for accommodations. You can also link this trip to these monuments with an extended stay at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. In either case, you will have at least a one hour drive to the entrance point of these national monuments.CARE MUST BE TAKEN IF IT HAS RAINED WITHIN THE LAST 12 HOURS. THESE ROADS CAN GET VERY MUDDY AND QUITE SLICK. THE WEATHER CAN CHANGE QUICKLY, BRINGING THUNDERSTORMS AND FLASH FLOODS. IN ADDITION, USING A VEHICLE WITH SOME HIGH CLEARANCE, SUCH AS AN SUV OR FOUR WHEEL DRIVE JEEP TYPE, IS PREFERABLE, BUT NOT MANDETORY. I AM NOT KIDDING!!! FURTHERMORE, BRING WATER, FOOD, AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR VEHICLE AND YOUESELF. A GOOD AREA MAP IS ESSENTIAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS MINOR EXPEDITION. If you want to explore the monuments, go north of Cameron, AZ and make a left at the signed entrance to Wupatki National Monument (i.e. AZ 395). This is the beginning of a 35 mile loop road that exits onto AZ US89 just south of Flagstaff. There are no services on this loop road besides the Visitors Center about half way in, where there are restrooms. While driving, DO NOT deviate from the main road except to visit marked ruins. There are numerous private side roads leading onto private ranchland that fork off from the loop road. For the first few miles, you will be driving on the Antelope Prairie, until you reach the road junction to LOMAKI PUEBLO on your left. Take the left and drive the two miles to the parking area. The trail to the ruins is a relatively good trail and well marked, but sensible shoes and water are recommended. A WORD ABOUT THESE RUINS; THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. TAKE PLENTY OF PICTURES, WALK WITHIN THE RUINS IF ALLOWED, AND LEAVE FOOTPRINTS! DO NOT DISTURB OR REMOVE ANY ARTIFACTS. IT IS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW. Upon embarking on the trail, the first ruin encountered is the BOX CANYON RUIN (see image) on your left. Spend some time here and marvel at the primitive stone construction that has withstood the test of time. Notice the dry wash below the edifice. This was probably their source of water. The steep side probably offered some form of defense against outside enemies. It should be noted that the climate was cooler and wetter when these structures were built, so local agriculture could be sustained and game was available. In addition, the volcanic soil was very fertile and was a boon to the farming community. Returning to the main trail and making a left, you will soon encounter the main, multi-roomed LOMAKI PUEBLO (see image) on your right. The conditions are similar to the previous ruin, with a box canyon gully for water. Spend some time here and walk into the individual rooms of the pueblo. The rooms are very small, limiting living space. In addition, these early puebloans used some of this precious space for food storage. We found it amazing that so many individuals could live in such a small, by our standards, living space. When you leave here, you will have to double back the way you came to the parking area. I would advise to keep an eye on the weather conditions. Thunderstorms do crop up unexpectedly, especially in the summer afternoon, and can be quite powerful. For your own safely, do not get caught out in the open in one of these storms. Upon returning to your vehicle, return to the road junction and make a LEFT back onto AZ 395. In the next few miles, you will pass an occasional turn-off to a ruin or trailhead. Explore to your hearts content, but remember the safety rules. You should also note that the terrain is becoming more volcanic. You next major stop will be the Visitors Center, and the main WUPATKI PUEBLO RUINS, on your right. This is the principle stop in this national monument, containing a vast concentration of puebloan ruins, so give your self about an hour plus here. The Visitors Center is your source for information, maps, souvenirs, and, most importantly, restrooms. USE THEM! They will be the last restrooms you will encounter until you reach civilization as we know it, unless you like trees and rocks as company. As you walk out the back door of the Visitor’s Center, you will find a path that leads to an upper viewing area of the WUPATKI PUEBLO RUINS (see images). From this vantage point, the main communal building, which housed over 100 people, as well as the ball-court, are visible. The main communal building was a massive piece of engineering for its time, since only primitive tools were available to the builders. As you walk down the steps and approach this structure, marvel at the construction and number of rooms that it encompasses. This was all built by hand out of stone and mud. This was a vibrant agrarian community, using the rich volcanic soil to grow crops and draw water from now defunct springs. You can walk around the entire structure, but cannot enter it for safety reasons. Continue walking to the outer buildings and study the ball-court. All of this was abandoned due to volcanic activity in the immediate area. Take plenty of pictures of this pueblo, and imagine what life was like in this area when fully occupied. Returning to your vehicle, make a RIGHT onto AZ 395, passing a side road on your left leading to Wukoki Pueblo. We did not stop here due to weather considerations. The road now leaves Wupatki National Monument and travels through Coconino National Forest and the lava fields. You will be passing old cinder cones such as Strawberry Crater and the Kana-a lava field. Even though these eruptions occurred hundreds of years ago, the vegetation has been slow to recover. Pick up a ‘bomb’ of solidified lava and examine it. Notice how rough and porous it is, having been blown from the volcanic vents through the air, degassing and cooling after ejection. A few miles passed the Kana-a lava field, you enter SUNSET CRATER NATIONAL MONUMENT (see image), which is the rather large cinder cone off on your right. Note the amount of solidified ejected material surrounding all of the trees. Also note that these trees have grown in the volcanic soil and are of the variety found in higher elevations. You have driven out of the desert and are now in the cooler, mountainous terrain, with matching flora and fauna. Pull over and examine, with binoculars or a telephoto lens, Sunset Crater. This cinder cone, rising 8039’ above sea level, is made up of the ejected material thrown from the central vent and piled high over the years of activity. It must be noted that you cannot climb this cone, both for your own safety and the fragile environment of the cone. Afternoon photography gives you excellent lighting of Sunset Crater. For those who are interested, there are hiking trails, such as the Lava Flow trail through the Bonito Lava field, for your enjoyment. There is also the Bonito campground near Sunset Crater available with reservations. At this point, the main road AZ 395 continues for about 5 miles to the junction of AZ US89. Upon broaching onto US89, be aware that it is a split highway. Be sure that you are going in THE CORRECT DIRECTION (NORTH OR SOUTH)! Take plenty of photos on the way out, for one does not know when one will pass this way again. HAVE A SAFE AND HEALTHY TRIP. ALASKASEEKER = (B.I.N.)

The drive to Wupatki is well worth your time. Take a lunch and water and plan to spend the day in this area. There is a great visitor's center that is very informative and will provide maps of the area. There are several ruins to explore, some close to the road, some a bit more of a hike. Great for hiking, photography and art. Be sure to take sun protection and ruins are wide open and sunny most of the time.

We spend a week visiting the sites in Northern Arizona. After 3 days in Sedona, we drove to Page. We decided to see all the sites east of Flagstaff. The Wupatki National Monument was definitely the best stop on this leg of our trip. There is a nice visitor center, where you can use the restrooms. This is one of the largest ruins that we visited. After checking in at the visitor center, you take a short walk to the ruins. The walls of the village were still mostly intact. The village was laid out nicely. The site gave us numerous opportunities for some great pictures. Definitely worth the price of admission. This is a must stop on any trip to the area.

The Wupatki National Monument is off of Route 89 north of Flagstaff. It is home to numerous pueblo ruins. The park gives a sense of the people who lived in the desert over the centuries. Their subsistence lifestyle and the difficulties they faced are well presented. The small Visitor's Center is well-organized and informative.A loop road allows you to visit the adjacent Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and experience the diverse environments generated by altitude. A pleasant several hours when in the area or on the way to or from Grand Canyon.

I'm a National Parks geek, and am on a mission to see every one of them, so when I visited Flagstaff I had to check this out. It's a pretty big site, and as always with the National Parks, it's easy to navigate with ever-helpful rangers on staff. If you're interested in Native American ruins and history, don't miss it.

Great field trip. Watched eclipse from the trail with friends. Great staff was knowledgeable and many wonderful books available in gift shop.

excellent and informative, you have to check out the blow hole by the lower ball court, visit in the afternoon , worth the entire visit

I spent several hours touring several pueblos at this national monument. The Visitor's center had booklets that described numerous items throughout the pueblos. Take the time to learn about the people and their customs. It was enlightening.

This was one of the best places to visit close to Flagstaff. I would highly recommend this as a stop. Very well preserved and nice visitor facility. Make the loop from the Volcano - nice day trip.

We visited Wupatki in conjunction with Sunset Crater. Both are on the same loop road just north of Flagstaff. Be sure to get a map at the visitors center! Also, visit the Wukoki dwelling that is a short drive from the visitors center. At Wukoki, you can enter the dwelling and see the petroglyph on the floor rock. Be sure to look at the walls and see the wood still there!

I've been to Wupatki twice now. It's amazing what you can learn at historical sites like this. There are 2 distinct pueblos/areas you can look at. The first big one is amazing, and the second one you can even walk around in. An amazing part of Arizona for sure.

As a kid, I was fascinated by the ancient cultures of the SW, even though I grew up on the northern plains. When I moved to Flagstaff I was thrilled that this was so close. Stop every chance you get, and be sure to hike the trail at the visitors center. Take the trail all the way to the end to get the cool breeze from the blowhole, and bring lots of water. Unforgettable, and plan on at least 3 hours at Wupatki, and another hour at Sunset Crater. Gorgeous at any time of year.

Be sure to stop at the Wupatki Pueble, located behind the visitor center. Make sure you either borrow a guide, or buy one for this self-guided tour. Your guide book will explain the sites you will be seeing. Without it, you really don't know. It is a bit of a hike, but don't miss the Ballcourt Blowhole! The blowhole is a crevice in the earth's crust. We were told that some times it sucks air in, and some days it will blow air out, depending on the above ground air pressure. Today it was blowing with quite a force! My husband held his handkerchief over it and it blew it straight up. It even sounds like a fan blowing but it is a naturally occurring event.

The Indian population built their pueblos right in the rock. They took advantage of the natural topography to build their homes. The Wupatki built the very first condos or apartment complex. Well worth the trip. But make sure to ask for a paper at the Wupatki Ruins. We were not given any and had to guess what was at each of the numbered points around the ruins. Would be difficult for handicapped persons to navigate.