Expansive desert preserve featuring ancestral Puebloan ruins, scenic trails, and cultural exhibits across a volcanic landscape.
General Information
Trails and Pueblos: Open daily from sunrise to sunset
Visitor Center: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed: December 25
Motorcycle: $20
Individual (on foot or bicycle): $15
Children under 16: Free
Federal passes accepted
Not permitted on trails or in buildings
Must be leashed (max 6 ft) and cleaned up after
How to Get There
From Flagstaff (44 mi) Head east toward S San Francisco St. Turn left onto S San Francisco St. Turn right at the 1st cross street onto US-180 E/W Historic Rte 66. Continue to follow US-180 E. Continue onto US-89 N. Turn right onto Loop Rd. Turn right.
From Sunset Crater National Monument (15 mi) Head east on Fire Rd 545/Loop Rd toward Forest Service Rd 776.
Overview
Wupatki National Monument preserves some of the best-preserved ancient pueblo ruins in northern Arizona, on 35,000 acres of high desert just north of Flagstaff, next to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Its red sandstone dwellings were built by the Sinagua, Cohonina and Kayenta Anasazi, and the monument is one of the most impressive collections of Native American archaeological sites in the region, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
People first settled here around 500 AD, and the population grew after the eruption of Sunset Crater in the 11th century covered the area with volcanic ash that helped crops grow. The community farmed maize and squash without irrigation, harvested rainwater, and traded for shells and pottery from as far as the Pacific and Gulf coasts. By 1225 the site was permanently abandoned.
What to See
- Wupatki Pueblo: “Tall House” in Hopi, a multistory pueblo of more than 100 rooms built around a natural rock outcrop, the largest building for nearly 50 miles.
- Ball court: the northernmost ever found in North America.
- Blowhole: a geological feature where wind escapes from a cave system.
- Wukoki and The Citadel: other major sites.
Hopi believe the people who lived here remain as spiritual guardians, and clans still visit the site.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Wupatki National Monument", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
