As the road out of Sunset Crater descends into the Painted Desert of Arizona, the snow gives way to the red sands of the Ancient Native Cultures of Wupatki.
The Wupatki National Monument preserves and protects a collection of ruins from the Ancient Puebloan societies of the Cohonina, Kayenta Anasazi, and Sinagua peoples.
Many of the kiva structures are accessible to the public, and exploring them offers a wonderful first-hand view of what life would have been like in the desert.
The rangers offer frequent interpretive hikes of the structures, and you can also reach many of them easily on your own.
Don’t forget to stop by the Visitor Center for your National Park Passport Cancellation Stamps, and be sure to pick up a Junior Ranger Booklet to add the Wupatki National Monument Junior Ranger Badge to your collection!
Looking for a good video to watch before or after your visit?
Check out Ancient Indian Cultures of Northern Arizona
Books about Wupatki National Monument include:
A Guide to Sunset Crater and Wupatki by Scott Tybony
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona by the US NPS
Wupatki National Monument by Susan Lamb
Wupatki and Walnut Canyon by by David Noble
National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah
Many of these products are also available in the National Park Bookstore!
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