Wupatki National Monument
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Wupatki National Monument |
Contact Information:
Wupatki National Monument
Flagstaff Area National Monuments - WUPA
6400 N. Hwy 89
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
928-679-2365
http://www.nps.gov/wupa/
Size: 35,422 acres
Location: From Flagstaff, Arizona, take US 89 north for 12 miles and turn right at sign for Sunset Crater Volcano - Wupatki National Monuments. Visitor center is 21 miles from this junction.
Description: Ruins of red sandstone pueblos built by farming Ancestral Puebloan People between 1120 and 1250 are preserved here.
Activities: Visitors should allow about two hours to visit the five prehistoric pueblos, or at least 30 minutes to visit Wupatki Pueblo, which is the largest of the five. The backcountry of Wupatki is closed to hiking to protect fragile archeological sites. However, the park offers the Crack-in-the-Rock hike, a special ranger-guided backpacking experience on weekends in April and October. This trip explores rock art and pueblo architecture in an area not normally open to the public. This strenuous 16-mile cross country overnight trip, requires each participant to carry a 30-40 pound pack. Each hike is limited to 13 people, with participants selected through a lottery system. Minimum age is ten.Operating Hours: The Monument is open year round and the pueblos are open from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is open daily except for Christmas Day.
History: Proclaimed on December 9, 1924.
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