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Wupatki National Monument

Wupatki National and the adjacent Sunset Crater Volcano national monuments are often overlooked by tourists in a rush to get to Grand Canyon National Park. But visitors should consider a side trip  to these parks, even if it's only taking the scenic loop road without stopping at any of the attractions.

Take U.S. 89 out of Flagstaff a dozen miles north to Sunset Crater and then on to Wupatki. This scenic detour  adds about an hour of driving time but the rewards are many. That includes the scenic East Rim Drive and Desert Watchtower. 

Wupatki is 104-room pueblo revealed along a trail of a half-mile roundtrip. The pueblos, including Wupatki, Wukoki, Lomaki and Box Canyon, are about 800 years old. Wukoki pueblo is reached by a trail of a few hundred yards. There is no camping at Wupatki. 

​The 35-mile (56-kilometer) scenic loop road offers views of the  San Francisco Peaks, Wupatki Basin and Painted Desert.
It descends about 2,000 feet from Sunset Crater to Wupatki.

Admission is $20 per vehicle, allowing entry to both Sunset Crater and Wupatki national monuments.
​
Established:
 1924
Elevation: 4,900
Annual visitation: 212,828

Learn about neighboring Sunset Crater National Monument:

http://www.ontheroadarizona.com/sunsetcrater.html

Picture
Picture
Wukoki pueblo, a three-story dwelling, sits on a sandstone outcropping. Archeologists date the occupation of Wukoki from about 1120 through 1210 A.D.
Picture
Picture
Picture
The alpine San Francisco Peaks contrast with the dry grasslands of Wupatki, which are about 7,000 feet below the upper mountain ridges.
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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Best of Arizona
    • Historic Maps
    • Best Arizona Events
    • Best Cycling Route
    • Best Drives
    • Best Saloons
    • Best Cactus League Ballparks
    • Best Neon
    • Best Bridges
    • Best Place Names
    • Best Historic Hotels
    • Best Road Songs
    • Best Historic Lodges
    • Arizona state symbols
    • Best Ways to Stay Safe
    • Best Metro Phoenix Resorts
  • Route 66
    • Ash Fork
    • Flagstaff Route 66
    • Hackberry
    • Holbrook Route 66
    • Joseph City
    • Kingman Route 66
    • Lupton
    • Oatman
    • Peach Springs
    • Seligman
    • Truxton
    • Twin Arrows
    • Two Guns
    • Winslow Route 66
  • Towns (A-F)
    • Ajo
    • Bisbee
    • Camp Verde
    • Cave Creek
    • Clarkdale
    • Clifton
    • Cottonwood
    • Douglas
    • Flagstaff
    • Florence
  • Towns (G-P)
    • Globe
    • Holbrook
    • Jerome
    • Kingman
    • Lake Havasu City
    • Mesa
    • Miami
    • Page
    • Payson
    • Prescott
  • Towns Q-Z
    • Salome
    • Scottsdale
    • Sedona
    • Superior
    • Tombstone
    • Tucson
    • Wickenburg
    • Williams
    • Winslow
    • Yuma
  • Natl Parks
    • Canyon de Chelly
    • Chiricahua NM
    • Grand Canyon North Rim
    • Grand Canyon South Rim
    • Granite Mtn. Hotshots Memorial
    • Hubbell Trading Post
    • Jerome State Historic Park
    • Montezuma Castle NM
    • Navajo National Monument
    • Petrified Forest NP
    • Saguaro NP
    • San Xavier del Bac Mission
    • Sunset Crater Volcano NM
    • Superstitions
    • Tumacamcori NHP
    • Tuzigoot NM
    • Walnut Canyon NM
    • Wupatki NM