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.
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Established: 1924
Elevation: 4,900
Annual visitation: 212,828

Wukoki pueblo, a three-story dwelling, sits on a sandstone outcropping. Archeologists date the occupation of Wukoki from about 1120 through 1210 A.D.

The alpine San Francisco Peaks contrast with the dry grasslands of Wupatki, which are about 7,000 feet below the upper mountain ridges.