Wupatki National Monument • Arizona

a large stone pueblo in a desert beneath mostly sunny skies with mountains in background

a man and woman walking toward a three-story sandstone tower

Walls of a white limestone and red sandstone structure under light blue skies with white clouds.

stars and the Milky Way galaxy over a desert juniper tree

Side view of the Nalakihu and Citadel Pueblos

Nestled between the Painted Desert and ponderosa highlands of northern Arizona, Wupatki National Monument is an unlikely landscape for a thriving community. The early 1100's marked a time of cooler and wetter weather, when the ancestors of contemporary Pueblo communities created a bustling center of trade and culture. For indigenous peoples, these sites represent the footprints of their ancestors.

Wupatki, the monument's namesake pueblo, is made up of more than 100 rooms. The trail also features an ancient ball court and natural blowhole.
NPS

Wukoki Pueblo is located three miles from the Wupatki Visitor Center.
NPS Photo / Elliot Schultz

Lomaki means "beautiful house" in the Hopi language. The pueblo is located ten miles from the visitor center and is reachable via a short, 0.5 mile trail.
NPS

Wupatki National Monument features exceptionally dark night skies and hosts numerous star parties each year.
NPS Photo / Elliot Schultz

The Citadel Pueblo sits atop a small cinder hill overlooking the surrounding grasslands.
NPS

A large red sandstone pueblo with mostly sunny skies and mountains in the background.

The park's namesake pueblo preserves 104 rooms, a ballcourt, and a natural blowhole feature.

A sandstone pueblo next to a small canyon against a clear blue sky

Lomaki and Box Canyon

Called "beautiful house", Lomaki Pueblo sits next to a check dam that demonstrates the importance of water in a dry landscape.

A close-up view of a towering red sandstone pueblo built atop a large matching rock.

A ground-up view of the three-story wall at Wukoki Pueblo.

A small red sandstone pueblo sits below hilltop remains which include some black basalt.

The Citadel and Nalakihu Pueblos

Nalakihu Pueblo sits in front of the Citadel. Once two stories high, the Citadel is the only pueblo to use basalt as well as sandstone.

Last updated: May 16, 2024

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

6400 U.S. 89
Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Phone:

928-679-2365

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