Management

Wupatki, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments are managed collectively as the Flagstaff Area National Monuments. Together, they protect more than 40,000 acres and 3,000 archeological sites, in a landscape of expansive high deserts, canyons, mountains, mesas, and volcanic features. Look up at Sunset Crater’s cinder cone, down into Walnut Canyon, and out across the Wupatki grasslands to the Painted Desert. How are they connected?

At all three monuments, the earth’s geologic past lies exposed, shaped by the violence of volcanic eruptions and by the slow erosion of rock layers. Within canyon walls and in broad scenic vistas, catch glimpses of the distant past, of ancient seas and sand dunes, and of plants and animals that have adapted to live here today.

When Sunset Crater Volcano erupted less than 1000 years ago, there were people here to see it. The event changed their lives and influenced settlement at Wupatki and throughout the region. Today, preserving and protecting these landscapes, with their variety of natural and cultural components, saves information for future generations.

Last updated: March 18, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

6400 U.S. 89
Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Phone:

928-679-2365 or 928-856-1705

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