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.
The park's namesake pueblo preserves 104 rooms, a ballcourt, and a natural blowhole feature.
Called "beautiful house", Lomaki Pueblo sits next to a check dam that demonstrates the importance of water in a dry landscape.
A ground-up view of the three-story wall at Wukoki Pueblo.
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
