Park Archives: Wupatki National Monument

The people living just northeast of what is now Flagstaff, Ariz., must have been warned by tremors before debris exploded from the ground and rained down on their pithouses. The lava flows and erupting cinders that followed forced these farmers to vacate the rocky lands they had cultivated for 400 years. A few generations later, at Wupatki and nearby Walnut Canyon, families returned to grow crops for another 100 years in the shadow of Sunset Crater. Slowly, plants and animals returned too, some specially adapted to living on the lava. By the late 1800s ranching and logging operations sustained the new populations settling Flagstaff, and the memory of the most recent eruption on the Colorado Plateau lived only in the stories of indigenous Southwest people. Today occasional earthquakes still remind local residents that they live in a geologically active area. At Wupatki and Sunset Crater Volcano national monuments, we contemplate how the environment and people change each other.

The remains of masonry pueblos, or villages, that dot the landscape of Wupatki are the most obvious evidence of the human endeavor in this expansive land. They tell of the 1100s when puebloan peoples came together to build a vast farming community. Some of these villagers may have migrated from drought-stressed areas on the Colorado Plateau to join people already living here. With the first eruption of Sunset Crater, the agricultural potential improved because the thin ash layer absorbed precious moisture and helped prevent evaporation, and a climate change provided more rainfall during the growing season.

By 1180 thousands of people were farming on the Wupatki landscape. By 1250, when the volcano had quieted, pueblos stood empty. The people of Wupatki had moved on and established new homes. Many people traversed the high deserts of the Colorado Plateau over time, but few stayed long. Those who did adapted to the region's challenging environment. Their descendants still live nearby, including Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo people.

Nineteenth-century explorers such as John Wesley Powell marveled at the well-preserved pueblos and the stark but strangely beautiful volcanic landscape. With the founding of Flagstaff, travelers sought out these local attractions. Early visitors explored the lava flows and took rocks for souvenirs. Others looted the archeological sites. In 1928 filmmakers wishing to create a landslide at Sunset Crater inadvertently created a national monument instead. Activists, fearing irreversible damage to the volcano, pushed for protection of the area; and, in 1930, President Hoover established Sunset Crater National Monument (later renamed Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument) as part of the National Park System. Years and thousands of volcano-climbing visitors later, the scarred mountain was closed to climbers. Now this cinder cone is recovering. Other nearby volcanoes, which are not in the park, are mined for pumice and cinders or used for off-road recreation.

Each time a volcano erupts, life begins anew. Like farming the high desert of Wupatki, establishing life in this environment may seem an impossible challenge. But a closer look reveals a pink penstemon radiant against the black rock, its species unique to this rugged terrain. Ponderosa pines, their growth stunted by harsh conditions, offer habitat for Abert's squirrels. Lichen adds a touch of color and slowly converts rock to soil. The volcanic landscape reminds us that only change is constant. It is mute testimony to the forces that will undoubtedly affect the land and its inhabitants again.

The past peoples of Wupatki lived as beneficiaries of the land over which they made epic migrations. In a region of scarce water and climate extremes, they developed self-sustaining cultural and economic systems. The result is a complex story of people interacting with their environment and with each other to live successfully where many would not.

Imagine raising corn planted in nutrient-poor soils, in a land where tantalizing thunderstorms build—but often cheat crops of rain. Despite a beneficial ash fall from Sunset Crater, farming at Wupatki during the 1100s was decidedly marginal. Only the diligent succeeded, and trade with others was vital. Archeologists coined the term Sinagua for the cultural tradition of this area, reflecting the people's ability to farm and live virtually "without water."

Life here involved sharing and trading. Located at the crossroads between Sinagua, Cohonina, and Kayenta Anasazi cultural traditions, Wupatki exhibits a unique cultural brew. We see the exchange of ideas in homes built the Anasazi way but furnished with Sinagua-style pottery, textiles, and tools. Archeologists still debate whether this represents different cultures interacting here, or if it is just the "many different ways to be Sinagua."

For a time, this land provided the necessities for life. It also imparted strength and humility. As the people resumed migrations and relocated east to the Hopi mesas or perhaps south to the Verde Valley, they took their way of life with them—a way of living that has enabled Pueblo people to survive on the Colorado Plateau for the past 2,000 years.

Homes ranged from one-story, single-family structures to Wupatki Pueblo, a multi-level, high-rise. The largest dwelling in the area had about 100 rooms.

The environment provided materials ideal for the construction of freestanding masonry dwellings. Sandstone slabs, limestone blocks, and chunks of basalt set with a clay-based mortar yielded sturdy buildings that, despite weathering and vandalism, remain partially intact more than 700 years after their owners departed.

The landscape that shaped the lives of people 800 years ago appears unchanged in many ways since the eruptions. The lava flows near Sunset Crater seem to have hardened to a rough surface only yesterday. From a distance the pueblos at Wupatki National Monument look as though they could still be occupied. But many processes have been at work, reshaping the land into what we see today.

Volcanism, tectonics, and erosion have created dramatic geological formations and abrupt changes in elevation and climate. As you travel the loop road between Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki national monuments, the environments range from desert to mountain. Ecosystem changes are distinct and frequent. These changes within a relatively short distance greatly increase the biological diversity of the area—a diversity that was indispensable to early residents.

Residents, in turn, transformed the land as they harvested the wood for homes and fuel, hunted and gathered wild foods, and introduced cultivated crops. Later, Navajo families settled the Wupatki area and brought sheep to the land. Beginning in the 19th century, newcomers introduced cattle, tapped ground water supplies and interrupted the natural processes of wildfire. As a result, juniper trees have invaded grasslands; ponderosa forests are no longer open and spacious but dense with undergrowth; some seeps and springs no longer flow.

These habitat changes have affected some species and created new niches for others. In the higher elevations among the ponderosa pine, Abert's squirrels and vivid blue Steller jays are common. Middle elevations support pinyon pine, one-seed juniper, and grasslands, along with jackrabbits and pronghorn antelope. In the lower lands, the more sparsely vegetated high desert community is home to lizards, snakes, coyotes, and bobcats.

As part of the National Park System, Wupatki and Sunset Crater Volcano national monuments are managed to perpetuate this geologic landscape that preserves increasingly rare habitat for native plants and animals and to protect past human developments and their relationships to the land.

Wupatki National Monument protects the ancient dwellings of puebloan peoples. It occupies 56 square miles of dry, rugged land on the southwestern Colorado Plateau directly west of the Little Colorado River. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument features a 1,000-foot volcanic cone and its lava flows.

Location, Hours, and Facilities
Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki national monuments are reached via U.S. 89. Their entrances are located 12 miles and 26 miles north of Flagstaff, Ariz. The parks are connected by a 35-mile loop road. A single entrance fee covers both parks.

Sunset Crater Volcano Visitor Center, two miles east of the park entrance off U.S. 89, has information, exhibits, and a seismograph station.

Wupatki Visitor Center, 14 miles southeast of the park entrance off U.S. 89, has exhibits and displays of artifacts.

The visitor centers are open daily except December 25; hours vary seasonally. Trails are open daylight hours only. Note: this part of Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time year-round.

There are no gasoline stations, restaurants, or overnight accommodations in either park. Full services are available in Flagstaff and along U.S. 89. Several picnic areas are located along the loop road. Open fires are allowed only where fire grates are provided. Wood collecting is not permitted.

Camping
The U.S. Forest Service operates Bonito Campground near Sunset Crater. The facilities include running water and restrooms, but there are no showers or trailer hookups. The campground is open from late spring through early fall. For additional camping information contact: Coconino National Forest, Peaks Ranger Station, 5010 N. Hwy. 89, Flagstaff, AZ 86004; http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/pea ks/rec_peaks.shtml

What to See and Do
A driving tour of both parks takes one to two hours. To walk the trails and stop at the visitor centers, allow three to four hours. At Sunset Crater, the one-mile Lava Flow Trail at the volcano's base allows you to see a variety of features. Sunset Crater is closed to climbing to protect its fragile resources. You may climb other cinder cones in the area, such as nearby Lenox Crater and Doney Mountain at Wupatki.

Ask at the visitor center for hiking information. A short self-guiding tour of Wupatki Pueblo, the largest dwelling in that monument, begins behind the visitor center. Other sites are also reached by trails: Lomaki Pueblo is a half-mile off the main loop road; Citadel and Nalakihu pueblos are next to the road. A 2½-mile spur road leads to Wukoki Pueblo. All other sites are closed to protect the fragile archeological resources.

For More Information
Walnut Canyon, Wupatki, and Sunset Crater Volcano national monuments are administered as the Flagstaff Area National Monuments from a headquarters in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Accessibility
Some features in both parks are accessible for visitors with disabilities. Ask at the visitor centers for more information.

For Your Safety and to Protect the Parks
• All plants, animals, and archeological objects in the parks are protected by federal laws; there are substantial fines for damage to or removal of these resources.
• Pets must be kept on a leash at all times; they are not allowed in buildings or on park trails. Nearby national forest lands offer an alternative for people traveling with pets; please inquire. The summer heat is intense; pets left in vehicles—even for a short time—can suffer heat stroke and die.
• The loop road through the parks is narrow and winding, with soft shoulders. Stop only at designated pullouts. The speed limits are reduced for the safety of pedestrians and wildlife. Both parks are at a high elevation and road surfaces can freeze quickly in winter.
• Stay on the trails to help prevent erosion and to protect the fragile resources, such as the plants and animals that live here. Off-trail travel is not permitted in either park. Lava is sharp, brittle, and unstable. A fall on cinder or lava is not a pleasant experience.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

1941		1946		cover only 1949
1951		1955		1958
cover only 1959		1960		1962	1963
1965	1966	1967	1968
cover only 1969		1973		1975
1978		1981		cover only 1982
cover only 1983		1985
1986-1988		1988-1991		cover only 1992-1997
cover only 1999-2001		cover only 2003-2021

Ball Courts Date Unknown		Blowholes of the Wupatki Area Date Unknown		Mammals of Wupatki National Monument Date Unknown
What Did They Eat? Date Unknown		Birds of Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments May 1990		The History of Excavation and Stabilization at Wupatki Ruin February 1990
Geology of Wupatki National Monument Date Unknown		Plants of Wupatki National Monument September 1988		Pottery February 1990
Reptiles February 1990		Help Save Our Cultural Heritage! September 1988		Trails at Wupatki Date Unknown
Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments Date Unknown		Area Information Sheet Date Unknown		The Breathing Earth: Wupatki Blowholes January 2006
Coils That Bind March 2006		Wukoki Pueblo February 2005		Where can I see rock art? Date Unknown
Date Unknown
Ruins Trail to Citadel-Nalakihu 1956		Nalakihu-Citadel Trail 1962		Nalakihu-Citadel Trail 1963
Wupatki Ruin 1952		Wupatki Ruins 1965		cover only Wupatki Ruins Trail 1976
cover only Wupatki Ruins Trail 1982		cover only Wupatki Ruins Trail 1985		Wupatki Ruins Trail 1989
Wupatki Pueblo Trail Guide January 2012		cover only Wupatki Ruins Trail Date Unknown

Trading Cards

The following visual bibliography is just a sampling of the handbooks and books which have been published for this park. NPSHistory.com does not endorse these, but are merely presenting them for informational purposes only. As most are copyrighted, we are only able to provide the covers, and not contents, of these publications.

cover only Fire and Stone: A Road Guide to Wupatki & Sunset Crater Scott Thybony 1987	cover only A Guide to Sunset Crater and Wupatki Scott Thybony 1987	cover only Wupatki-Sunset Crater William J. Breed, S.W. Carothers, N.H. Goldberg and Dana Harman 1989	cover only Letters from Wupatki (Courtney Reeder Jones) Lisa Rappoport, ed. 1995
cover only 1999	cover only 2016	cover only Wupatki 2018