ARIZONA

Last Updated: October 31, 2002 (some hours, entrance fees, and area codes may be out of date) 

Note: The background of this page is Kayenta-style masonry from Keet Seel ruin in Navaho National Monument. 

BESH BE GOWAH ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK {Salado} (near Globe, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: pueblo of around 250 ground floor rooms occupied from around 1225 AD to 1450 AD.
Access: Entrance Fee? The Park is located along Jess Hayes Road, approximately 1.5 miles southwest of Globe. Follow South Broad Street to Ice House Canyon Road and continue to the Besh Ba Gowah turnoff.
Information: Check with tourist information in Globe.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument (pronounced “duh-shay”) {Anasazi} (near Chinle, AZ) [***]
Principal Ruins: White House, Antelope House, Standing Cow, Mummy Cave
Access: No entrance fee. White House trail is 2.5 miles (rt). All other excursions into the canyons must be accompanied by an authorized Navajo guide (hikes, 4-wheel vehicle, or horseback tours). Tours (complete with 4/6-wheel vehicles and Navajo guide) are also available through Thunderbird Lodge (928-674-5841).
Information: Visitor's Center open 8am-5pm (Oct.-Apr.), 8am-6pm (May-Sept.). Contact Superintendent, Canyon de Chelly N.M., P.O. Box 588, Chinle, AZ 86503. (928) 674-5500.

CASA GRANDE RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT {Hohokam} (Coolidge, AZ) [**]
Principal Ruins: the "big house", other smaller ruins, a ball court.
Access: Entrance fee $4/vehicle or $2/person. Located on AZ Hwy 87, 1 mi. north of Coolidge.
Information: Visitor's Center and Museum. Contact Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, 1100 Ruins Drive, Coolidge, AZ 85228. Phone (520) 723-3172.

CASA MALPAIS {Mogollon} (near Springerville, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: 50-room pueblo, a great kiva, several small residential compounds, a large wall, prehistoric trails, rock art panels, subterranean ceremonial chambers.
Access: Entrance fee $5.00 Adults, $4.00 Senior 55+, $4.00 Student, and $3.00 6 and under. Located on US Hwy 60, 1 mi. w of Springerville;
Guided tours (leaving from the museum daily at 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.)
Information: Visitor's Center at 318 E. Main Street in Springerville (928-333-5375) malpais@cybertrails.com

ELDEN RUINS {Sinagua} (near Flagstaff, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: pueblo (60-70 rooms) occupied 1100 AD to 1250 AD.
Access: No Entrance fee? Located on US Hwy 89, 1.5 miles north of its interchange on I-40 near Flagstaff.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK {Anasazi} [*]
Principal Ruins: Tusayan ruin (small pueblo and museum on South Rim); Walhalla ruin (North Rim); other GCNP sites in the Canyon.
Access: $10/vehicle entrance into the Park. Tusayan ruin is 22 mi. e of Grand Canyon Village.
Information: Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. Phone (928) 638-7888.

HARDY SITE {Hohokam} (Tuscon, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: ruins of small village occupied from 300 AD to 1250 AD. Access: located at Fort Lowell Park at 2900 North Craycroft Road in northeast Tuscon.

HOMOLOVI RUINS STATE PARK {Anasazi} (Winslow, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: around 300 small ruins in 4 groups? Also petroglyphs. Access: $3/vehicle. Off SR 87, north of Winslow.
Information: Visitor's center/museum - (928) 289-4106

KINISHBA RUINS {Anasazi} (Whiteriver, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: partially restored village inhabited approx. 1050-1350
Access: 7 miles west of Whiteriver via dirt road
Status Update: "The Kinishba site, while in the process of being restored after the excavations, has fallen due to lack of funds. The site, though still somewhat recognizeable, has fallen into complete disarray and at this time is not being maintained for any purpose whatsoever."

MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT {Sinagua} [**]
Principal Ruins: Montezuma Castle (20-room, 5-story cliff dwelling) and a few others. Also Montezuma Well (11mi. ne) - a large limestone sinkhole rimmed by pueblos and cliff dwellings.
Access: $2/vehicle for Montezuma Castle; No fee for Well. Open 8am-7pm (June-Aug.), 8am-5pm (Sept.-May)
Information: Visitor's Center. Phone (928) 567-3597.

PAINTED ROCKS PARK {Hohokam} (40 mi. w of Gila Bend, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: over 750 petroglyph images; no ruins.
Access: Located 30 mi. w of Gila Bend via I-8 to Painted Rocks exit, then 15 miles further.

PALATKI ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE {Sinagua} [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: Palatki Cliff Dwelling and rock art panel
Facilities: A small visitor center and bookstore. Rest facilities and water are available. There is no handicapped access to any of the sites.
Access: You need to go into the Sedona Cultural Park Information Center to make reservations.  They are free but you must purchase a Red Rock Pass $5.00 for the day. I believe the limit was 27 cars. Site interpreters at the ruin and the rock art keep track with radios of people at each site along with the person at the house. 
Information: Important phone numbers are Reservation Information (928)204-5818; Red Rock Ranger Station (928)282-4119; Palatki Red Cliffs (928)282-3854.

NAVAJO NATIONAL MONUMENT {Anasazi} [***]
Principal Ruins: Betatakin Area, Keet Seel Area (best preserved cliff dwellings in Arizona)
Access: No fee. Headquarters 9 miles off US Hwy 160 on SR 564 (within Navajo Reservation). Betatakin ruin is 2.5 mile hike (strenuous, ranger led 10am daily?) from Hdqtrs or can be viewed from Betatakin Point. Keet Seel area is 8 mile hike (or via horseback) from Hdqtrs (schedules vary; reservations required).
Information: Visitor's Center open 8am-6pm (May-Sept.), 8-4:30 other times.
Contact Superintendent, Navajo National Monument, HC-71, Box 3, Tonalea, AZ 86044-9704. Phone (928) 672-2700.

PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK {Anasazi} [*]
Principal Ruins: Puerco ruins (pueblo ruins); also collection of petroglyphs nearby.
Access: $5/vehicle for entrance into Park Information: Superintendent, Petrifed Forest National Park, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028. Phone (928) 524-6228.

PUEBLO GRANDE RUINS {Hohokam}  [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: remains of Hohokam village
Access: Adults: $2, Seniors (55+): $1.50, Children (6-17): $1, Children under 5: Free, Sundays: Free (located at SE corner of 44th Street and Washington in Phoenix, AZ)
Monday - Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m,.Sunday: 1:00 - 4:45 p.m.
Information: 4619 E. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85034-1909
(928) 495-0901 (Phone), (928) 495-0900 (Recording), Toll free: 1-877-706-4408

TONTO NATIONAL MONUMENT (Salado) (2 mi. e of Roosevelt, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: cliff dwellings: Upper Ruin, Lower Ruin and Lower Ruin Annex.
Access: $4/vehicle entrance fee. Located on SR 88, 2 mi. e of Roosevelt and 28 mi. nw of Globe. Upper Ruin accessable by .5 mile trail. Lower Ruin accessable only via advance reservation and accompanied by Ranger.
Information: Contact Tonto National Monument, HC 02, Box 4602, Roosevelt, AZ, 85548. Phone (928) 467-2241.

TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENT {Sinagua} (about 2 miles nw of Cottonwood, AZ) [**]
Principal Ruins: 110 room pueblo occupied by Sinagua Indians between 1000 and 1425 A.D.
Access: $2/person, open 8am-7pm (June-Aug.), 8-5 (rest of year)
Information: (928) 634-5564.

V-Bar-V Ranch Petroglyph Site {Sinagua} (near Sedona, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: 1,032 individual petroglyphs in seven panels.
Access: 2.8 mi. from the Sedona Interchange (Exit 298) on Interstate 17. Entrance Fee $3/person, open 9:30 am-4:30 pm every day, guided tours offered during these hours.
Information: Sedona Ranger District Station, 250 Brewer Road, Sedona. Phone (520) 282-4119.

WALNUT CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT {Sinagua} [**]
Principal Ruins: 300 dwellings on a series of ledges on a 400-ft. gorge. Inhabited by Sinagua Indians from 1120-1250.
Access: $4/vehicle. Visitor's Center is 7.5 miles e of Flagstaff on I-40. Some visible from visitors center. Self-guided trail leads past 25 cliff dwellings. Another trail follows rim.
Information: Visitor's Center open 8-6pm (summer); 8-5 (winter). Contact Superintendent, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Walnut Canyon Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Phone (928) 526-3367.

WHITE MOUNTAIN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER (12 mi. n of Springerville, AZ) [No Personal Experience]
Principal Ruins: Raven Site (2 pueblos with 800 rooms and 2 kivas) dating from 1000-1450 A.D. [Are these Mogollon?] Access: 12 mi. n or Springerville, AZ on US 180/666 then e on Springerville Generating Station Rd., then .5 mi. s on gravel road. Walking tour $3/adult. One-day excavation fee $42/adult.
Information: White Mountain Archeological Center, HC 30, St. Johns, AZ 85936. Phone (928) 335-5857.

WUPATKI NATIONAL MONUMENT {Sinagua} [***]
Principal Ruins: Wupatki ("Large House") ruin containing more than 100 rooms. Also a ceremonial amphitheater. Also Citadel, Nalakihu, Lomaki and 3-story Wukoki ruins, all inhabited from 1100-1225.
Access: 35 miles northeast of Flagstaff off Hwy. 89. Entrance fee $4/vehicle (includes entrance to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument). Self-guiding trails.
Information: Visitor's Center open 8am-6pm (June-Aug.); 8am-5pm (rest of year). Contact Superintendent, Wupatki National Monument, 2717 N. Steves Blvd., Suite #3, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Phone (928) 526-1157

MUSEUMS:

ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM, University of Arizona Campus, Tucson AZ

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA, University of Northern Arizona Campus, Flagstaff AZ

AMERIND FOUNDATION, Texas Canyon (southwest, AZ)

SMOKIE MUSEUM, Prescott

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This page is maintained by Greg Bondar, and all comments or suggestions for improvement of these pages should be sent to him.

 

 

since 14:00 EST on August 18, 1998.