 |
NATIONAL MONUMENTS ABOUND HERE
While on your Grand Canyon vacation, be sure to explore beyond the
national park. Arizona is home to several national monuments, which are
sites and attractions that are protected for good reason and so that
you may more fully experience the culture and history and wonder of
this great state. Arizona is rich in culture and history and these
monuments provide a step back in time and a closer look at the ancient
people who once lived here.
Following is a sampling of national monuments that can enjoyed in the state of Arizona.
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Located in northern Arizona, north of the Grand Canyon, Vermilion
Cliffs is a spectacular site to experience. The 3,000-foot escarpment
of the Vermilion Cliffs reveals seven major geologic formations in
layer-cake fashion. This remote, unspoiled 294,000-acre national
monument is a geologic treasure of towering cliffs, deep canyons, and
spectacular sandstone formations, containing the Paria Plateau,
Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes and Paria Canyon. To get there by car,
head to St. George, UT, in southwestern corner of Utah. St. George is
located off I-15, and is southwest of Zion National Park, and
approximately 270 miles from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National
Park.
Parashant National Monument
Located on the edge of one of the most beautiful places on earth, the
Grand Canyon, the Monument's expansive landscape encompasses a
chronicle of natural and cultural history. Visitors can access this
monument via dirt road from Nevada, Arizona and Utah. (There are no
paved roads within this NM and this area is quite primitive). Please be
sure to have a detailed map of Northern Arizona, as well as Nevada and
Utah if possible. Parashant NM covers more than 1 million acres of
remote and unspoiled terrain, and is a scientific treasure. Enjoy views
of deep canyons, mountains and "lonely" buttes that jut out of the
landscape. The monument encompasses the lower portion of the Shivwits
Plateau.
Sunset Crater Volcano
Certainly the name of this national monument piques one's interest.
Sunset Crater Volcano results following a series of volcano eruptions
that occurred between 1040 and 1100. Powerful explosions forever
changed the landscape and ecology of the area. Lava flows and cinders
still look as fresh and rugged as the day they formed. But among
dramatic geologic features, you'll find trees, wildflowers, and signs
of wildlife – life returns. Enjoy the 1-mile Lava Flow Trail to fully
experience this national monument. Sunset Crater Volcano NM is located
southwest of the Grand Canyon. To get there by car, from Flagstaff,
take U.S 89 north for 12 miles (19km), turn right on the Sunset Crater
- Wupatki Loop road and continue 2 miles (3km) to the visitor center.
Tuzigoot
Located in west-central Arizona, Tuzigoot National Monument is an
ancient pueblo that crowns a desert hilltop. Tuzigoot is an ancient
village or pueblo built by a culture known as the Sinagua. The pueblo
consisted of 110 rooms including second and third story structures. The
first buildings were built around A.D. 1000. The Sinagua were
agriculturalists with trade connections that spanned hundreds of miles.
The people left the area around 1400. The site is currently comprised
of 42 acres. To get there by car, access via Highway 260, north and
northeast of Highway 89A.
Montezuma Castle
This is a fascinating attraction. Visitors will get to view the
20-room, "high rise" cliff dwelling that is nestled in a towering
limestone cliff and discover the legacy of an ancient people, the
Sinagua. A self-guided, 1/3-mile loop trail leads you past an
incredible 5-story cliff dwelling, through a beautiful sycamore grove
and along spring-fed Beaver Creek, one of only a few perennial streams
in Arizona. Ranger programs are also offered daily. To get there by
car, Follow I-17 to exit 289 (90 minutes north of Phoenix, 45 minutes
south of Flagstaff). Drive east (through two traffic circles) for
approximately 1/2 mile to the blinking red light. Turn left on
Montezuma Castle Road.
Wupatki
The Wupatki Pueblo is less than 800 years old and is the region's
largest pueblo. Despite its being one of the warmest and driest places
on the Colorado Plateau, this pueblo's people flourished for a time as
a meeting place for different cultures. People gathered here during the
1100s, gradually building this 100-room pueblo with a community room
and ballcourt. By 1182, perhaps 85 to 100 people lived at Wupatki
Pueblo, the largest building for at least fifty miles. A self-guided
tour begins at the visitor center. Although it is no longer physically
occupied, the Hopi tribe believe the people who lived and died here
remain as spiritual guardians. To get there, from Flagstaff, take US 89
north for 12 miles (19km), turn right at sign for Sunset Crater Volcano
- Wupatki National Monuments. The Visitor Center is 21 miles (34km)
from this junction.
Walnut Canyon
This is yet another opportunity for visitors to Arizona to experience
history. Here at Walnut Canyon NM, visitors step back 700 years by
peering into cliff dwellings built deep in this canyon's walls. Explore
the Island Trail, a 1-mile roundtrip hike that showcases spectacular
canyon scenery and in the form of several cliff dwellings, evidence of
the life of the ancient Sinagua people. Or, an easier hike is the Rim
Trail, just three-quarters of a mile, roundtrip. This will provide
fantastic canyon views, plus a pithouse and pueblo set back from the
canyon rim. To get there by car, leave I-40 at Exit 204, 7.5 miles (12
km) east of Flagstaff; drive south 3 miles (5 km) to the canyon rim.
(Warning: Tight turn-around in parking area for towed vehicles; 40 feet
(12 meters) maximum length is recommended.)
Navajo
Navajo National Monument is located in northeastern Arizona. Here,
visitors get a glimpse into the lives and culture of the Ancestral
Puebloan people. Explore three intact cliff dwellings, a terrific
visitor center and museum and three short self-guided trails. To get
there by car, travel U. S. Highway 160 to State Highway 564. Navajo is
located at the end of Highway 564.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Located on the west end of Arizona's southern border, this monument
celebrates the life and landscape of the Sonoran Desert. Drive a remote
road, hike a trail or camp in the desert. Here you can truly experience
the desert, and many people leave changed after being immersed in the
calm of the desert. To get there by car, from the north, follow AZ Hwy
85 through Ajo and Why. The Monument is 22 miles (35.4 km) south of
Why. From the east, follow AZ Hwy 86 to Why, then turn south on AZ Hwy
85. From the west, follow I-8 to Gila Bend or I-10 to Buckeye, then
turn south on AZ Hwy 85. From Mexico: drive on Mexico Route 2 to
Sonoyta, then north to Lukeville.
Canyon de Chelly
Here is a home to the longest continuously-inhabited landscape in all
of North America. Rich in culture, Canyon de Chelly includes
distinctive architecture, artifacts, and rock imagery while providing
terrific opportunities for study and contemplation. Also interesting,
Canyon de Chelly also sustains a living community of Navajo people.
This national monument is located in the northeastern region of
Arizona. To get there by car, rrom Flagstaff, AZ, take I-40 East then
Hwy 191 North; from Gallup, NM, take Hwy 264 West then Hwy 191 North;
and from Kayenta, AZ, take Route 59 Southeast then Hwy 191 South.
Chiricahua
Rocks everywhere. This is what awaits you a t Chiricahua National
Monument and it's a sight worth seeing. This forest of rock spires is
the result of erosion from layers of ash deposited by the Turkey Creek
Volcano eruption 27 million years ago. Enjoy an 8-mile paved scenic
drive through this monument, and/or 18 miles of hiking trails that will
take you deeper into this unique region. Chiricahua is located in the
far southern region of Arizona, 120 miles southeast of Tucson. To get
there by car, take I-10 east from Tucson to the first exit for Willcox.
Travel 3 miles into town to the stoplight and turn right. You will
follow Arizona State Highway 186 for 32 miles to the junction of
Arizona State Highway 181. Turn left and 4 miles later you will be at
the Chiricahua entrance station.
Fort Bowie
Fort Bowie commemorates the bitter conflict between Chiricahua Apaches
and the U.S. military - a lasting monument to the bravery and endurance
of U.S. soldiers in paving the way for settlement and the taming of the
western frontier. It provides insight into a "clash of cultures," a
young nation in pursuit of "manifest destiny," and the hunter/gatherer
society fighting to preserve its existence. This monument is located in
the far southeast region of Arizona. The park is 116 miles east of
Tucson, AZ via I-10. To get there by car, from Willcox, AZ drive
southeast for 20 miles on State Road #186 to the Fort Bowie turn off,
then drive another eight miles on the unpaved road to the Fort Bowie
Trailhead. Be prepared to walk the three miles round trip to the ruins
and back to your car.
Tonto
Situated within rugged terrain in the northeastern part of the Sonoran
Desert, Tonto National Monument features well-preserved cliff dwellings
that were occupied during the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries.
Driving time from Phoenix or Scottsdale: 2 hours; from Tucson: 3 hours;
from Flagstaff: 3 to 3 1/2 hours. To get there by car, from Phoenix,
take State Highway 60 (Superstition Freeway) east to Globe/Miami (75
miles); turn left (northwest) on State Highway 188 and drive 25 miles
to Tonto National Monument.
Pipe Spring
In the far northwestern region of Arizona, this national monument
commemorates a spring that American Indians, Mormon pioneers, plants,
animals, and others depended on for their survival. Learn about pioneer
and Kaibab Paiute life at the Visitor Center, or on a ranger-guided
tour of a historic fort. To get there by car, from Interstate 15, turn
onto Utah State Route 9 in Hurricane, Utah. Take Utah State Route 59
east out of Hurricane. This road turns into Arizona State Route 389 at
the state line. Pipe Spring is 45 miles east of Hurricane. From Utah
Highway 89 and 89A, turn onto Arizona State Route 389 in Fredonia,
Arizona. Pipe Spring is 15 miles west of Fredonia.
|