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10 Ancient Ruins in Arizona That You Shouldn't Miss
The state of Arizona is one that features a fantastic diversity of landscapes and areas of geological interest. North Arizona is famous for the Grand Canyon, a colorful chasm with steep rocky walls more than a mile deep and stretching some 277 miles alongside the Colorado River. Other notable destinations in North Arizona include Flagstaff set alongside the San Francisco Peaks which has the largest ponderosa pine forest, Museum of Northern Arizona, and is close to a number of national parks and monuments. On the south side of Arizona lies the city of Phoenix, the largest in Arizona. Notable day trips in Phoenix include the Heard Museum which is one of America's largest collections of Native American art, Phoenix Museum of History, as well as the Desert Botanical garden which has a great collection of desert plants.
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1. Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 121 reviews
The School of Human Evolution and Social Change's Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve features one of the largest concentrations of prehistoric petroglyphs in the Phoenix Valley. Visit the museum galleries to learn about the prehistoric peoples that traveled through this location as well as cutting edge research on Southwest Archaeology, then view the petroglyphs and encounter native desert plants and animals in their natural habitat along the quarter mile trail. Admission discounts available for seniors, children, students, and AAA members. Free admission Memorial Day through Labor Day for active duty military and their families. Please see our webpage or call for upcoming event, special program, and closure information. Open Wednesday - Saturday. Summer hours (May-Sept): 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Winter hours (Oct-Apr): 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Reviewed By cohoman - Sammamish, United States
While visiting the Phoenix area my wife picked this place for a visit on a Wednesday morning. The preserve is maintained by ASU and is a quarter mile trail in the desert showing off the petroglyphs etched in the black volcanic rocks made by ancient Indians. One thing that surprised me was that these petroglyphs are located in rocks high in the hillside and not at the trail level. So you need to look closely and use a camera with a telephoto zoom or possibly a cellphone camera with zoom capabilities to see and/or photograph them. Also, you can change your position when looking for the glyphs which will make them stand out more. Pretty cool stuff! Note, that their covid hours are Weds through Fri from 8 am to 12 pm, and they close their gates at 12:15 pm.
2. Navajo National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 260 reviews
Home to Betatakin and Keet Seel, the ruins of dwellings dating back to 950-1300 A.D.
Reviewed By TiffDoesEverything
The first thing you'll see is a gift shop and museum, which has a ton of information about the local wildlife and history of the site. Behind the museum, there are 3 hiking trails, which have the miles listed on the signs. The views are amazing and the ruins are fascinating. It still surprises me that the entire experience doesn't even cost a penny!
3. Tuzigoot National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 730 reviews
Built on the top of a hill, these are the ruins of a village from 1100 A.D. that once consisted of approximately 110 rooms.
Reviewed By mini - Fremont, United States
We went to Tuzigoot National Monument. The building is very interesting to see. There are also exhibits.
4. White House Ruin
5. Sliding Rock Ruin
6. Antelope House Ruin
7. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 490 reviews
Archeological preserve of one of the most mysterious ancient structures in North America.
Reviewed By alicehmcd1
Both the visitors center and the guided tour were beyond informative. Our guide, Barb, was both passionate and incredibly knowledgeable about the ancient Sonoran desert native cultures, the monument itself, and everything about the environment. This is such an important monument and I would highly recommend visiting!
8. Besh Ba Gowah
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 214 reviews
Welcome to Besh Ba Gowah, the heartland of the Salado people. Here visitors will see the partially restored ancient ruin of the Salado people who occupied the site between A.D. 1225 and A.D. 1400. Enjoy the self guided tour of the village which allows visitors to experience the mysteries of those who came before. The adjacent museum provides a fascinating glimpse at prehistoric pottery, stone and woven artifacts excavated from the site and a video interpreting the lifestyle of the people who occupied this region over two centuries before Columbus discovered the 'New World.' A seasonal ethno-botanical garden provides information about and showcases plants used by the people who made this desert landscape their home.
Reviewed By 2-Lane-Traveler - Savage, United States
Outstanding Site, well worth the visit when in Globe. Had a delightful time exploring the reconstructed ruins. The introduction video could have been better.
9. Palatki Ruins
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 779 reviews
Reviewed By mbh-travels - Richmond, United States
Great site with informative volunteer docents who are eager to share their knowledge with visitors. Still can’t believe it’s free. You do need to pay for a park pass, which is $5, and good all day at any Red Rock site. You can get the pass at the vending machine in the parking lot. Bumpy dirt road for several miles to get there so having a SUV or truck is useful, but any car would be okay as long as they go slow. You need a reservation and we recommend you call at least a day or two before. They only let ten visitors up to the site at a time. It’s a bit of a rock step climb but they provide walking sticks to help. Be sure to check out Honanki, another heritage site not far from here.
10. Oraibi
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