A short distance from Sunset Crater is Wupatki, a pueblo in a dry and isolated portion of the Colorado Plateau. Built about 1000 and lived in for 250 years, it was home to 85 to 100 people and is considered the largest and wealthiest of the time.

This area was one of the CCC projects, and a ranger home built to blend in with the landscape in 1938 was restored and is once again a ranger home. While the original home was constructed, the ranger and his family lived in the pueblo.

The more unique feature is the sports arena - a walled off rough oval that was used for the stick and ball games of the tribe, a critical part of their culture. The pueblo is built into a hill with stones abutting the bedrock, and the whole structure is shades of red.

Once again the VC was not open but the vistas and the drive on the loop road were by themselves worth the time and effort.

Cadillac’s Viewpoint: I am not sure what the fascination with these rocks are, but they are not cannon so small favors. Close to an actual town with real stuff, but we had to go look at rocks. Cadillac’s Elevation: 2 Antlers