Wupatki National Monument Crack-in-the-Rock Overnight Hike Lottery

Nestled between the Painted Desert and ponderosa highlands of northern Arizona Wupatki seems like an unlikely landscape for a thriving community. In the early 1100s during a time period of cooler temperatures and wetter seasons the ancestors of contemporary Pueblo communities created a bustling center of trade and culture. For many Indigenous communities these sites represent the footprints of their ancestors.

The roundtrip hike to Crack-in-Rock Pueblo and the nearby rock art is a two-day backpacking trip in an isolated area of Wupatki National Monument. Crack-in-Rock is a 900 year old Ancestral Puebloan site located on a mesa top. Numerous archeological sites are located along the way.

These and other features will be discussed by the Wupatki National Monument staff members leading the hike. The hike is approximately 18-20 miles round-trip over rough desert terrain at an elevation of approximately 4,500-4,900 feet. The route is cross-country; there is no designated trail.

Hiking surfaces are uneven and vary from loose cinder to sandstone and limestone outcrops and talus slopes. Although overall elevation gain or loss is minimal, portions of the route include hiking in and out of washes and hilly areas. Please note that this is a rigorous hike over difficult terrain.

There is minimal shade along the way. The vegetation, although sparse in many locations, can be thorny and sharp.