Overview

Hype:

Reservations are required! The Palatki Heritage Site is an archaeological site and park located in the Coconino National Forest, near Sedona, in Arizona. In the Hopi language Palatki means 'red house'. The Palatki site has a set of ancient cliff dwellings in the red sandstone cliffs, built from 1100 to 1400 CE by the Sinagua people of the Ancestral Puebloans. The cliff dwellings were built under south-facing overhangs for shelter and winter sun. The Sinagua people planted crops and made pottery in the area. Palatki consists of two separate pueblos, suggesting two family or kin groups may have lived here, one in each pueblo.

The circular shield-like pictographs above the eastern pueblo have been interpreted by some archaeologists as being a kin or clan symbol. There are pictographs and petroglyphs at the Palatki site, including some that predate the cliff dwellings. Many of the pictographs on the rock walls are from the Sinagua. However, those created by peoples of the Archaic period in North America include some of the more abstract pictograph symbols and drawings that are 3,000 to 6,000 years old, and some of the petroglyphs, estimated to be 5,000 to 6,000 years old.

Photographs from the early 1900s show that an estimated 70 to 90 percent of the original structures have disappeared since then.

Trail Condition: Class 2 (Trail may have tree roots or rocks jutting out. Navigation skills may consist of following rock cairns and choosing turns at junctions. Elevation gains may be more substantial.)

Time: 1 hour

Length: 0.65 miles round trip to cliff dwelling and Bear Alcove

Elevation Gain: 100 ft

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55368
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatki_Heritage_Site

Getting There

Navigate to 34.914636, -111.902430.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Sedona, Arizona

Coordinates: 34.916122, -111.901880

Interactive Guide Map

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April 8, 2022 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Marci Parker, Shawn Parker, Callie Parker, Wade Parker, Aria Parker, Lillian Parker,

Logistics

Start: 12:00

End: 1:10

Pictures