Sedona, a popular tourist town in northern Arizona, is known for its community of artists; however, long before today's present artists came to town, ancient people were creating their own form of rock art, in the surrounding red rocks of Sedona. Today, this ancient rock art is preserved for visitors to enjoy and speculate over what it all it means.
Honanki Heritage Site - Ancient Sinaguan Ruins
The Honanki Heritage Site, situated south of Sedona, off highway 89A, is reached by navigation on a dirt road, right into the heart of the red rocks of Sedona; today, Honanki Heritage Site is managed by the US Forest Service. It is thought that the Sinagua people lived at Honanki between approximately AD1100 and 1300; Honanki Heritage Site is said to contain some of the best preserved Sinagua rock art in the Western United States.
At Honanki Heritage Site, it is possible to see some of the ancient dwellings that the Sinagua people occupied, in addition to the ancient rock art. Visiting Honanki requires walking and climbing on trails, so it is best to be prepared with good walking shoes, water, hat and sunscreen.
Palatki Heritage Site - Ancient Sinaguan Ruins
Palatki is located in the same area as Honanki Heritage site but a reservation is required to visit Palatki Heritage Site; Palatki is also managed by the US Forest Service today. Palatki Heritage Site offers slightly more facilities for the visitor than Honanki Heritage Site but the visitor should still come prepared with good walking shoes, as visiting Palatki involves walking on trails.
Ancient Pictographs and Petroglyphs at Palatki
Palatki is a designated World Heritage Site and as such is of great interest to many visitors; at Palatki it is possible to see ancient cliff dwellings and ancient rock art, created by the ancient Sinaguan people and others who inhabited the area after them. There are ancient pictographs and petroglyphs dating back an estimated 6,000 years; the rock art includes symbols and pictures of people, bears, deer, horses and rattlesnakes.
Need-to-Know Information for Visiting Honanki and Palatki
The following information may be of use to visitors:
- how to reach Palatki: from Sedona, take highway 89A south towards Cottonwood; half a mile south of mile marker 365 are a group of mailboxes. At the mailboxes, turn right onto a dirt road (Forest Road 525); from here, it is approximately 8 miles to Palatki Heritage Site. Pay attention to any signs to avoid ending up at Honanki instead of Palatki.
- how to reach Honanki: from Sedona, take highway 89A south towards Cottonwood; half a mile south of mile marker 365 are a group of mailboxes. At the mailboxes, turn right onto a dirt road (Forest Road 525) and after 10.2 miles Honanki Heritage Site is reached. An alternative route is by Boynton Pass Road (FR 152C), where views of the red rocks are enjoyed, but a high clearance vehicle is probably advisable for this road. Call ahead for current road conditions.
- Honanki Heritage Site is open seven days a week from 10 am to 6 pm except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Palatki is open 7 days a week except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Call ahead for a reservation to visit Palatki (essential) on (928) 282-3854 between 9.30 am and 3.30 pm 7 days a week.
- Facilities at Honanki are limited; there is no drinking water and only vault-type toilet facilities.
- Facilities at Palatki include a small visitor center, bookstore, rest facilities and water.Pets are not allowed at either Heritage Site.
- A Red Rock Pass is required to park at both Honanki and Palatki Heritage Sites, available at both locations during regular hours.
If visiting Sedona, it is highly recommended to visit both Honanki and Palatki Heritage Sites; although there is no conclusive agreement as to what the ancient Sedona rock art means, it is a fascinating experience of Arizona's ancient history. Visits to each site should take between 1 – 2hours but will most likely become a life time memory of a visit to Sedona.
For Further Information:
Contact Sedona Chamber of Commerce for details of jeep tours to Honanki Heritage Site and local information regarding accessibility to the sites
For Related Reading by the Same Author:
How to Spend a Weekend in Sedona, Arizona
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