Destination West!
  • Home Page
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
    • Las Vegas
  • New Mexico
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Route 66
  • YouTube Channel
  • About
  • Get In Touch
  • Archive Albums
DestinationWest.Org

A free western tourism resource featuring majestic destinations and lesser known places!   

Lomaki Pueblo ~ Wupatki National Monument

12/28/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Lomaki Pueblo ~ Wupatki National Monument

For those Grand Canyon tourists who yearn to experience more of what this region has to offer, the Wupatki National Monument is only about 45 minutes away from the east exit gate. Desert View Drive continues east to U.S. Highway 89 in Cameron and Wupatki is located just a few miles south on this road. The Wupatki National Monument is easy to get to from Flagstaff, Arizona too. From Flagstaff, visitor can actually enter this park by driving through the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. One small fee covers the admission price in both of these National Monuments, which is a real bargain! 

​The Citadel Pueblo Ruins and neighboring Lomaki Pueblo are located on opposite sides of the Wupatki touring loop road. These two pueblos are satellite communities in the Wupatki network of ancient structures in this region. These are small pueblos when compared to the Wupatki great house structure and their purpose was agricultural in nature. 

The nearby Sunset Crater Volcano erupted about a thousand years ago and this event played an integral role in the history of the Wupatki Pueblo Complex. All that a visitor has to do is to look at the volcanic cinders and chunks of lava on the ground to put the pieces of the puzzle together. It is said that the volcanic eruption is why this ancient civilization moved from their home in the mountains to the Wupatki location. This pueblo complex was originally safe harbor, so the volcano was not the reason why Wupatki was abandoned long ago.  

The Lomaki Pueblo sits upon high ground overlooking a small box canyon. For those who have no prior Wupatki knowledge, why this remote area was originally chosen as a satellite pueblo site may be difficult to comprehend. It is important to remember that every structure in the Wupatki Pueblo Complex network serves an integral purpose and the reason for the construction of the Lomaki Pueblo was agriculture. The volcanic cinders on top of the soil acted as a moisture sealing cap that enabled dry farming techniques to be productive in this area.    

On the day that I photographed Lomaki, the monsoon season was in full swing as can be seen in the overcast clouds in the pictures. When looking at the photos of the box canyon, lush green growth can be seen on the canyon floor.  For a place that is seemingly out in the middle of desolate high desert expanse, the Lomaki Box Canyon must have been a fertile green oasis back in its day.

​The Lomaki Pueblo is in remarkably good condition, especially when considering that this structure is nearly a thousand years old. The dramatic setting is enough to make a visitor stop in their own tracks just to take the majestic view in. A sacred place this really is and the feeling that one gets while standing there will inspire the will to learn more. Lomaki truly is a place where the pieces of the puzzle start to come together when trying to understand the past.  

While hiking the short path to Lomaki it does pay to keep the eyes peeled for wildlife.  Other than the deer and elk that frequent these grassy plains, the wildlife to look for is the small critters. Some of the most colorful lizards in the Southwest can be seen in this region, but these little creatures do not sit out in the open for too long because they are food for the raptors that soar overhead. 

​The Lomaki Pueblo is just part of the Wupatki National Monument experience. All of the ancient pueblos in the Wupatki region can be visited in one day. Summer can be scorching hot here, so the tour will be much more pleasant during the winter or spring seasons. The ancient Lomaki Pueblo still stands in this majestic high desert setting as if it is waiting for the old ways to return. Visualizing how an ancient civilization thrived in this desolate place is much better understood when experiencing the ancient pueblos in person and this is reason enough to get up and go!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Leave no trace!
    New!
    ​Destination West YouTube channel!
     https://www.youtube.com/@DestinationWestOrg
    *The Destination West website upgrading project is well underway. Unique YouTube slideshows are replacing the outdated Flickr photo galleries. The new videos feature modern graphics and alternative music instrumentals that enhance the viewing experience. Some articles are being condensed, while others are getting much needed edits. As everybody knows, the bulk of the original articles and photos were published on the fly during the Covid camping venture and there were limitations. Upgrading is the way to go and more articles will receive a makeover each week until this project is completed. After that, I will be able to gather new material. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

    ​JD Lane

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020

    Donations help the Destinaton West project continue into the future! 
    Go Fund Me!

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home Page
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
    • Las Vegas
  • New Mexico
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Route 66
  • YouTube Channel
  • About
  • Get In Touch
  • Archive Albums